Jolene Campbell's Team Saskatchewan began their campaign at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts with a loss but rebounded with a victory. The squad from Regina's Highland Curling Club sits at 1-1 in Pool A after two round-robin games in Mississauga, Ontario. They aim to climb the standings in the national women's curling championship.
The Scotties Tournament of Hearts, the Canadian women's curling championship, is underway in Mississauga, Ontario. Team Saskatchewan, skipped by Jolene Campbell, entered the event as the fifth-ranked team in the nine-team Pool A. This marks Campbell's return to the national stage after securing her first provincial title in a decade. Her lineup includes third Robyn Silvernagle, second Rachel Big Eagle, lead Dayna Demmans, alternate Callan Hamon, and coach Ben Gamble.
Pool A is led by Kerri Einarson's Team Canada at 3-0, alongside Manitoba's Team Lawes also at 3-0, through Sunday afternoon. Nova Scotia's Team Stevens holds a 2-1 record, matching Saskatchewan's position after their initial split.
In their opener on Saturday, January 24, during Draw 3, Saskatchewan fell 11-3 to Nova Scotia's Taylour Stevens. The teams exchanged single points in the first two ends, but Stevens pulled ahead with another single in the third using the hammer. A steal in the fourth made it 3-1, followed by a Saskatchewan single in the fifth. Nova Scotia then scored two in the sixth, forcing Saskatchewan to one in the seventh. Another deuce in the eighth gave Stevens a 7-3 lead, and they sealed the win with four stolen points in the ninth.
Saskatchewan bounced back on Sunday, January 25, in Draw 5, defeating British Columbia's Sarah Reese-Hansen 8-5. Facing the No. 2-ranked Pool A team, they opened with a blank first end but exploded for three points in the second. British Columbia responded with two in the third, but Saskatchewan added one in the fourth and stole two in the fifth for a 6-2 advantage. The visitors fought back with two in the sixth and forced one in the eighth, but Saskatchewan limited them to one in the ninth, entering the hammer tenth with a 7-5 lead and closing with a single.
The round robin continues with games against Northwest Territories on Monday morning and Quebec in the evening, all times in Saskatchewan. Playoffs begin Friday, leading to the February 1 final, broadcast on TSN.
