Team Manitoba has won the 2020 Scotties Tournament of Hearts. On Sunday, the Manitoba team of Kerri Einarson of Selkirk, Manitoba, third Val Sweeting, second Shannon Birchard of Winnipeg, Manitoba and lead Briane Meilleur of Winnipeg, Manitoba won the province’s 11th Canadian women’s curling title. With the win, Manitoba is now tied with Saskatchewan for the most Scotties Tournament of Hearts titles of all-time.
Manitoba defeated Ontario 8-7 in the championship final from Mosaic Place in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. In the final, Manitoba needed 11 ends to win the game. Manitoba was leading Ontario by a convincing score of 7-3 before the Ontario rink skipped by Rachel Homan of Ottawa, picked up two points in the ninth end and then stole two points in the 10th end to force the extra end. In the 10th end, Einarson had an open draw to the four foot to win the game, but came up heavy as her stone went to the back of the eight foot. In the 11th end, Einarson’s draw was accurate as it went right to the button.
Einarson and Sweeting had been in the Scotties final before. Einarson skipped Team Wildcard in 2018, but lost in the final to 8-6 to Canadian Olympic gold medalist Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Jones skipped Canada to gold at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. Sweeting meanwhile skipped Team Alberta to the final in 2014 and lost to Homan 8-6 in the championship game from Montreal, Quebec. Then in 2015 from Moose Jaw, Sweeting lost the Scotties final 8-6 to Jones. With the win, Einarson, Sweeting, Birchard and Meilleur will represent Canada at the 2020 Women’s World Curling Championship in Prince George, British Columbia from March 14-22, 2020.
