Einarson crowned Scotties champ two years in a row, edges Homan 9-7

Kerri Einarson and team Canada have repeated as Scotties champs with a thrilling 9-7 victory over Ontario’s Rachel Homan Sunday night in Calgary.

Einarson has now won the tournament of hearts representing both teams Manitoba (’20) and Canada (’21).

All four team Einarson curlers can call themselves back-to-back Scotties champions, including third Val Sweeting, second Shannon Birchard and lead Briane Meilleur. The team represents the Gimli curling club in Gimli, Man.

Ottawa’s Rachel Homan, flanked by third Emma Miskew, second Sarah Wilkes and lead Joanne Courtney, have lost three consecutive Scotties finals — two to Einarson and one to Alberta’s Chelsea Carey in 2019. Wilkes replaced Lisa Weagle on the team prior to this year’s tournament.

Both teams carried an 11-2 round-robin record into Sunday’s final.

Homan defeated Einarson 7-4 in the Thursday afternoon draw, earning a bye into her sixth Scotties final appearance.

Einarson’s team Canada rolled over Alberta’s Laura Walker 9-3 in Sunday’s semi-final. The win clinched the Gimli, Man., skip a second consecutive berth in the final and her third appearance in four years.

Representing team Manitoba at the 2020 Scotties, Einarson edged Homan’s Ontario rink 8-7 for gold in Moose Jaw.

This year’s edition at the Markin MacPhail Centre in Calgary felt all too familiar as the two sides were neck-and-neck throughout much of the contest.

Team Canada stole a single in the opening end as a result of Homan missing on a tricky takeout.

Homan made up for the shaky start by cashing in on a deuce in the second. Following the pair, the two sides traded ones with Homan leading 3-2 after the fourth end.

With hammer in the fifth, Einarson capitalized on another Homan miss to collect three. Einarson took a 5-3 lead into the break.

Homan pulled within one in the sixth, but Einarson scored a pair in the seventh by drawing with the hammer for two.

The Ontario skip battled back to steal two in the ninth but came up short in the 10th dropping a 9-7 decision to team Canada.

Einarson’s Gimli, Man., rink will retain the Canadian colours at next year’s Scotties which is scheduled to take place in Thunder Bay.

Calgary’s Markin MacPhail Centre will begin the transformation from hosting the Scotties to hosting the Brier in less than a week, with the opening draw of the men’s national championship set to begin Friday at 7:30 p.m. CT.

2:36Team Einarson navigating COVID-19 curling season