All three teams were knocked to the provincial women’s curling championship ‘B’ event after Moose Jaw’s Penny Barker lost the ‘A’ side semifinal 7-5 to North Battleford’s Robyn Silvernagle on Friday night.
Barker and her rink of third Deanna Doig, second Christie Gamble and lead Danielle Sicinski looked to be in good shape in the early going against the defending champions, with a three-spot in the third end giving Barker a 4-1 lead.
Silvernagle pulled within one the very next end and would take control with a steal of two in the fifth and another steal in the sixth for a 6-4 lead. Barker, the 2017 Viterra Scotties champion, would get one back in the seventh, but Silvernagle would blank the next two ends and take one in the final end to secure the win.
Barker now drops to the ‘B’ side, where she’ll face the winner of Moose Jaw’s Amber Holland and Saskatoon’s Jana Tisdale during the 7:30 p.m. draw Saturday.
Holland – who is taking to the ice with her Regina Callie foursome that includes 1999 provincial champion and Moose Jaw native Cindy Ricci, second Laura Strong and lead Deb Lozinski – lost their ‘A’ quarter-final game 7-5 to Michelle Englot on Friday night.
Holland also appeared to have things in hand early, as three in the fourth and a steal of two in the fifth put her ahead 5-2 at the break. Englot would get all of that back very next end, though, and after Holland blanked the seventh, stole three in the eighth to go ahead 8-5. Holland would pick up two in nine to get back within striking distance, but Englot – a 10-time provincial champion – would score one in the 10th to secure the win.
Holland plays Tisdale in their first-round ‘B’ side contest at 3 p.m. Saturday.
Regina’s Shalon Fleming, who includes Moose Jaw’s Candace Newkirk at third, didn’t find things quite as close in their ‘A’ quarter match-up with Silvernagle. The 2019 champion built a 5-1 lead through the fifth, stole two in the sixth to go up 7-1 and after the two teams exchanged single points the next two ends, closed things out with the 8-2 win.
Fleming now faces Saskatoon’s Ashley Howard during the 3 p.m. draw and will face the winner of Regina’s Lorraine Schneider and Swift Current’s Tracey Streifel.
The ‘A’ side final between Silvernagle and Englot takes place Saturday night, with the winner advancing to the Page playoff round and having Sunday and most of Monday off in the process. The ‘B’ final takes place Sunday night and the final two ‘C’ qualifiers play off at 1 p.m. Monday.
The Page playoffs open with the first-round games at 7:30 Monday, followed by the semifinal at 9:30 a.m. and championship at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The winner will represent Saskatchewan at the 2020 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Moose Jaw beginning Feb. 24
