Experienced Einarson thrives under pressure on the pebble

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This article was published 21/02/2025 (214 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Kerri Einarson was 28 years old and had no idea what to expect as she debuted on championship weekend at the 2016 national women’s curling championship.

It was the Gimli skip’s first appearance at the event and she qualified for the playoffs with a solid 7-4 record. Her next opponent, in the 3-4 page playoff: Northern Ontario’s Krista McCarville, a veteran skip in her fifth appearance at the tournament.

“I was nervous and butterflies but excited,” said Einarson, who lost a 7-5 decision that day. “I remember this game… it was tough and then after losing that game I was so upset, but with the more experience you get in those types of situations, the easier it gets.”

As far as success goes among the skips in this year’s Canadian championship, only Team Canada’s Rachel Homan, a four-time winner and eight-time medallist, has Einarson beat.

Einarson and third Val Sweeting are four-time champions. Lead Krysten Karwacki was an alternate for three of those titles and got the first-time jitters out when she played in two playoff games last year. Then there’s newcomer second Karlee Burgess and, if needed, alternate Lauren Lenentine, who have been runners-up in each of the last two years.

It’s a lineup that, although playing in its second event together, has been there and done that when the stakes are highest.

“I know we’ve been in this situation quite a few times, and we know what to expect and how to feel. So I think experience does pay off,” Einarson said.

There were parallels to that day from nine years ago as Einarson played her first playoff matchup Friday afternoon against 27-year-old Kayla Skrlik of Alberta, who was making her championship-round debut in her second appearance at nationals.

While the young skip didn’t look out of place — shooting 81 per cent — the veteran Einarson was on when it mattered most as she defeated Skrlik 7-4 in the 1-2 page playoff qualifier at Fort William Gardens in Thunder Bay, Ont.

Einarson scored a pair in the second end and stole a point in the fourth frame. Skrlik finally got on the board in the fifth with a deuce, then the teams traded singles with the hammer.

The difference came in the ninth end when the second-seeded Manitobans forced Skrlik into a pair of difficult shots — a run-back double and another triple takeout attempt — that she was unable to execute. Einarson was left with a routine draw to score three.

“It was probably not the most exciting game ever, but we had a lead and we just wanted to keep things simple and not take too many risks,” she said.

After an uneven start to the tournament — firing over 80 per cent just twice in her first six contests — Einarson has rounded into form and has executed at least 86 per cent of her shots in three consecutive games.

She’s showing shades of the player who dominated over a historic four-year stretch at the tournament, but does the way she’s playing remind her of those performances?

“I think I’m basically there” Einarson said. I feel very comfortable with the ice and what it’s doing. I know at the beginning of this week it was a bit of a struggle just trying to figure out rocks and ice, and the ice has been trickier than it has been at the Scotties, but we think we’ve got it all figured out.”

Skrlik wasn’t alone in making her debut on Friday. Corryn Brown of British Columbia also made her first playoff appearance against Christina Black of Nova Scotia in the 3-4 page playoff qualifier later in the day.

“Honestly, we played great. Kerri just played a little bit better,” said Skrlik. “I think just keep the same, do what we’ve been doing, cleanup that ninth end and we’ve got a really tight game to the finish, which is all we can really hope for in playoffs.”

Einarson and Homan will face off in a doozy of 1-2 page playoff on Saturday at noon with a spot in Sunday’s championship final on the line. The loser will play in the semifinal.

Manitobans named all-stars at national women’s curling championship

Val Sweeting, Jocelyn Peterman and Krysten Karwacki were named second-team all-stars for their play at the national women’s curling championship in Thunder Bay, Ont.

It’s the third time Sweeting, who throws third for Kerri Einarson, has received the honour. She was named a first-team all-star in 2020 and 2021 en route to consecutive titles for Team Einarson and has added to her resume after throwing at an 88 per cent efficiency during round-robin play.

Peterman, the second for Kaitlyn Lawes, was named a second-team all-star in 2021. She curled at an 84 per cent clip over eight games.

It’s the second year in a row that Karwacki has received the nod. Karwacki, who plays lead for Einarson, was named a first-team all-star last year after being called out of her role as the alternate to replace Briane Harris on the eve of the tournament. Karwacki has thrown at a 90 per cent efficiency in her return.

First team: Skip, Rachel Homan (Team Canada); third, Tracy Fleury (Team Canada); second, Sarah Koltun (British Columbia); lead, Samantha Fisher (British Columbia).

Second team: Skip, Laurie St-Georges (Quebec); third, Val Sweeting, (Manitoba-Einarson); second, Jocelyn Peterman (Manitoba-Lawes); lead, Krysten Karwacki (Manitoba-Einarson).

joshua.frey-sam@freepress.mb.ca