No Canadians in Canad Inns Women’s Classic final

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This article was published 23/10/2017 (3208 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE – Tonight’s final of the Canad Inns Women’s Classic curling bonspiel has a distinctly international flavour to it.

Anna Hasselborg of Sweden hooks up with Nina Roth of Blaine, Minn., in the 6 p.m. championship game (Shaw TV) at the Portage Curling Club.

Hasselborg, with third Sara McManus, second Agnes Knochenhauer and lead Sofia Mabergs, defeated Kerri Einarson of East St. Paul – the only surviving Manitoba team in the ‘spiel – 6-2 in one of two semi-finals.

Roth and her teammates, third Tabitha Peterson, second Aileen Geving and lead Rebecca Hamilton, staged a remarkable comeback against Edmonton’s Kelsey Rocque in the other semi-final. Down 4-1, the Americans posted a three in the eighth end to knot the contest and then stole a pair in the extra end to register an improbable 6-4 triumph.

This evening’s winner takes home $15,000, while the runner-up earns $10,000. The Einarson team, with third Selena Kaatz, second Liz Fyfe and lead Kristin MacCuish, and the Rocque foursome settled for $6,000 apiece.

Hasselborg, the 2010 world junior women’s champion, has already been selected to represent Sweden at the upcoming Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Roth, who placed fifth at the 2017 world women’s championship earlier this year, will compete at the U.S. Olympic Trials, Nov. 11-18 in Omaha, Nebraska.

This morning, Einarson defeated Sherry Middaugh of Coldwater, Ont., 5-3 in one quarter-final, Hasselborg posted a deuce in the eighth and final end to beat Chelsea Carey of Calgary 6-5, Roth hammered Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg’s St. Vital Club 8-3 in six ends, while Rocque sidelined Cory Christensen, another quartet from Blaine, 8-3 in seven ends.

Reigning Manitoba women’s champion Michelle Englot of the Granite; Shannon Birchard of St. Vital; Rachel Burtnyk, Darcy Robertson and Barb Spencer, all of Assiniboine Memorial; and Briane Meilleur and Rhonda Varnes, both of Fort Rouge, also competed in the 32-team, four-day bonspiel but did not make the playoffs.

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell