Silvernagle repeats as provincial champ
North Battleford skip will be hometown favourite as Scotties head to Moose Jaw
Robyn Silvernagle did it again.
Silvernagle, who curls out of North Battleford with third Stefanie Lawton, second Jessie Hunkin and lead Kara Thevenot, defeated Saskatoon’s Sherry Anderson 8-5 in Tuesday’s final of the Viterra Saskatchewan women’s curling championship at the Horizon Credit Union Centre.
It’s the second consecutive Saskatchewan women’s curling championship for Silvernagle & Co.
“This one feels great,” Silvernagle said.
“The first one was amazing, but this one will be more incredible with the Scotties being in Moose Jaw.”
The foursome and coach Lesley Mcewan will represent Saskatchewan at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts national championship, Feb. 15-23 at Mosaic Place in Moose Jaw.
“I think I will have chills every single time that we go on the ice,” Silvernagle said.
“I know that I got chills in Sydney (N.S.) last year and this year will be even more incredible. It’s pretty cool to have so many fans and it’s so accessible for so many fans to get to.
“Last year was in Sydney and we still had a good group, but it was all family. This year there will be so many more people.”
Lawton is no stranger to the national stage.
She’s a four-time Saskatchewan women’s champion as a skip and now a two-time winner as a third.
She was also Saskatchewan’s representative when the Scotties was held in Moose Jaw in 2015, when she finished fourth.
“The Scotties in Moose Jaw was the most thrilling that I’ve ever played in,” Lawton said. “The fans are there for you and your family is there for you and we just have supporters coming all the time. I love it and I can’t wait to go back.”
Lawton said that she would share her experiences with her teammates before they make the trip to Moose Jaw.
“Every experience is a different experience and it will be different for me,” Lawton said.
“I’ll them to just get ready to play and have some fun with it.”
Silvernagle has now won two consecutive championships after losing in the 2017 final to Moose Jaw’s Penny Barker and to Anderson in 2018.
“Every good athlete has had their fair share of losses,” Silvernagle said.
“You know that if you keep at it and work hard, the success will come.”
Anderson advanced to Tuesday’s final with a 7-5 semifinal win over Saskatoon’s Ashley Howard.
Anderson scored two in the eighth to tie the game 5-5 and then stole one in the ninth and another in the 10th end to ice the match.
Silvernagle, with hammer in the final, kept the sheet clean in the first end while the veteran skips adjusted to the ice and the pressure of playing in a provincial championship.
Silvernagle then hit and rolled out to blank the first end.
Silvernagle drew for a 1-0 lead in the second end against two Anderson counters.
Anderson jumped ahead 2-1 in the third end after hitting and sticking for two.
Silvernagle, the top-earning Saskatchewan skip on the women’s World Curling Tour with $19,000, hit and stuck for three in fourth end to grab a 4-2 advantage that she called “the game’s turning point.”
Anderson, who was curling with third Nancy Martin, second Meaghan Frerichs and lead Chaelynn Kitz, rallied later, but wasn’t able to overcome Silvernagle. PEBBLES: Skips who have qualified for the 2020 Scotties include Chelsea Carey (Team Canada), Erica Curtis (Newfoundland and Labrador), Kerry Galusha (Northwest Territories), Lori Eddy (Nunavut), Suzanne Birt (Prince Edward Island), Hailey Birnie (Yukon) and Silvernagle … Saskatchewan’s last Canadian women’s curling champion was Amber Holland, who won the title in 2011 … It’s a busy week in Melville for Russ Howard, a twotime Canadian and men’s world champion, gold medallist at the 2006 Winter Olympics and analyst for TSN. He is Ashley Howard’s coach and he also fills that same role with Regina’s Steve Howard, who began play on Wednesday in the Sasktel Tankard Saskatchewan men’s curling championship. Ashley and Steve are Howard’s children … Kitz was named the winner of the Marj Mitchell Award, which recognizes sportsmanship and competitiveness at the provincial championship.
Every good athlete has had their fair share of losses ... if you keep at it and work hard, the success will come.