Canada's Einarson beats McCarville to capture third straight Scotties title

The waiting was the worst for Team Canada.

For several agonizing minutes Kerri Einarson and her two-time defending champions had to wait and watch while Krista McCarville’s Northern Ontario rink decided on their final shot attempt.

“We were just running through what she might have,” said third Val Sweeting. “We were just hoping we did the right things. It worked out.”

Einarson’s rink held off a late rally by McCarville for a 9-6 victory to win their third consecutive Scotties Tournament of Hearts Sunday night in Thunder Bay, Ont.

After the final stone, Einarson’s team hugged in celebration.

“To win once is really hard,” said Einarson. “To do it three times, I’m so proud of my teammates. They have been unreal all week.

“We knew we had to make all of our shots to come up with a win. That’s what we did.”

Einarson took an 8-6 lead into the final end but McCarville had last rock. Team Canada buried a rock on the button early. It was touched by a Northern Ontario stone and another Team Canada rock.

McCarville tried a raise takeout with her last rock but failed to move the Team Canada stone, giving up the steal of one.

“Not really the shot I was expecting to have to try, but that’s just kind of the way that end went,” said McCarville. “Nothing seemed to really go our way.

“It was kind of a Hail Mary and it just didn’t work.”

Each shot from the hometown favourites, who curl out of the Fort William Curling Club, drew cheers and the clanging of a cow bell from a crowd of around 350 allowed into the building under COVID-19 protocols.

Einarson’s rink of Sweeting, second Shannon Birchard and lead Briane Meilleur from Gimli, Man., advanced to the final at the Fort Williams Gardens with an 8-4 win over Andrea Crawford of New Brunswick