Homan captures inaugural National women’s title for 4th Grand Slam
OSHAWA, Ont. — Ottawa’s Rachel Homan ran the table in the inaugural National women’s tournament to continue her impressive run through the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling this season.
Homan scored a deuce in the final end to win 5-4 over Tracy Fleury of Sudbury, Ont., in Sunday’s final at General Motors Centre.
The team of Homan, third Emma Miskew, second Joanne Courtney, and lead Lisa Weagle finished 7-0 in the major event to earn $26,000 CAD and improved their record to 20-1 overall in the series this year. Homan’s finished runner-up at the Tour Challenge Tier 1 in September and took home her third career Masters title in four seasons just two weeks ago.
“It’s a great feeling,” Miskew said. “We didn’t really think about the fact that it was the first one, just going out there and shooting one shot at a time but that’s really cool. We’re really excited that we were a part of it this year so I’m really happy.”
Homan opened with the hammer and blanked the first but was forced to a single in the second. Fleury blanked in three and drew for a single of her own in four to tie it. After Fleury missed a double takeout attempt in the fifth and only eliminated one, Homan punched out the counter for a deuce. Fleury kept pace and countered with a hit and stick to match for two points in the sixth and knot it up again 3-3.
A little controversy occurred in the seventh when Homan believed she had second shot while Fleury, who held shot stone, wanted a measurement for second when the end was over. Homan came up light on her draw shot to give up a steal, but Courtney kicked off their other rock before they could measure. Fleury could have opted for a steal of two based on the rules of play but declined the second point and took a 4-3 lead without the hammer heading into the final frame.
“Rachel made a freeze on her first shot to be second shot but I guess it wasn’t completely obvious to both teams who was shot in that situation,” Miskew explained. “They looked a couple times but I looked to make sure before Rachel threw her last shot and I was like, ‘Okay yeah, we’re second so throw the draw’ because if we hadn’t been second I was going to suggest we throw the hit and roll just to make sure that we only gave up one if the shot came up light, which it did. … I explained that we would have hit it so they were actually really great to just take the one there. It’s tough looking back at that and we made a mistake but it was really amazing that they took the one and let the game go to the eighth.”
Miskew flubbed a raise attempt on her first shot in eight — missing Fleury’s stone and taking out her own in the back 12-foot circle instead — but nailed it on her second to sit for shot rock.
“We kind of needed that,” Miskew said. “After my first one, taking out the back one there wasn’t the end of the world there, we really just needed to make contact with their rock but it was unfortunate that I kind of just made a wall so the next one was really important. I really just tried to stick to throwing the rock at the broom. Rachel called the line great.”
Fleury attempted to rub and roll in for shot rock on her last but came up short and gave Homan an opportunity to draw to the side of the button for the winning deuce.
Fleury was playing in her first career Grand Slam final and earned $15,000. The reigning Northern Ontario champion is supported by third Crystal Webster, second Jenna Walsh and lead Jennifer Wylie. Amanda Gates completes the five-player squad but missed the event while competing in the Canadian mixed curling championships.
NOTES: The National was the third stop — and second major — of the 2015-16 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season. … Brad Gushue of St. John’s defeated Winnipeg’s Reid Carruthers earlier Sunday to capture the men’s National title. … The victory also qualified Gushue for the season-ending Champions Cup event in Sherwood Park, Alta. The all-new Pinty’s GSOC tournament will feature the top men’s and women’s winners on tour. … Team Homan had already earned a spot in the Champions Cup by winning the Masters. … The Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season continues with the Meridian Canadian Open running Dec. 8-13 in Yorkton, Sask.
