News Canadian Open

YORKTON, Sask. — Rachel Homan and Eve Muirhead meet in the final to crown the first ever Canadian Open women’s champion Sunday.

Watch the Canadian Open women’s final live on Sportsnet East, West, Pacific, ONE and Sportsnet NOW at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT.

Both teams have gone on impressive runs through the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling tournament, let’s take a deeper look at why either team could win it all.

Team Homan’s road to the final

Team Homan holds an undefeated 5-0 record so far at the Canadian Open including winning all three of their triple knockout games and qualifying through the A bracket.

The Ottawa team of Homan, Emma Miskew, Joanne Courtney and Lisa Weagle cruised through their first two games — defeating Amber Holland 9-2 and Julie Hastings 8-1 — but luck was on their side in the A qualifier match against Winnipeg’s Kristy McDonald. Homan capitalized to score four in the final end to reach the playoffs with an 8-7 victory.

Homan, a two-time Masters champion, beat reigning world champion Binia Feltscher 7-3 in the quarterfinals thanks to a triple steal in the fifth end that gave Homan a six-point advantage.

Team Homan held off Heather Nedohin’s Edmonton rink 4-3 in the semifinals in a game that only saw points of one and single steals line the scoreboard.

“Lots of made shots by both teams so it was great playing Heather Nedohin there,” Courtney said. “They’re a really fun team to play against and we’re really happy with the result.”

Homan won the inaugural Masters title in 2012 and the team now looks forward to making history again.

“The more we can put ourselves in finals and learn even more about each other as a team, the better it’s going to be,” said Courtney, who moved from Alberta to join Team Homan this season. “So we’re really happy to be in the final. It’s really fun being the only sheet on the ice and knowing everyone is there watching you play and we can’t wait to play against Eve.”

Team Muirhead’s road to the final

The Stirling, Scotland, rink of Muirhead, Anna Sloan, Vicki Adams and Sarah Reid have found their groove since running into trouble against McDonald and losing 7-2 to fall out of the A bracket.

Muirhead, who won the Players’ Championship in 2013, regained her momentum to charge into the final, including a pair of back-to-back wins over Olympic gold medallist Jennifer Jones in the B qualifier and quarterfinals.

“It could be better but I think after every game we’ve built from the past and built from our weaknesses,” Sloan said. “We’ve just kept working away and it’s been good.”

Team Muirhead faced Masters champion Val Sweeting from Edmonton in the semifinals and prevented a “Sweeting sweep” of the Grand Slam titles with a four-ender to break a 2-2 tie during the 6-3 victory.

“They’re such a strong team and they’re having such a good season so we knew we had go out and play well and we really did do that,” Sloan said. “We just kept piling the pressure on and Eve played excellent, actually all the girls played excellent. It just really shows that when we go out there in the knockout stage we like to perform.”