CurlingZone: Homan Einarson Battle Kicks off Scotties Playoffs

With the conclusion of round robin action Thursday night, the first playoff games are officially set. Homan (photo: Andrew Klaver, Curling Canada) will take on Einarson with the winner advancing straight to the 1v2 page playoff.

By Meredith McCullum

After an unprecedented season with a 38-5 record through 7 events and 5 titles, team Homan went into the Scotties with high hopes of bringing home gold. A win would be the fourth Canadian Championship for Rachel Homan and Emma Miskew, the second for Sarah Wilkes, and the first for Tracy Fleury.

This season saw a lineup change for the team, with Homan going back into the role of skip and Fleury as third. They have been the hottest team in Canada all season and have continued their momentum in Calgary so far with an 8-0 round robin record.

All four players have been solid every game, as measured by a remarkable team shooting percentage of 89 for the week. If you think the stats can't get any more impressive, Homan scored a 100 percent game in the team's 10-3 victory over Clancy Grandy, backed up by an almost as impressive 95 percent from Fleury.

On the other side, team Einarson has had a strong showing in pool A with a 7-1 record. Their only loss came in a tight game against Alberta's Selena Sturmay who finished first in the pool.

Einarson has faced adversity since the announcement on Friday that their lead Brianne Harris would be ineligible to compete in the Scotties. Team Canada has taken the loss in stride, transitioning alternate Krysten Karwacki into the lineup seamlessly.

Einarson's team is chasing history as a win at this year's Scotties would mark their fifth in a row, a feat that no other team has accomplished.

Playoff action begins at 12pm Mountain time and fans can expect a tight battle between these two teams, with great shot making on both sides.

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