Team Homan wins game one of best-of-three final at Canadian Curling Trials
Team Homan is one win away from booking their ticket to the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
In the opening game of the best-of-three women’s final at the 2025 Canadian Curling Trials on Friday afternoon, the team of skip Rachel Homan, third Tracy Fleury, second Emma Miskew, and lead Sarah Wilkes defeated Team Black (skip Christina Black, third Jill Brothers, second Jenn Baxter, lead Karlee Everist) 5-4.
It was a tight match, with neither team scoring more than one point in any end.
After blanking the first end, Homan retained the hammer in the second. She came up short on her first shot of that end, allowing Black to lie three. But Homan didn’t miss the second time, getting the tap she needed on the rock on the button to take the single.
Homan got another point on the board in the third when her team stole one after Black came up just light on her draw.
Black continued to have the hammer in the fourth end. With Homan lying one, she attempted a long angle raise to score two, but her shot was off target, giving up another steal of one to Homan, who now led 3-0.
Black got on the board in the fifth, coming up with a clutch draw to the back four foot for one point as she faced three potential scoring stones for Homan.
Homan had a chance to score two in the sixth, but came up light on her final draw, so had to settle for one and the 4-1 lead.
After Black was forced to take a single on a draw in the seventh, she got a steal of one in the eighth to cut the lead to 4-3. Homan missed on her first shot of that end, leaving Black lying two. With the hammer, Homan was looking for a double takeout but could only pick one of those stones from the house.
In the ninth end, Homan was in trouble with Black lying two in the middle of the house. After getting rid of those but still facing two Black stones, Homan was able to make a hit and roll to take one, giving her a 5-3 lead heading to the 10th.
It was a nervy finish to the match. In a crowded house, Black had the hammer and the chance to get the three she needed for the win. Looking to hit and roll and push Homan’s second shot stone out of the way, she just missed and could only score one.
The second game of the women’s final will take place at noon ET on Saturday.
