MONTREAL — Rachel Homan has gone a perfect 13-0, running the table at this year’s Scotties Tournament of Hearts, becoming the first woman to do so since 1985. Homan defeated Val Sweeting of Alberta 8-6 in Sunday’s final. The crowd rose to its feet in appreciation as Homan threw her first stone in the 10th end to run the Alberta team out of stones.

Chelsea Carey of Manitoba defeated Stefanie Lawton of Saskatchewan 7-3 earlier Sunday to claim the bronze.

Homan also won the Sandra Schmirler Most Valuable Player award for the tournament (named after the three-time Tournament of Hearts champion who died tragically at the age of 36 of cancer). She also managed to go the entire tournament without being forced to throw a second stone in the final end.

The Homan squad, from the Ottawa Curling Club, and consisting of Lead Lisa Weagle, Second Alison Kreviazuk, and Third Emma Miskew, will remain Team Canada for another year, and will represent the country at this year’s Ford Women’s World Curling Championship, to be held in March in Saint John New Brunswick.

Earlier in the day, Chelsea Carey defeated Stefanie Lawton of Saskatchewan to win Bronze, after two heartbreaking tenth end defeats to Rachel Homan’s Team Canada and Val Sweeting of Alberta in her first two playoff games. As with all playoff games so far at this year’s tournament, this one was a tight affair until the very end, going down to the last rock, when Carey managed to steal three points to seal a 7-3 victory.

Khoa Tran

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