Grand Larceny!

Ontario’s Team Inglis steals crucial win over Manitoba’s Team Cameron at 2025 Scotties

Good curling teams are often measured by their ability to weather the tough games.

Not every shot will be made; not every sweep will be stellar. But when the rocks all come to a stop and the final score is posted, the great teams find ways to win more than they lose.

Plus, a little theft goes a long way, and Ontario’s Team Danielle Inglis (5-1; Ottawa) deployed the steal game twice, in the 10th and 11th ends, for an 8-6 win over Manitoba’s Team Kate Cameron (3-3; Winnipeg) Wednesday at the 2025 Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

It certainly wasn’t pretty at the Fort William Gardens in Thunder Bay, Ont., with both teams seeing fair numbers of missed opportunities, but the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club team forced Cameron into a tough draw position in the extra end, needing to bite the button; one that Cameron would pull up light on, crowning Inglis the victor.

The win thrusts Team Inglis to the interim lead in Pool B.

“Incredibly big,” said Inglis about the win. “We’ve had some big wins so far, but that was our biggest win so far.”

The win also puts Inglis – alongside vice-skip Kira Brunton, second Calissa Daly, lead Casandra de Groot, alternate Kim Tuck, and coach Steve Acorn – into the playoff conversation and marks a big step towards one of the team’s goals at the 2025 Scotties.

“Being in this (playoff) position right now is right where we want to be,” said Inglis. “It feels great.”

Things were sour early in the match after an Inglis miss on her final stone in the third end surrendered a score of three to Team Manitoba-Cameron. It would prove to be the largest score of the game.

“That end when we gave up three, it was a silly thing,” said Inglis. “Other than the scoreboard turning, we still felt like we were throwing it well and could hang in there.”

That tenacity proved essential as the game pushed through to an extra end — a situation Inglis was thankful to be in.

“We knew we had to keep pushing,” said Inglis. “As soon as we gave up that three, we just constantly had our backs a little bit against the wall. And so, all we can do is just continue throwing as well as we can and give ourselves a shot in the extra.”

Inglis knows stealing is difficult, but she also is happy to don an all-black balaclava and get gritty for a win despite the associated risks.

“You just have to make everything perfect,” said Inglis. “At the end of the day, leave them a hard shot. You’re not only thinking about what you’re putting out there, but what you’re leaving her.”

Inglis’s Team Ontario collectively outscored Manitoba-Cameron in the draw game by 14 per cent, and Inglis was aware that leaving Cameron a draw on her final stone might prove fruitful.

“You don’t like leaving Kate a hit because she makes those all the time,” said Inglis. “The goal was to make sure she was throwing a draw at the end. We left her a tough path; one we hadn’t really played much all game.”

In other matches Wednesday afternoon, Manitoba’s Team Einarson (4-2; Winnipeg) pulled even with Nova Scotia’s Christina Black (4-2; Halifax) with a 9-6 win. Manitoba’s Team Kaitlyn Lawes (4-3; Winnipeg) staved off the Northwest Territories’ Team Kerry Galusha (2-4; Yellowknife) 8-4 while Québec’s Team Laurie St-Georges (5-2; Laval-sur-le-Lac) doubled up the Yukon’s Team Bayly Scoffin (1-5; Whitehorse) 8-4.

In Wednesday morning action, Alberta’s Team Selena Sturmay (4-2; Edmonton) topped New Brunswick’s Team Melissa Adams (2-4; Fredericton) 10-8. Northern Ontario’s Team Krista McCarville made short work of Prince Edward Island’s Team Jane DiCarlo (1-5; Crapaud) in a 15-2 win, while Saskatchewan’s Team Nancy Martin (4-3; Saskatoon) vanquished Nunavut’s Team Julia Weagle (0-6; Iqaluit) 7-4 and Canada’s Team Rachel Homan stayed perfect and clinched a playoff spot with a 7-5 win over British Columbia’s Team Corryn Brown (4-2; Kamloops).

The 2025 Scotties Tournament of Hearts continues Wednesday at 7 p.m. (all times Eastern).

Live scoring, standings and statistics for the 2025 Scotties Tournament of Hearts are available at www.curling.ca/scoreboard/.

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For ticket information for the 2025 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, go to www.curling.ca/2025scotties/tickets/.

This story will be available in French as soon as possible at www.curling.ca/2025scotties/nouvelles/?lang=fr.