Fours on the board!

Team Homan/Bottcher close out 2024 with big win at Canadian Mixed Doubles Trials

LIVERPOOL, N.S. — Playing their final game of 2024, it was only fitting that the duo of Rachel Homan (Beaumont, Alta.) and Brendan Bottcher (Spruce Grove, Alta.) were focused on the fours.

Four points in the first end; four more in the third end. And in the end, a fourth consecutive victory to remain unbeaten at the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Trials at Queens Place Emera Centre in Liverpool, N.S.

Team Bottcher/Homan sailed to an 11-4 win over Team Laura Walker/Kirk Muyres (3-1; Edmonton/Humboldt, Sask.) in an early showdown of unbeaten teams, and it was, for all intents and purposes, decided early.

The win left Team Bottcher/Homan as the lone unbeaten team in their eight-team round-robin pool, with Team Walker/Muyres and Team Brittany Tran/Rylan Kleiter (Calgary/Saskatoon) tied for second at 3-1.

The top three teams in each of the two eight-team pools will advance to the playoffs.

In the first end, Walker was looking at five Homan/Bottcher counters in the four-foot with her final shot, and while she managed to remove two of them, it left Homan with a draw to the four-foot to get that first-end four.

Two ends later, after Team Walker/Muyres had scored a second-end deuce, made a nose-hit double takeout to score four more.

And after forcing Team Walker-Muyres to one in the fourth, Team Homan/Bottcher effectively sealed the victory with three in the fifth.

Considering the calibre of teams on the ice, it’s conceivable that the emphatic victory may have sent a message to the rest of the field, but Bottcher didn’t see it that way.

“You know it’s a long week. I think we’ve put together two good days here, but we’re going to need a few more,” he said. “So it’s obviously nice to come out (today), both (teams) 3-0 and both playing well. It was good to just put out a good performance, but we’re going to have to keep doing that here through the next few games.”

“Each shot, we’re just trying to learn from it and trying to get better every game and learn the ice as we go on,” added Homan. “We’ve played on all four sheets now, so the more we can take away every day, that’s kind of what our focus is on.”

The Homan/Bottcher pairing came together prior to this season, contrasting most of the field of duos that have been together for multiple seasons. But the team bonding came pretty rapidly, said Bottcher.

“Both of us have played a lot of doubles, which helps,” he said. “And not a lot of people would know that Rachel and I and our families are all quite close. So I think the dynamic, how we talk, the communication has all been pretty seamless. And we’ve played quite a bit this year as well so we’re learning a little bit each weekend we go out, and hopefully it’s culminating in a good week here.”

There was a New Year’s Eve party scheduled at the hotel where teams are staying in Liverpool, but suffice it to say, you won’t see many Trials hopefuls greeting 2025 with a glass of bubbly in their hands.

“That’s the last thing on my to-do list this week,” said Homan with a smile. “I mean we’re at Trials; we couldn’t be more grateful to be here and we’re just trying to look ahead to the next game. Just one game at a time. It’s a really long week Every team here is just so good Mixed doubles is you know one shot here or there, an inch here or there, it makes a big difference. So I’m just trying to go out and fight for that inch.”

In other Tuesday afternoon games, Team Paige Papley/Evan Van Amsterdam (2-2; Edmonton) turned back Team Anne-Sophie Gionest/Robert Desjardins (0-4; Alma, Que./Saguenay, Que.) 8-6; Team Tran/Kleiter doubled Team Jessica Zheng/Victor Pietrangelo (1-3; Niagara Falls, Ont.) 6-3; and Team Nancy Martin/Steve Laycock (1-3; Wakaw, Sask./Saskatoon) shaded Team Jennifer Jones/Brent Laing (2-2; Barrie, Ont.) 7-6.

In the late draw, the final games of 2024, Team Jocelyn Peterman/Brett Gallant (4-0; Chestermere, Alta.) took over sole possession of first place in their pool with a 6-3 win over previously unbeaten Team Lisa Weagle/John Epping (3-1; Ottawa/Toronto); Team Melissa Adams/Alex Robichaud (1-3; Fredericton, N.B.) hit the win column with a 7-3 victory over Team Jaelyn Cotter/Jim Cotter (2-2; Vernon, B.C.); Team Jennifer Armstrong/Tyrel Griffith (2-2; Rothesay, N.B./Kelowna, B.C.) toppled Team Kadriana Lott/Colton Lott (2-2; Gimli, Man.) 8-5; and Team Taylor Reese-Hansen/Corey Chester (1-3; Kitimat, B.C./Victoria) picked up its first win, defeating Team Riley Sandham/Brendan Craig (1-3; Guelph, Ont.).

The 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Trials will continue with draws Wednesday at 10 a.m, 1:30 p.m., 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

The winning team on Saturday will represent Canada at the 2025 World Mixed Doubles Championship April 26-May 3 in Fredericton, N.B.

That event also will decide most of the countries that will compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, and if Canada qualifies for the Games, it will be the Trials winner in Liverpool who will wear the Maple Leaf in Italy.

Live scoring, standings and statistics for the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Trials are available by CLICKING HERE.

Streaming for the Trials will be available on Curling Canada’s YouTube channel.

Ticket information for the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Trials is available by CLICKING HERE.

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