Nail-biting win!

New Brunswick’s Team Melissa Adams steals its way to first win of 2025 Scotties

It took 10 nerve-racking ends of curling for Fredericton’s Team Melissa Adams to break through on the scoreboard Sunday afternoon, but the Capital Winter Club squad found the win column with a 6-3 victory over Nunavut’s Team Julia Weagle (0-2; Iqaluit) at the 2025 Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

The win sees Team New Brunswick, completed by vice-skip Jaclyn Crandall, second Kayla Russell, lead Kendra Lister, alternate Molli Ward, and coach Alex Robichaud, improve to 1-1 on its Hearts campaign thus far.

And for fans who may have gnawed their fingers down to the cuticles watching live at Fort William Gardens at Thunder Bay, Ont., take solace in knowing that Adams was prepared for the attrition-based event.

“You know, we just hung in there,” said Adams. “It was a really great played game by both teams and we knew it was going to come down to the wire and we were prepared for that.”

The win proved to be a pendulum-like affair on a scoreboard flecked by only single-scores for nine complete ends, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort from both teams, who elected to lead with a defence-oriented approach.

“I think we played pretty open, pretty defensively, that whole game,” said Adams. “We just wanted to get comfortable a bit with the ice. We struggled a bit in Game 1, so I think now we’re probably going to look at it and maybe get a little more aggressive in the next one. We’ll see.”

Though the match was relatively clean as far as rocks in play are concerned, both teams had their opportunities to strike. In the eighth end, after Nunavut’s final stone over-curled on a pick attempt that left New Brunswick as the lone shot rock, Adams pulled-up light on her draw for a second point.

The error would leave the score tied at 3-3 heading into the ninth, which would continue to produce little in terms of rock in play. Team Nunavut would have a shot to chase and remove a lone New Brunswick stone in the 12-foot on its final stone for the blank, retaining hammer in the 10th.

Unbeknownst to Team Nunavut, blanking the ninth turned out to be playing directly into New Brunswick’s strength: comfort in the steal game.

“We went through our provincial 7-0 and I think three or four of those games, we had to steal to in the 10th and we’re just so comfortable in that position. We were ready for it. We know how to finish games and that’s definitely our strength. Whatever we have to do in the 10th? We’re ready for it.”

Team Nunavut would have a difficult draw attempt to squeeze its stone onto a button that was flanked on all sides by New Brunswick stones on its final shot for the win, but the offering was too firm and under-curled, securing a steal of three for the win.

In other Sunday afternoon action, Canada’s Team Rachel Homan (3-0; Ottawa) stayed perfect with a 9-7 win over Alberta’s Team Kayla Skrlik (2-1; Calgary). Alberta’s Team Selena Sturmay (2-1; Edmonton) spoiled the hometown party, downing host Northern Ontario’s Team Krista McCarville 10-6 while British Columbia’s Team Corryn Brown (2-1; Kamloops) bounced Saskatchewan’s Team Nancy Martin (2-1; Saskatoon) 7-6.

In morning draw action earlier on Sunday, Québec’s Team Laurie St-Georges (2-0; Laval-sur-le-lac) mounted a 12-3 drubbing of the Northwest Territories’ Team Kerry Galusha (0-2; Yellowknife) thanks to a score of seven in the seventh end. Manitoba’s Team Kaitlyn Lawes (1-1; Winnipeg) served the pain to fellow Heather Curling Club mates Team Kate Cameron (1-1; Winnipeg) via a 12-3 win. The Yukon’s Team Bayly Scoffin (1-0; Whitehorse) scored three in the 10th end to clinch a 9-8 win over Nova Scotia’s Team Christina Black (1-1; Halifax) while Ontario’s Team Danielle Inglis (1-1; Ottawa) needed a 10th-end final-stone draw to secure an 8-7 win over Newfoundland and Labrador’s Team Brooke Godsland (0-2; St. John’s).

The 2025 Scotties Tournament of Hearts continues Sunday evening 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