Alberta Clippers!

Alberta’s Team Kayla Skrlik and Team Selena Sturmay surge for wins on Tuesday at 2025 Scotties

It’s no surprise to see both of Alberta’s representatives at the 2025 Scotties Tournament of Hearts gaining strength and storming their way up the rankings board.

After all, the province seems to have a knack for producing bona fide curling stars and, often, some of the strongest teams in the field at any Canadian championship.

But for both Team Kayla Skrlik (4-2; Calgary) and Team Selena Sturmay (3-2; Edmonton), the winds of success at the Fort William Gardens at Thunder Bay, Ont., are only just starting to gain momentum.

For the interim Pool A second-place holder and reigning Alberta women’s champion Skrlik – whose team is rounded out by third Margot Flemming, second Ashton Skrlik, lead/vice-skip Geri-Lynn Ramsay, alternate Crystal Rumberg and coach Shannon Kleibrink – the key to its success has been a timely attack.

And it did take a little time, but Skrlik managed to cook up a big end in a Tuesday afternoon 10-5 win against Saskatchewan’s Team Nancy Martin (3-3; Saskatoon), seeing the Calgary squadron score a five in the sixth end via a double-runback-double-takeout on Skrlik’s last.

“We’ve been gearing up for a big end like that the whole end,” said Skrlik. “We saw our opportunity and sort of took it. It turned into a six-point swing, so that was great. It sealed the deal for us, pretty much in that game.”

Fans at home may not have noticed the big end brewing, but Skrlik herself had been eyeing up the shot for nearly the entire end.

“We saw the run-double right away,” said Skrlik. “Luckily, my draw over-curled to put the rock there but we were pretty confident we could make that one.”

Skrlik considers the win an important one since she believes Saskatchewan is a playoff contender and having the 1-0 head-to-head advantage gives her team additional leverage.

“We’ll be competing against Nancy for a playoff spot for the rest of the week,” Skrlik said. “To win that one and go head-to-head in the win column against her is huge for our playoff run.”

Meanwhile, just two sheets over, province-mates and CTRS-berth Team Selena Sturmay found some success of its own, managing a 9-4 win over Prince Edward Island’s Team Jane DiCarlo (1-4; Crapaud).

“We’re just getting more comfortable with the ice conditions,” said Sturmay. “We’re just seeing a little bit more curl which is making things a little more conducive to how we throw the rock, which is nice to finally see.”

Sturmay – alongside vice-skip Danielle Schmiemann, second Dezeray Hawes, lead Paige Papley and coach Ted Appelman – are known for mixing it up with rocks in play against its opposition.

“That’s one of our strengths is we play really good and aggressive to the middle”, said Sturmay. “Seeing that extra little bit of curl just makes it a little bit easier for us, so definitely happy with that.”

Sturmay holds the interim fourth-place spot in Pool A whereas, compared to the 2024 Scotties, the team was 5-0 at the same juncture.

It leaves a little less breathing room to get comfortable, but Sturmay welcomes the challenge of finishing strong and securing a playoff berth.

“I think we’re kind of in a must-win situation from here on out,” said Sturmay. “But we’re still just taking it one game at a time, one day at a time.”

In other matchups Tuesday afternoon, Canada’s Team Rachel Homan (5-0; Ottawa) bested New Brunswick’s Team Melissa Adams (2-3; Fredericton) 7-4, while host Northern Ontario’s Team Krista McCarville (2-4; Thunder Bay) doubled Nunavut’s Team Julia Weagle (0-5; Iqaluit) 8-4.

British Columbia’s Team Corryn Brown (4-1; Kamloops) had the Pool A bye.

In action Tuesday morning, the Northwest Territories’ Team Kerry Galusha (2-2; Yellowknife) collected its second-straight win, downing Manitoba’s Team Kerri Einarson 9-6 (2-2; Winnipeg) in an extra end. Ontario’s Danielle Inglis (4-1; Ottawa) outlasted the Yukon’s Team Bayly Scoffin (1-3; Whitehorse) for a 9-6 win while Manitoba’s Team Kaitlyn Lawes (2-3; Winnipeg) dispatched Newfoundland/Labrador’s Brooke Godsland (0-5; St. John’s) 13-3 , and Manitoba’s Team Kate Cameron (3-1; Winnipeg) leveraged a steal of five in the fourth end on its way to a 12-6 victory over Québec’s Team Laurie St-Georges (3-2; Laval-sur-le-Lac).

The 2025 Scotties Tournament of Hearts continues Tuesday 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/.

TSN and RDS2 will provide complete coverage of the 2025 Scotties Tournament of Hearts. CLICK HERE for the complete schedule.

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