MOOSE JAW, Sask. -- The only thing missing from Krista McCarville's curling resume is a Scotties Tournament of Hearts title.
Her oppenent in Saturday's opener at the national women's curling chammpionship has already checked that box - twice.
But it was McCarville, who lost to Alberta's Chelsea Carey in the 2016 Scotties final, who got the upper hand in 2020.
McCarville scored three in the eighth to blow open a 4-3 match, then stole another in the ninth, leading Team Canada's Carey to shake hands, the Thunder Bay skip earning an 8-3 win in a game she never trailed.
The two teams traded singles in the second and third, but McCarville, with the hammer,. scored a deuce in the fourth to go up two.
They traded points again in the fifth and sixth. Carey closing the gap to 4-3 in the seventh.
In other opening draw action Saturday, Saskatchewan edged New Brunswick 6-4, British Columbia downed Prince Edward Island 7-5 and Nova Scotia took an 8-2 lead in the seventh and held on to down the Northwest Territories 8-6.
Next up for Team McCarville, which includes lead Jen Gates, second Ashley Sippala and third Kendra Lilly, is a match against New Brunswick in Sunday's afternoon draw.
