LITTLE CURRENT, Ont. – Krista McCarville is headed back to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts for the 11th time.
The Thunder Bay skip stole a single in the eighth end on Sunday morning, survived measurement that preserved a two-shot lead in the ninth and earned a 6-4 win over Subury’s Krysta Burns to capture the Northern Ontario Women’s Curling Championship at the NEMI Recreation Centre in Little Current, Ont
“Honestly, it feels like the first time every single time,” the 41-year-old McCarville said. “You’re just excited to win a final. To go to the Scotties, so many people dream of going to the Scotties and I just feel so privileged to go year after year.
“To win another one is just another privilege.”
This one was a bit different than the last few.
Over the summer Team McCarville gambled, adding New Brunswick’s Andrea Kelly, with 10 Scotties appearance of her own under her belt, joining Sarah Potts, Ashley Sippala and Sudbury’s Kendra Lilly.
The team went with a five-woman rotation throughout the week.
It paid off, she said.
“It’s been eight years of the same team. We were so close and we said we need to change something. We’ve got to try something,” McCarville said.
“We thought why not try a five-man rotation?”
Kelly, who plays third, rounding out the squad’s back-end, said winning with her new teammates is a special feeling.
“I get to represent a new province. It’s really special to have won it with this team. We’ve become really great friends over the course of the season.”
Burns didn’t make it easy answering everything Team McCarville threw at them over the first four ends.
McCarville finally landed her deuce in the fifth, and held her opponent to a single in the sixth, to lead 4-3.
“They gave us a really great game,” Kelly said. “Their team came out to play today. We knew from the start we had to be on our toes. We were expecting a great game and they gave us a really great game.”
McCarville took control in the eighth when Burns’ third, Jestyn Murphy, flashed on her first. Burns was unable to move McCarville’s shot stone far enough and the steal was on, the defending champions taking a 6-3 lead.
“That was definitely probably the turning point,” McCarville said.
The new-look Team McCarville, who have podium finishes at the Scotties the past two years, will look to finally bring home the Maple Leaf in Calgary. The Scotties begin on Feb. 16.
