ESTEVAN - The opening night of the 2023 Viterra Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Estevan offered plenty of great shots for the spectators who gathered at Affinity Place.
Four games were played. Former provincial champion Cindy Ricci, competing out of the Estevan Curling Club, lost 8-4 in nine ends to the Lorraine Schneider rink. Schneider scored two in the first end and stole one in the second, and never looked back. She also had steals one one in the seventh and eighth ends to lead 8-2 hrough eight ends.
Ricci managed two in the ninth.
Another former provincial champion, Sherry Anderson, defeated Madison Kleiter 8-7. Anderson led 3-0 early, but Kleiter scored three in the third and stole one in the fourth. A score of two in the fifth and a steal of two in the eight helped lift Anderson’s win.
Ashley Howard, the daughter of curling legend Russ Howard, knocked off Jessica Mitchell 7-4. The game was tied 3-3 through five ends and 4-4 through seven, but then Howard scored one in the eighth and stole two more in the ninth.
Finally, former provincial champion Robyn Silvernagle defeated Brooklyn Stevenson 6-2 in nine ends. It was 2-2 after five, but Silvernagle scored one in the sixth, stole two in eight and one in nine. It would have been worse, except Stevenson made a great shot with her final stone in the ninth to limit the damage.
There will be three draws on Thursday. Four games for the A event will be played at 9 a.m. Howard will face reigning provincial champion Penny Barker, Anderson will face former national champion Amber Holland, Schneider will meet Nancy Martin and Silvernagle will player Skylar Ackerman.
There will also be draws at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Estevan is hosting the Scotties for the first time since 2001. That year, Michelle Englot, who is the second on the Stevenson rink, defeated Anderson 5-4 in the final.
SASKTODAY.ca will continue to have coverage throughout the event.
