REGINA -- Either Saskatoon’s Ava Beausoleil or Estevan’s Olivia Fonstand will emerge as the first championship round qualifiers on Saturday at the Curl Sask U20 Womens’s Provincial Championship currently underway in Regina.
Both rinks have gone unbeaten through the first two days of competition and as a result will play in the A final during the 2 p.m. draw at the Highland Curling Club.
Beausoleil and her team of third Annika Steckler, second Leah Beausoleil, lead Hannah Rugg and alternate Mya Silversides played their first game of the tournament during the morning draw Thursday and put together a pair of three-enders on their way to an 8-5 win over Spiritwood’s Danica Laventure.
Beausoleil then scored five points in the final three ends -- including back-to-back steals of two -- to take a 9-5 win over Regina Highland’s Chloe Johnston in the A semifinal.
Fonstand and her rink of third Amy Fradette, second April McMillen and lead Andrea Fradette had a single game on Thursday, but it was a big one as she took on defending U20 provincial champion Jenna Pomedli and her Saskatoon Nutana rink of third Melissa Remeshylo, second Kelsey Noyes and lead Kylie Willms in their A semifinal.
It turned into a back-and-forth battle, with Pomedli picking up a deuce in the ninth end to tie the game before Fonstad made good use of the hammer to score one in the 10th for a 10-8 victory.
Pomedli had advanced to the A semi with a 9-1 win over Swift Current’s Andra Todd.
The first B side contests saw North Battleford’s Chloe Semeniuk defeat Lloydminster’s Kamdyn Bauldic 8-5 before taking a 9-2 win in seven ends over Laventure. Former U18 provincial champion Shawna Simpson from the Regina Highland got back on track after a loss to Johnston on Wednesday, defeating Saskatoon Sutherland’s Heidi Fradette 9-7 and Todd 13-5.
Semeniuk will face Pomedli and Simpson will take on Johnston in the B semifinals at 9 a.m. Friday. Bauldic will take on Todd and Fradette will face Laventure in the first C side games during the same draw.
The B qualifier will take place during the 7 p.m. draw Friday, followed by the C qualifiers at 9 a.m. Saturday.
The Page Playoff 1-2 and 3-4 games will take place at 7 p.m. Saturday, followed by the semifinal at 9 a.m. and championship final at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
