With the way the season had gone for Moose Jaw’s Skyler Ackerman heading into the Viterra Scotties Tournament of Hearts provincial women’s curling championship, there was a serious chance she could find success against the best Saskatchewan has to offer.
And sure enough, that’s exactly what happened.
Ackerman and her Saskatoon Nutana foursome of third Ashley Thevenot, second Taylor Stremick, lead Kaylin Skinner and coach Patrick Ackerman defeated Martensville’s Nancy Martin 10-9 in an extra end on Sunday afternoon and will now represent Saskatchewan at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts beginning Feb, 16 in Calgary.
“It’s really exciting, you can’t ask for more than a win in the extra end in the final,” Ackerman said on the CurlSask YouTube broadcast shortly after a tearful celebration with her teammates. “It was a back-and-forth game, we were expecting that coming into today and we just ground it out all weekend. Then we had a really good game today and we’re happy.”
Asked what her teammates meant to her and the week they had together, Ackerman gave the kind of answer one would expect from a newly minted provincial champion.
“I just appreciate them so much, they work so hard and they’re my best friends on and off the ice and I can’t wait to go represent Saskatchewan with them in Calgary,” she said. “We’re just trying to stay in the moment, but we’re really pumped to win the green (jackets) and represent Saskatchewan.”
As Ackerman mentioned, the final was as back-and-forth as could be.
The opening end saw Martin make a pair of solid shots to force Ackerman into a draw to the button for one, and she’s come up a touch light to give up the steal.
Ackerman was left with a tough shot on her final stone in the second, needing an ultra-thin double to prevent another steal and potentially pick up three. She’d flash on the hit in the eight foot, and Martin had another steal of one.
Ackerman finally caught a break in the third end when Martin’s final shot wrecked on a guard, giving Ackerman an open draw for three. She’d make no mistake, putting her shot on the button to take a 3-2 lead.
Things were about as clean as they could be in the fourth end, and Martin would have a wide-open hit and stick for one, a shot she make effortlessly to tie things up.
Ackerman ran into a bit of trouble in the fifth when her first shot came up light in front of the rings, giving Martin a chance to draw and lay two in the four foot. She’d put her shot on the button, and Ackerman was unable to remove it, giving Martin another steal of one.
The sixth end again set up perfectly for Ackerman’s final shots, and she’d make a run-back take-out to lay three heading into Martin’s final shot. Martin would jam on a double attempt, leaving Ackerman another wide-open draw for three, and she’d get things done, taking a 6-4 lead.
The Moose Jaw skip faced two Martin counters with her first shot in the seventh, but would make the double to lay three. Martin froze to Ackerman’s counter in the four foot, Ackerman made the double take-out and Martin drew into the open house for one.
The house was an absolute mess come skip stones in the eighth, with Ackerman laying one with a ton of backing. Martin would make a great in-off to lay three, and Ackerman’s attempt for an angle raise wouldn’t work out, giving Martin the steal of three and an 8-6 lead.
Sure enough, Ackerman would get right back in it the next end. After she drew to the four foot to lay two, Martin would wreck on a guard in front and Ackerman would draw for three and the 9-8 lead coming home without the hammer.
The 10th end saw Ackerman draw to the four foot to lay two with her final shot, leaving Martin with a raise double for the win, but she’d only get one and force the game to an extra end.
Ackerman attempted a double with her first shot in the extra, and while it didn’t work out perfectly, it left her laying one completely guarded at the top of the four foot. Martin would get the hit to lay two, leaving Ackerman a hit and stick for the win.
She'd make no mistake, hitting and rolling to the button, booking her spot at the national women's curling championship Feb. 16-25 at the WinSport Arena in Calgary.
You can rewatch the entire provincial final by clicking right here.
