Team Silvernagle will represent Saskatchewan at Scotties Tournament of Hearts
Team Robyn Silvernagle from North Battleford, Sask. will make their third appearance as Team Saskatchewan at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts next month.
Silvernagle defeated Team Nancy Martin 8-4 in Sunday’s provincial final at Affinity Place in Estevan, Sask.
“It’s special I mean, the first one is definitely special because you’re like, ‘I finally did it, I got to achieve that one goal,’ but this one is pretty special too,” Silvernagle said.
The skip and lead Kara Thevenot were part of Team Saskatchewan in 2019 and 2020 at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, but it will be the first time playing for Saskatchewan on the national stage for second Sherry Just and third Kelly Schafer in 2023.
Schafer has now put her name in the record books as she becomes the first female curler to compete for a national title with two countries, Scotland and Canada.
“I feel pretty proud when I won my first provincial mixed [title] because it was the first time I was able to play anything here. I felt really privileged then to come to another country and win something else or represent a province. Now that it’s in the ladies I’m pretty proud,” Schafer said.
It was not an easy journey for Silvernagle to get to this point. Her 16-month-old child Kolt, has been going through health challenges the past year. Making Sunday’s victory more emotional.
“[We] spent almost an entire year in the hospital from when he was born. He had eight surgeries and he will need more,” Silvernagle said. “There were definitely moments where he shouldn’t have made it so we’re very happy he’s here with us. I was always jealous of all the curlers that can have their kids here so what happened [tonight] is pretty neat.”
Given her family circumstances, Silvernagle had taken a step back from curling but decided in November she wanted to make another run at the Provincial Championship and began fielding a team.
“Robyn called and said, ‘do you want to make a run for provincials?’ And I thought, ‘Why not? Let’s give it a bash!’” Schafer said.
“We’re all in it for the same reason. We weren’t putting too much pressure on ourselves. We just wanted to go out and play and make some shots and have some fun. We’re all experienced curlers so you can kind of just lump that all together,” Silvernagle said.
Her team qualified for a spot in provincials at the Last Chance Tournament earlier this month.
The Top 12 teams from across the province have faced off since last Wednesday at the 2022-23 Viterra Scotties Provincial Championship.
Martin had booked a ticket to the Championship draw Saturday but had to wait to see if they would face Silvernagle or Sherry Anderson’s rink. Anderson conceded to Silvernagle (12-7) in the semi-final matchup Sunday Morning.
Silvernagle lost (9-8) and conceded (9-2) in her two previous draws against Martin heading into Sunday’s final.
“They definitely out-curled us yesterday and we got some breaks today. We played a lot better today. I would say that was the best game we’ve played together as a team so we picked the right time to do that,” Silvernagle said.
The Scotties Tournament of Hearts will take place from Feb. 17-26 in Kamloops, B.C.
The curling is not finished yet in Estevan, as the SaskTel Tankard will take over from Feb.1-5.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.