Nova Scotia women's curling team finishes perfect week with national title

A Nova Scotia women's curling team will represent Canada at the world junior championship after winning a national title this week.

Led by skip Taylour Stevens, Nova Scotia edged an Ontario team skipped by Emily Deschenes 7-5 in the championship game Friday in Stratford, Ont.

The Nova Scotia team improved on a bronze-medal performance in 2020.

"Honestly, it doesn't even feel real yet," Stevens said in an interview Saturday. "We can't wrap our head around it. It was an amazing week and I'm so proud of the team."

The team from the Halifax Curling Club that includes third Lauren Ferguson, second Alison Umlah and lead Cate Fitzgerald took a perfect record into the final.

A close game

Stevens said the team came together late in the game to seal the win.

"We started off a little slow and it wasn't looking too good," Stevens said. "But we really just stuck together as a team and knew that we were gonna pick it up in the last half."

The game was up for grabs into the late ends when Stevens swung the momentum with an angle-raise takeout in the eighth for two points.

"It was kind of a low-pressure shot because I feel like on those ones, people don't really expect you to make them," Stevens said. "But I really wanted that one and the girls swept it perfect and Lauren called a perfect line on it and it was huge to make that shot. It completely turned the game around for us."

Nova Scotia closed it out with an open hit for two in the final end.

Stevens said she grew up watching players like Mary Fay, a former world junior champ, and it feels "surreal" for her name to be added to the list of national champions.

"I love my team and I love my coach, Mary [Mattatall]," she said. "They put [in] so much work over the last year and I am so thankful and proud to be where we are right now."

The team will play in the 2023 world junior championship next season. The date and location of the tournament have not been confirmed.