In a heart-stopping opener to the women's final, Rachel Homan's top-ranked rink narrowly escaped an upset bid from the hometown Halifax crew, edging Christina Black's team 5-4 at the 2025 Montana's Canadian Curling Trials presented by Connect Hearing.
Final Rock Drama Decides Championship Opener
The match at Scotiabank Centre came down to the very last stone on Friday, November 28, 2025, with Black facing a difficult shot to win the game. Needing to score three with the hammer in the tenth end, Black attempted to angle her shooter off an enemy rock in the eight-foot ring onto her own stone on the button, hoping to tap back a Homan rock from the four-foot circle.
"It was there, for sure," Homan told TSN and the Scotiabank Centre crowd immediately after the match. "She just didn't make it. And thankfully, we were able to pull out that win."
Black's stone made the initial connections but came up short of reaching the Homan rock, settling for a single point instead of the three needed for victory.
Early Steals Prove Costly for Halifax Squad
The game began with Homan establishing early control, blanking the first end before scoring one in the second. The turning point came when Homan stole single points in both the third and fourth ends, building a commanding 3-0 lead that put immense pressure on the local favorites.
"We kept it within striking distance going into the 10th just hoping we'd have an opportunity to score two or score three," Black explained to reporters after the game. "We were setting it up. But I just don't think my shot was possible unless I could throw it a lot harder. We gave it a run, though."
Black's team, which includes third/vice-skip Jill Brothers, second Jennifer Baxter and lead Karlee Everist, managed to battle back into contention despite the early deficit.
End-by-End Breakdown of the Tight Contest
The match unfolded as a classic defensive battle with several key moments:
- 1st end: Blank, 0-0
- 2nd end: Homan taps back Black rock in four foot; Homan scores 1, Homan 1-0
- 3rd end: Black light on draw to four foot; Homan steals 1, Homan 2-0
- 4th end: Black misses on long angle runback; Homan steals 1, Homan 3-0
- 5th end: Black draws to four foot; Black scores 1, Homan 3-1
- 6th end: Homan light on draw to eight foot; Homan scores 1, Homan 4-1
- 7th end: Black draws to eight foot; Black scores 1, Homan 4-2
- 8th end: Homan misses hit for double; Black steals 1, Homan 4-3
- 9th end: Homan hit and roll for one; Homan scores 1, Homan 5-3
- 10th end: Black short on hit and roll for three; Black scores 1, Homan 5-4
Despite the loss, Black remained positive about her team's performance against the defending two-time world and national champions. "We played really well," said Black. "We just gave up those two single-point steals. And you can't let them get a lead. They're so good. So it's like we need to keep the game a little bit closer."
The victory gives Homan's rink the early advantage in the best-of-three series that will determine Canada's women's curling representative for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
