By Scott Roblin/CHAT News Today

Scheidegger steals provincial title at 2018 Alberta Scotties

Jan 15, 2018 | 3:30 AM

MEDICINE HAT – It took an extra end of waiting, but Casey Scheidegger and her rink can call themselves Alberta champions.

On Sunday night, the Scheidegger rink bested Shannon Kleibrink and her team from Okotoks in 11 ends at the 2018 Alberta Scotties Tournament of Hearts at the Medicine Hat Curling Club.

It was an even matchup over the first two ends, with Scheidegger and Kleibrink trading points and the hammer.

Scheidegger was able to pull away slightly shortly after, scoring a pair in the third end before stealing a point in the fourth to grow her lead to 4-1.

Not wanting to go away quietly, Kleibrink and her defending champion rink drew for a pair in the fifth to close the gap to one point, before Scheidegger added another single in the sixth to make it a 5-3 contest.

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Leading 5-4 in the eighth end, Scheidegger attempted a draw for one but her rock ran much too short. A measurement was taken, with Kleibrink getting a steal of two to take her first lead of the match 6-5.

A blank end in the ninth meant Scheidegger held the hammer in the tenth and was looking for two point with her final stone.

The Lethbridge native was only able to register a single point after a pair of measurements, meaning this championship match needed an extra end.

In the 11th, Scheidegger hit an outstanding shot with her final stone, leaving Kleibrink needing a takeout to defend her Alberta title.

With the final shot of the tournament, Kleibrink was only able to clear one of the red stones which gave Scheidegger a steal of one and the 7-6 victory.

Sheidegger said emotions took over as soon as she saw her red stone remaining on the button.

“It was just pure excitement,” said Scheidegger. “I know Cary-Anne [McTaggart] and I just looked at each other and we were like, ‘Wow, we won.’ So, it was just a really awesome feeling, it’s really hard to put into words but it was pure excitement.”

Both teams had more difficult routes to the gold medal game, with Scheidegger having to work her way through the ‘B’ bracket and beating the previously undefeated Chelsea Carey rink, while Kleibrink faced elimination four times over the course of the week.

Kleibrink said it was a very tight matchup in the finals and wished Scheidegger and her rink the best of luck moving forward.

“It was a great battle, really could have gone either way,” said Kleibrink. “She made a really great shot with her last one and we just couldn’t get it out of there. So, [they’re] a great young team, they’re going to be an excellent representative for Alberta.”

It’s the first Alberta Scotties victory for the Scheidegger rink, falling short in all seven of their previous attempts.

Scheidegger added it’s a night that she’ll look back on fondly, especially due to how tough a road it was to get to the finals.

“It’s a dream come true,” she said. “I’ve dreamt about this since I was a little girl when I started curling. So, it’s just an unreal feeling because we accomplished a goal that has been a long time in the making.”

Presented with their provincial crests following the match, Team Scheidegger will represent Alberta at the 2018 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, which will be held in Penticton, B.C. from January 27 to February 4.

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