Val Sweeting wins elusive Scotties title with Kerri Einarson’s Manitoba rink

Val Sweeting finally won the Scotties Tournament of Hearts and she was able to do it in the province she grew up in.

She just wasn’t wearing green to do it.

Sweeting was the third on Kerri Einarson’s Manitoba rink that defeated Ontario’s Rachel Homan 8-7 in an extra end at the 2020 Canadian women’s curling championship Sunday in Moose Jaw.

“It feels so good. Those back-to-back Canadian final losses were tough,” said an emotional Sweeting. “It was heartbreaking for sure and I didn’t know how many times I could get back up. But it just shows that you have to and (I’m) just so honoured to get that maple leaf.”

It wasn’t the first time Sweeting had found herself in a game where the gold medal and a chance to become Team Canada was on the line.

Sweeting, who is originally from Maryfield, was the skip for an Alberta rink that lost in the finals in both 2014 and 2015.

“It was tough. There were some dark days for sure and you wonder how you keep going and you just keep pushing and you work really hard and you tell yourself one day it will pay off like the cliches but you really wonder, ‘Will it?’ ” Sweeting said.

She said it was the support from her teammates and family that pushed her to keep trying for an elusive Scotties title.

“You just have to keep going and pushing yourself and surround yourself with people who can keep pushing you forward,” she said.

After getting the win, Sweeting said the first person she thought of was her seven-year-old son Jaxen.

“I spend a lot of time away from him and he’s here so to share that with him, it was really special,” Sweeting said.

Sweeting, who lived in Maryfield until she was 13 years old, said it was really special to be able to do it in the province she grew up in.

“Saskatchewan is kind of a home for me. I know I have Manitoba on my back this week but I’m fortunate to have lived in some different areas with lots of support,” Sweeting said.

While she did wear the Saskatchewan colours as a junior, Sweeting’s family moved to Vegreville Alta., where she found success as a professional.

“Although I had the Manitoba logo on, I felt like I was kind of representing everybody and I felt that support from everybody,” she said.

Einarson said the team really wanted to win the Scotties for Sweeting, who had been so close before.

“Val is such a wonderful player and she’s so smart and talented,” Einarson said. “We’ve come a long way and we’ve really focused on the little things that matter.”

The final two ends of the game wound up being a roller-coaster of emotions for the Manitoba team. With a chance to win it in the 10th, Einarson’s final draw went heavy and allowed Homan’s rink to steal two to force the extra end.

In the extra, Einarson once again had a draw to win, on which she made no mistakes.

“This is just so amazing. I am so incredibly proud of my teammates and they played so well all week,” Einarson said. “If it wasn’t for them, I don’t know where I’d be today.”

Saskatchewan and Moose Jaw will forever hold a special place in Einarson’s heart.

“Twenty years ago in Saskatoon my uncle (Greg MacAulay) won the brier so it’s pretty awesome that 20 years later that I won,” Einarson said.

The win means Einarson and her rink will represent Canada at the 2020 world women’s curling championship in Prince George in March.