MISSISSAUGA — Taylour Stevens and her Nova Scotia teammates were the last to leave the playing area at Paramount Fine Foods Centre after a dramatic afternoon session Thursday at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
When the vibes are that good, there’s no rush to go.
Stevens, vice Maria Fitzgerald, second Alison Umlah and lead Cate Fitzgerald were glowing as they chatted by the coach’s bench after a highlight-reel shot sent them into the playoffs at the Canadian women’s curling championship.
Stevens made a game-winning in-off to score three points for a 9-7 win over Ontario’s Hailey Armstrong in a winner-moves-on round-robin finale for both teams.
“We just knew we needed to get our two and that shot was insane,” Stevens said. “I’m still shaking.”
Nova Scotia claimed the final spot in Pool A, joining Canada’s Kerri Einarson and Manitoba’s Kaitlyn Lawes. Manitoba’s Beth Peterson, Alberta’s Selena Sturmay and Nova Scotia’s Christina Black made the cut from Pool B.
With five of the six playoff spots decided, the Nova Scotia-Ontario matchup had the full attention of the partisan crowd of 2,291.
A tight game turned in the seventh end when Armstrong tried an around-the-horn shot that only removed one Nova Scotia stone. Stevens made a soft hit for four and a 6-2 lead.
Ontario got a deuce back in the eighth before taking the lead in a stunning ninth end.
Stevens tried a nose hit for a multiple-point score but instead hit it low, taking two of her own stones out and giving Armstrong a steal of three. It was her first missed hit of the game.
“I was kind of shell-shocked for a minute there,” Armstrong said. “I just looked around and counted them again and again. I didn’t believe that was actually happening because she hadn’t made any mistakes all game.”
In the 10th end, Armstrong put up a guard with her last rock to force Stevens to go for a challenging shot with her final throw. Nova Scotia’s sweepers held the line and caught the angle just right to remove the Ontario stone near the button for the win.
“Their pencils were definitely sharpened today,” Armstrong said.
It was the first time in Scotties history that two Nova Scotia teams made the playoffs.
“We’ve accomplished our first goal but we don’t want to let loose or anything and we’re still going to play hard in the playoffs,” Stevens said. “It’s crazy to say.”
Lawes completed a perfect 8-0 round-robin with a 9-4 win over Saskatchewan’s Jolene Campbell. Einarson was next at 7-1 after a 9-8 victory over British Columbia’s Taylor Reese-Hansen.
Stevens was 6-2 while Armstrong fell to 5-3. B.C. and Saskatchewan finished at 3-5, ahead of Nicky Kaufman (2-6) of the Northwest Territories, Quebec’s Jolianne Fortin (2-6) and Yukon’s Bayly Scoffin (0-8).
The playoffs start Friday and will conclude with the final on Sunday.
Peterson (8-0) topped Pool B after posting a 7-5 victory over Sturmay (6-2) in the evening session while Black (6-2) dropped a 7-5 decision to Alberta’s Kayla Skrlik.
Northern Ontario’s Krista Scharf defeated New Brunswick’s Melodie Forsythe 9-4 and Prince Edward Island’s Amanda Power downed Mackenzie Mitchell of Newfoundland and Labrador 8-5.
Scharf and Skrlik finished tied for fourth place at 5-3. P.E.I. and New Brunswick were next at 2-6 ahead of Nunavut’s Julie Weagle and Newfoundland and Labrador at 1-7.
The Scotties champion will represent Canada at the world women’s curling championship in March at Calgary.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 29, 2026.
Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press
