There鈥檚 nothing quite like the feeling of being the last team standing after a gruelling, week-long provincial event.
Skip Kesa Van Osch, with sisters Marika and Kalia at third and second, respectively, and Amy Gibson at lead, experienced that sensation early Sunday evening.
The foursome 鈥� coached by Bill Tschirhart and based out of the Nanaimo Curling Club 鈥� was surrounded by friends, family and loved ones after capturing the 2018 sa国际传媒 Scotties Women鈥檚 Curling Championship at the Victoria Curling Club.
The Van Osch crew disposed of 2016 champion, Karla Thompson of Kamloops, 11-4 in nine ends to give the skip her second sa国际传媒 women鈥檚 curling championship in four years. The foursome now dons the sa国际传媒 colours and becomes the home team for the national Scotties Tournament of Hearts at Penticton鈥檚 South Okanagan Events Centre, from Jan. 27-Feb. 4.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a very special feeling. It鈥檚 not every day that you get to wear provincial colours and get to go to a national [championship] and compete as Team sa国际传媒 This year is especially special because we are also the home team,鈥� Kesa Van Osch said.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 be more proud,鈥� she added of her team鈥檚 performance. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e a bunch of amazing girls. They鈥檝e played great all week and it鈥檚 great that we could take it home in the final.鈥�
It was a terrific run for the local team, which peaked at the right time. After starting the week 3-2 in the standings, the group won their last two round-robin games on Friday to sneak into a three-way tie for second.
They were awarded second place based on their draws to the button at the beginning of each game, as the three teams were knotted in head-to-head competition.
The Van Osch rink advanced straight to the Page 1-2 final, where they defeated Thompson 10-4 on Saturday to push on to the championship game.
It was an amazing finish, considering the four had qualified for provincials by grabbing the very last spot available, the C-event slot, in their final-chance qualifying bonspiel 鈥� the 鈥渄ead, stinking last鈥� position, as Kesa Van Osch put it.
鈥淚f you would have told me at the beginning of the week [that they would win], I would have told you you鈥檙e crazy, because we didn鈥檛 come in playing our best. But we slowly 鈥� over the week 鈥� got better and better with every win,鈥� she said.
They gained momentum and never let go.
鈥淚 think we really pulled out our A-game the last two days,鈥� said Marika Van Osch, who rejoined her sisters just this year after aging out of juniors. 鈥淲e鈥檙e really proud of how we played. We鈥檇 been building and building.鈥�
Marika and Kalia Van Osch, along with Gibson, will become Scotties Tournament of Hearts rookies.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a long time since I have been able to take my sisters to nationals, even though last time we won was here in Victoria,鈥� said Kesa Van Osch, who skipped her sisters and Brooklyn Leitch to a provincial junior crown in 2012 in the same Victoria Curling Club facility.
Two years later, she captured the sa国际传媒 women鈥檚 crown with a VCC-based rink that included Steph Jackson-Baier, Jessie Sanderson and Carley Sandwith.
鈥淜esa has been there before and she knows a little bit about what we鈥檙e getting into. The rest of us are super excited to get there 鈥� it鈥檚 a dream come true. It鈥檚 always a little nerve-racking, but it鈥檚 exciting,鈥� Marika Van Osch said.
Together, the group came out strong on Sunday, scoring three in the first end before Thompson bounced back with a deuce in the second. The Van Osch clan broke the game open after the midway break, when they led 5-4, outscoring Thompson 6-0 the rest of the way. They stole five points in the final three ends before shaking hands.
Thompson defeated Corryn Brown of Kamloops 5-3 in the morning semifinal, but struggled with her draw weight in the final.
鈥淸Thompson] had a couple of unfortunate breaks in some ends. A couple of them curled really big and we did our best [to take advantage of this],鈥� said Kesa Van Osch, who was delighted to have the home crowd behind her.
鈥淚t means everything. I couldn鈥檛 be more happy that they are all here to support us. It鈥檚 very, very special,鈥� she said.
鈥淚t has been very good to me,鈥� she said of the Victoria Curling Club, which provided superb ice during the week thanks to Mike Merklinger, Cody Hall and his staff.
鈥淲e won our juniors here [in 2012], and when I played with Steph and Carley here, we won the sa国际传媒 Scotties up in Prince George. All good memories.鈥�
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