Surrounded by friends, family and loved ones, Kesa Van Osch and her Nanaimo rink captured the 2018 sa国际传媒 Scotties Women鈥檚 Curling Championship early Sunday evening at the Victoria Curling Club.
Skip Van Osch and her sisters Marika and Kalia (third and second, respectively), lead Amy Gibson and coach Bill Tschirhart easily handled Karla Thompson of Kamloops 11-4 to claim the provincial title. The team now advances to the national Scotties Tournament of Hearts at Penticton鈥檚 South Okanagan Events Centre, Jan. 27-Feb. 4.
The Van Osch clan broke open a tight 5-4 game at the midway mark, outscoring Thompson 6-0 down the stretch, including steals of one in the seventh end, followed by thefts of two in each of the eighth and ninth before the teams shook hands.
The Nanaimo foursome immediately gathered for a celebratory hug, much to the delight of the partisan local crowd on hand rink side and behind the glass at the club as spectators crammed in for the final.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 be more proud. They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� Kesa said at game鈥檚 end as she celebrated what will be her second trip to nationals after winning the 2014 sa国际传媒 crown, while based out of the VCC.
Thompson was also trying to win her second sa国际传媒 title in two years, but it wasn鈥檛 meant to be.
(More to come in Tuesday鈥檚 paper)
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