The Estevan Curling Club's Team Fonstad had a successful showing at the Sask Cup #3 in Moose Jaw, demonstrating resilience and teamwork throughout the weekend.
Coach Pauline Ziehl Grimsrud shared insights on the team's performance and their preparation for the upcoming provincials.
The competition featured eight teams in the Women's U18 category. Team Fonstad's schedule began Friday afternoon with a tough 7-11 loss to Team Semeniuk in the A event, placing them in the B event. However, they rebounded with a victory over Team Levier later that evening.
Saturday presented further challenges with a loss to Team Bauldic (8-2-6), dropping Team Fonstad into the C event. They rallied with a 7-5 win against Team Todd.
By Sunday, Team Fonstad gained momentum. They defeated Team Hogeboom in five ends, followed by a commanding 7-2 victory over Team Wood, earning a spot in the championship game.
In a thrilling final against Team Bauldic, Team Fonstad secured a 9-8 victory with a steal of three in the eighth end to claim the championship.
"I think one of the highlights for Team Fonstad was that we have a new player on her team. She's very young, Andy Fradette. She's in Grade 9 and just the pressure to play in the semifinals and finals for her to take that pressure, and she played so well," Ziehl Grimsrud said. "The girls played so well together. Great communication, great sweeping. The ice is quite different in Moose Jaw compared to Estevan, so they really adapted to that. That was a real step ahead for us because we were able to adapt to the ice change."
Team Fonstad is now focused on the provincial competition in Prince Albert, set for Dec. 27-31.
Before that, the team will host a U18 bonspiel in Estevan this weekend, featuring eight teams from the region, including competitors from Estevan Comprehensive School, Saskatoon, and Williston. "We're really happy to have all of these different teams travelling in to come and play, and we're looking forward to having a great weekend." Ziehl Grimsrud said.
The bonspiel is open to the public, with spectators encouraged to visit the Estevan Curling Club for an exciting weekend of curling action.