Rachel Homan from Ottawa secured her spot in the women’s final, while Brad Jacobs from Calgary advanced on the men’s side. Unfortunately, Brad Gushue from St. John’s was eliminated after a critical miss at the 2025 Montana’s Canadian Curling Trials.
Homan narrowly defeated Kerri Einarson of Gimli, Man., with a score of 7-6 on Wednesday, securing the top spot in the women’s round-robin competition.
Both teams finished the round-robin stage with 6-1 records, but Homan earned a direct entry to the final based on their head-to-head victory.
“Our initial goal for the week was to reach the final,” Homan mentioned. “The competition is tough, so we had to give our best to secure our spot, and I’m incredibly proud of the team for their determination.”
“It’s a significant achievement. There’s no denying that. It was a crucial game for us to reach the final, allowing us some rest before the final matches. We are looking forward to the weekend with the same level of enthusiasm,” she added.
Jacobs secured his spot in the final earlier with a 6-2 victory over Matt Dunstone from Winnipeg.
The 2014 Olympic champion topped the men’s standings with a 6-1 record, also defeating and eliminating the 2006 gold medalist, Brad Gushue, in the final round-robin match on Wednesday night.
Gushue, in his final competitive season, lost 6-3 to Jacobs in a tense finish. Needing a win to stay in the competition, Gushue missed his final throw with a chance to score three points with the hammer while trailing 5-3 in the 10th end.
Unfortunately, this miss meant Gushue missed out on the Canadian Trials playoffs for the first time in his career.
“He’s a formidable opponent and has been for most of the past decade — a true legend in his career,” Jacobs commented. “Whenever you have the chance to eliminate such a great team, you must seize the opportunity. We performed exceptionally well tonight, marking our best day as a team in terms of execution and overall performance.”
“This sets a positive tone for the upcoming finals,” Jacobs added.
Gushue tied with Dunstone for the third spot with a 4-3 record, but Dunstone advanced due to winning their direct encounter in the round-robin phase.