Kaitlyn Lawes Dominates Opening Game at RBC Securities Western Showdown

Kaitlyn Lawes, alongside her team of Selena Njegovan, Jocelyn Peterman, and Kristin MacCuish, cruised to a 9-2 victory over Regina’s Jolene Campbell in the opening round of the RBC Securities Western Showdown. The win marked an impressive start for Lawes, who has had a strong season but is still in search of her first championship game appearance. Ranked #16 in the Year-to-Date standings, Lawes has already posted several semi-final finishes this year, but a trip to the final has thus far eluded her.

The game began with Lawes getting the early advantage, scoring two points in the first end after making a precise hit-and-stick maneuver around a top 12 stone. Campbell quickly responded in the second end, executing a perfect angle slash to score her own deuce, leveling the score at 2-2.

In the third end, Lawes was forced to settle for a single point after drawing to the four-foot against two of Campbell’s stones. However, the turning point came in the fourth end, when Lawes capitalized on a missed draw by Campbell, stealing four points to take a commanding 7-2 lead. From there, Lawes kept the pressure on, forcing Campbell into a tough 12-foot double runback attempt against two of Lawes’ stones. When Campbell missed, Lawes’ lead proved too much to overcome, and the game was quickly concluded with handshakes at 9-2.

With the win, Lawes moves on to the next round, where she will face the winner of the matchup between Calgary’s Kayla Skrlik and Saskatoon’s Ashley Thevenot. That game is scheduled for Thursday at 4:00 pm CT.

The RBC Securities Western Showdown is a triple-knockout event, with action continuing through Saturday and playoffs set for Sunday.