ESTEVAN - The Heidi Fradette rink travelled to the Twin Rivers Curling Club in North Battleford for the CurlSask Pharmasave U20 women's curling provincials.
The Fradette rink opened with an 11-7 loss against Martensville's Renee Wood on Wednesday. Fradette fell behind 9-3 after seven ends, but fought back with two in the eighth and a steal of two in the ninth. Wood closed out the game with two in the 10th.
Their next game was a 10-8 loss to Ava Beausoleil's team, competing out of Saskatoon's Nutana Curling Club. Fradette scored three in the ninth to pull within two, but Beausoleil ran the Estevan team out of rocks in the 10th.
The Fradette rink faced the Wood rink again in the C event, and this time came up with a 9-7 victory in an elimination game, thanks to the tournament's triple-knockout elimination format. The two teams were tied at 5-5 through six ends, but Fradette scored twice in the seventh and stole two more in the eighth. Wood scored two in nine, but Fradette ran them out of rocks in 10.
Fradette's final game was an 11-4 loss in eight ends to the Chloe Johnston rink from the Callie Curling Club in Regina. Johnston scored five in the first end. Fradette's points came through two in the third and two more in the fifth.
Other members of the Fradette rink were third Kalie Johnson, second Amy Fradette, and co-leads April McMillen and Olivia Fonstad, who shared the role. Pauline Ziehl Grimsrud was the coach.
"Despite the result, we had a great event," the team said on its Facebook page. "We laughed lots and enjoyed our times off the ice as well."
It was noted that they made it to Saturday's action despite some illness on the team, and they were one of the last U18 teams eliminated. The Fradette rink is comprised of 15, 16 and 17-year-old curlers, while many of the teams boasted 19-year-olds.
Heidi Fradette and Johnson will move on next year, so it was their last competitive event together.
"Thank you, North Battleford," they wrote. "The ice was amazing and the facility was beautiful."
