Moose Jaw’s Penny Barker is looking to add a third Viterra Scotties Provincial Tournament championship trophy to her resume this weekend. Barker is the reigning provincial champion, winning it all in Assiniboia in 2022.  

The annual tournament kicked off on Wednesday at Affinity Place, in Estevan.  

Barker and her team of Christie Gamble, Jenna Enge, and Danielle Sicinski do have some business to take care of first, before punching their ticket to this year’s Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Kamloops BC, February 17-26.  

On Thursday, Barker began their quest with a tough 8-7 loss to Regina’s Ashley Howard. After being tied 2-2 through four ends, Howard picked up four in the fifth end to take a 6-2 lead.  

The Moose Jaw Curling Centre foursome did make a comeback, picking up two points in the sixth and eighth ends, and then a single in the tenth, but it wasn’t enough.  

The loss dropped Barker down to the B event where she faced Highland CC’s Brooklyn Stevenson on Thursday evening.  

In the back-and-forth affair, Stevenson would jump out to the early 3-0 lead through two ends.  

Barker would pull to within one, after picking up a single in the third and fourth ends to make it 3-2.  

Stevenson countered with two in the fifth end and then a single in the sixth to pull ahead 6-2. Their comeback fell just short as they dropped their second in a row, losing 7-5.  

Barker falls to 0-2 in the tournament and has dropped to the C event with her next draw on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and will face the loser of Howard and Regina's Lorraine Schneider, who face off at 10:00 a.m. 

She still has a chance to make it to Saturday’s page playoffs, as she will need to win the remainder of her games.  

Also, in the mix is Loreburn’s Amber Holland, who is representing the Kronau Curling Club. Holland finds herself 1-1 through two draws and will hit the ice on Friday at 10:00 a.m. and will face Robyn Silvernagle from the Twin Rivers Curling Club.  

Moose Jaw’s Skylar Ackerman is in contention at this year’s event. Ackerman and her Saskatoon rink are 1-1. She takes to the ice Friday at 3:00 p.m. and will battle Brooklyn Stevenson. If she wins, Ackerman will qualify for the B event quarterfinals at 7:30 p.m. 

The Viterra Scotties ‘A’ final is set for 3 p.m. on Friday, the ‘B’ qualifier for 10 a.m. on Saturday and two ‘C’ qualifiers for 3 p.m. Saturday.  

The Page playoffs 1-2 and 3-4 games are set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, followed by the semifinal at 10 a.m. Sunday and the championship game at 3 p.m. Sunday. 

Follow along with the tournament HERE.