Pressure was squarely on Prince Edward Island’s Team Amanda Power on Monday afternoon as she faced a chance to capture her team’s first win of the week and, for Power, her first Scotties win.
The game against Team New Brunswick’s Mélodie Forsythe (0-3; Fredericton) was a close one, as each team battled it out for their first win of the week. But it was Team Power who came out victorious, with a 7-6 win for the Summerside squad (1-2).
While P.E.I.’s third/vice-skip Veronica Mayne and lead Sabrina Smith are making their third Scotties appearance, the 2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts is a first for Power and second Emily Best.
“It’s pretty surreal for me and Emily,” said Power. “We got our first Scotties win, and having the whole family here to see it, I couldn’t be happier.”
With a wealth of experience among her teammates, Power leans on them during the pressure-packed moments.
“Veronica just reminds me to take a breath; it’s just a curling game, and to just focus on what we have to do,” said Power. “Their experience definitely shines through.”
Coach Peter Gallant, who coached the South Korean women to an Olympic silver medal in 2018, certainly adds some experience to the team’s roster.
“Peter’s just a wealth of knowledge,” said Power. “He’s always there to just remind me that I do know what I’m doing, and if I get into a tough situation where the strategy might get a little tricky, he’s always there to show us what to do. He’s just so knowledgeable, and we really lean on him.”
Gallant’s expertise was called in during the tenth end with a tied scoreboard.
The game was decided by Power’s first stone, which dug out a buried New Brunswick rock on a runback. When Forsythe’s last rock came up short, the win was secured for the Islanders.
Through ten ends, it was closely contested. In the ninth end, a P.E.I. hit-and-roll that rolled just slightly too far left Forsythe with an open draw for a deuce and an easy opportunity to tie the game going into the last end.
“Our first two games were a little rough,” said Power. “We had to get our footing under us. It’s different playing on stadium ice, which is something we don’t do. So, it took me a while to address, but I think that in that game we finally knew what we were doing. We had the draw weight; we knew how the ice was moving, so hopefully we can take what we learned today and carry it through the next games.”
Around the rink, Nova Scotia’s Team Christina Black (3-1; Halifax) bested Newfoundland and Labrador’s Team Mackenzie Mitchell (1-3; St. John’s) 9-1, while Alberta’s Team Kayla Skrlik (2-1; Calgary) outplayed Nunavut’s Team Julia Weagle (1-3; Iqaluit) 9-2. Meanwhile, Manitoba’s Team Beth Peterson (Winnipeg; 4-0) maintained their perfect record against Team Northern Ontario’s Krista Scharf (Thunder Bay, Ont.; 2-2), 9-2.
The 2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts continues Monday with a draw at 7 p.m. (all times Eastern).
Live scoring, standings, and statistics for the 2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts are available at www.curling.ca/scoreboard/.
TSN and RDS2 will provide complete coverage of the 2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts. CLICK HERE for the complete schedule.
For ticket information for the 2026 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, go to www.curling.ca/2026scotties/tickets/.
