Nova Scotia teams bring home medals from under-21 curling nationals

For the second time in three years, a Nova Scotia women's team has gone undefeated at the Canadian under-21 curling championships.

AllyMacNutt'sfoursomewongold Sunday after defeating Ontario 9-5 in the final in FortMcMurray, Alta. MacNutt's team won 10 straight games in the competition.

"I think it was just all the little things that we did that made the difference," saidMacNutt, who is fromTruro, N.S. "We just focused on the process and really just took it one shot at a time."

MacNutt skipped the Dalhousie University women's curling team to a U Sports bronze medal three weeks ago

The under-21 win means theMacNuttfoursome will play again next season. They've earned the right to represent Canada at the worldunder-21 championships in 2025, which may be held in Italy as a test event for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

"Our team just started playing together in September, but considering we were a new team we just all gelled really well together," saidMacNutt. "We've become best friends on and off the ice, which doesn't always happen with a new team."

The rest of theMacNuttteam includes lead GraceMcCusker, who played withMacNuttat Dalhousie this year, third MariaFitzgerald and second AlisonUmlah.

Umlahis the only repeat national winner as she was a member of theTaylourStevens team that went undefeated at the 2022 event.

"We went into it with maybe a bit of an underdog expectation," saidUmlah, a Mount Saint Vincent University student. "Our goal was just to make the playoffs but as the week progressed and we started having success we expanded our goals because we knew the top of the podium was definitely achievable."

It is the first national championship for coach TheresaBreen. The current Nova Scotia senior women's champion twice won silver at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

The Nova Scotia men's team also had a good week.

TheTruroteamskipped by CalanMacIsaacfell 7-6 to Alberta in the final.Other members of the Nova Scotia silver-medal team are third NathanGray, secondOwainFisher and lead ChristopherMcCurdy.