The Alberta Scotties frontrunners aren't showing any signs of slowing down.
Edmonton's Laura Walker rink clinched a spot in the 2020 Sentinel Storage Alberta Scotties Tournament of Hearts final after a convincing 6-1 result over Kelsey Rocque in the 1 vs. 2 page playoff match Saturday night at Okotoks' Murray Arena.
"We're still one win away so we don't want to focus on what we've done so far too much and just try to focus on what we have ahead of us," said Walker. "But I think the level of play that we've shown this week has really given us some confidence and to know that we can win from any position has just been really confidence boosting for us.
"It means a lot to be in the final tomorrow, for sure, it's nice to not have to go through that extra game, but we still have a lot to focus on."
The loss for Rocque puts the Saville Centre team in the semifinal with St. Albert's Krysta Hilker.
Walker — with third Kate Cameron, second Taylor McDonald and lead Nadine Scotland — kept the hammer following a pair of blank ends and made her move in the third with a double on the last shot. The skip missed on a hit and stick for three, but ended up taking two points after a measurement.
"Right down the lineup all four have us have been firing on all cylinders," said Walker, undefeated in eight games at the Scotties. "We've had a lot of weekends this year where we've done well and maybe three of the four of us are really on, but no one has really been struggling and if we have a player who has a bad shot or a bad end, the next one just picks them right up.
"We've been making the big ones this week and playing with no fear."
A steal of two in the fourth end and another double in the fifth gave the Edmonton rink a 6-0 advantage at the break. The dramatic sixth end saw a pair of double hit and sticks from Walker only to have Rocque use her last stone to draw to the button for a single point. Walker added a single in the eighth where the teams shook hands.
"They're playing very well, lead through skip," Rocque said. "And then we're just not capitalizing on opportunities and I think we're getting a little bit caught and they're forcing us into pretty tough shots because of their high calibre of play right now.
"Against a team who's playing really well and a good hitting team it's tough to get some steals and claw back in a game."
Walker and Rocque, former teammates, previously squared off in round-robin on Jan. 23 with the former earning the 8-4 result.
In the 3 vs. 4 match-up on Saturday afternoon, Hilker edged out Edmonton's Nicky Kaufman 11-7 in extra-ends.
Kaufman came into the playoff tilt riding a three-game winning streak, including a 10-7 win over Hilker in draw seven earlier on Saturday.
This time Hilker, the eighth seed in the Scotties, picked up a four-ender in the eleventh after Kaufman forced extras with a single in the tenth.
"We're playing the game we like to play and having fun out there," said Hilker on Friday. "And being ourselves and not putting a ton of pressure on ourselves and just having fun."
The semifinal will see Hilker take on Rocque at 10 a.m. on Jan. 26 for the right to advance to the championship at 5 p.m.
For the latest on the 2020 Sentinel Storage Alberta Scotties Tournament of Hearts log on to https://www.okotokstoday.ca/2020-alberta-scotties
