KIOTI GSOC Tahoe Notebook: Homan Extends Winning Streak Against Canadian Teams
Rachel Homan continued her impressive run Thursday night at the KIOTI GSOC Tahoe, defeating Kaitlyn Lawes 8–3. With this victory, her Ottawa-based team extended its winning streak to 30 consecutive matches against other Canadian clubs and reached an overall record of 80–2 since the beginning of the 2023–24 season.
Key Moments of the Match
Although Homan’s record appears dominant, her match against Lawes was not without challenges. She gained an early advantage in the third end by stealing two points after Lawes’s throw came up short. Later, in the seventh end, Homan took a calculated risk with a difficult shot to secure another pair of points.
During that end, Homan managed to drive Lawes’s stone out of play; as it rolled, it clipped another rock, which in turn nudged one of Homan’s stones into the rings to add the scoring pair. The daring shot paid off, exemplifying the kind of bold play often seen at Tahoe’s Nevada-side arena.
“Yeah, getting two there was huge,” said Sarah Wilkes, who throws lead stones for Team Homan. “Going into that end, we kind of talked about what was ideal. Being forced was probably the least ideal out of all the situations. Definitely got a little lucky with the way we got the two, but it was a huge momentum swing for sure.”
Final End
Trailing 6–3 in the final end, Lawes held the hammer and attempted a desperate last shot to close the gap, but it wasn’t enough to change the outcome. Team Homan’s steady play and timely luck secured another strong victory on their historic streak.
Author’s Summary
Rachel Homan’s strategic risk-taking and precision at the KIOTI GSOC Tahoe lifted her team to a 30-game streak against Canadian rivals, affirming their dominance in curling this season.