SALMON ARM, BC, February 7...Defending champion Manitoba, skipped by Kaitlyn Lawes of Winnipeg, defeated Alberta, skipped by Casey Scheidegger of Lethbridge, 7-6 in an extra end in Saturday afternoon's thrilling semi-final at the Sunwave Centre to advance to Sunday's women's final of the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors against Ontario, live on TSN, beginning at 11:30 am PT/2:30 pm ET.

It's the final match-up most experts predicted before the event began.  Ontario, skipped by 19-year-old Rachel Homan of Ottawa, has been billed as the 'future', while the 20-year-old Lawes is the reigning Canadian champion and bronze medallist at last year's world juniors.  Ontario finished in first place with a 10-2 mark to qualify for the final, defeating Manitoba, 7-4 along the way in Draw 14.

"It was an unreal game," said Lawes.  "Both teams played lights out.  We played an extra end with them in the round robin, too."

After a cautious opening two ends, Alberta took one in the third, before Manitoba responded with a deuce for a 2-1 lead in the fourth.  Then, it was Alberta's turn for a pair, as it took a 3-2 lead into the fifth end break. 

But the battle had just begun, as Lawes stormed back, drawing in for a three-spot in the sixth end, after Scheidegger was light with her draw.  In the seventh end, Alberta tied the game at five, when Lawes hit and rolled out, leaving Scheidegger a hit and roll of her own for a deuce.

After Manitoba was forced to one in the eighth end, Alberta blanked the ninth before drawing for one in the 10th to force an extra end."

There, Lawes, facing two Alberta counters in the back four, calmly drew a piece of the button for the win.

"I didn't even use the backing.  I didn't know it was good," continued Lawes.  "I thought it was heavy when it left my hand.   But it feels great.  It's exactly where we want to be.  We accomplished goal one (making the playoffs), and goal two (winning the semi-final). Now we have one more to go."

Alberta beat Manitoba, 6-5 in an extra end during the round robin and finished second to Ontario in the standings with a 9-3 mark, while Manitoba wound up third at 8-4. 

Last year in Sault Ste. Marie, Lawes claimed first place and went right to the final, when she defeated Saskatchewan's Stephanie McVicar, 7-6.  Lawes will be trying to become the first female skip to win back-to-back Canadian titles since Suzanne Gaudet accomplished the feat in 2001-2002.

Homan, gold medallist at the 2007 Canada Winter Games, will be trying to win just a third junior women's title for Ontario since the championship began in 1971, but the first since 1993, when the Canadian title was won by Kim Gellard in Trois-Rivières.

Manitoba has eight titles.

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