Nova Scotia pair impresses with silver
[With files from Curling Canada]
It was almost—but not quite—the upset of the mixed doubles discipline in Canada.
In the end, the Nova Scotia pairing of Marlee Powers and Luke Saunders lost a rollicking 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles championship final 9-8 to Manitoba’s Kadriana and Colton Lott at Summerside, PEI.
Powers/Saunders had earlier deposed MD titans Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant—winners of the Olympic Trials in January— and the veteran pair of Laura Walker and Kirk Muyres in the quarterfinals.
The Lotts, also champions in 2024, opened with a three count and it was a slugfest of deuces all the way to the fifth end, where the Lotts only managed a single.
Powers/Saunders got another deuce in the sixth—and yet another in the seventh—and needed a final deuce in the eighth end to tie the score at 8-8 and force an extra end … and they got it.
In the extra frame, Colton Lott made a fine come-around tap to lie buried, and Powers wasn’t able to match it.
The Lotts will represent Canada at the 2026 world mixed doubles championship. Trials champs Peterman/Gallant will wear the maple leaf at the 2025 edition next month in Fredericton, and attempt to qualify Canada for the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling and just for us to have that opportunity to (win) back-to-back is phenomenal,” said Colton Lott.
“We’re going to be great at worlds next year.”
Another lesser-ranked duo, Kira Brunton (from Ontario’s Danielle Inglis STOH foursome) and Jacob Horgan (from the Brier’s Team Epping) made an undefeated run at 7-0 until they lost out to the Lotts by a 6-5 count in the semis.
The Powers/Saunders duo defeated another Atlantic Canadian team, New Brunswick’s Melissa Adams and Alex Robichaud, 5-4 in their semifinal.
Peterman/Gallant went 5-2 in their pool, tied with fellow Albertans Amanda and Aaron Sluchinski and the Quebec pair of Emily Riley and Jesse Mullen.
Kitchener, Ontario’s Katie Ford and Oliver Campbell went 6-1 in their pool behind Walker/Muyres, while Nancy Martin and Steve Laycock of Saskatchewan led Pool B at 5-2.
Pool D saw the Lotts and the Jennifer Jones/Brent Laing combo from Ontario finish tied at 6-1, with Powers/Saunders at 5-2.
“We had a really tough pool and that set us up to hopefully do well in the playoffs,” said Powers after eliminating Peterman/Gallant. “Hopefully we can keep going against these tough teams.”
They did, all the way to the final.
Saunders and Powers also competed at the 2024 national shootout at Fredericton, but missed the playoff picture with a 4-3 pool won/loss record.
“We just try to do a little bit better each year,” said Saunders, who had his mom—Colleen Jones—coaching in Summerside as well as at the Brier in Kelowna.
“We were close to playoffs last year, and to get at it this year is a thrill.
“I know I wouldn’t want to be doing it with anybody else.”
“They played a great game,” said Kadriana Lott. “They kept us on our toes. We knew we had to make those key big shots which I think we executed really well. We keep pitching away at every shot and, fingers crossed, that you come out win the win.”
