Corryn Brown came out of the blocks strong with convincing win to open Scotties

Brown steals Scotties opener

Photo: Curling Canada

Corryn Brown and her B.C. championship rink got off to the start they hoped at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Thunder Bay, ON.

Brown and her Kamloops rink stole five points en route to an 11-4 thumping of Selena Sturmay who got into the 18-team field through season-long CTRS points.

Brown, and her rink of third Erin Pincott, second Sarah Koltun and lead Samantha Fisher jumped on the Alberta foursome early.

After Sturmay opened with a single with hammer in the first, Brown took over.

They cracked three in the second, two in the fourth then stole a single in five to hit the midway break up 6-2.

Sturmay bounced back with a deuce in six to pull to within a single, but one in seven then steals of two in eight and nine brought an end to the contest.

Brown curled on 76 per cent while the team collectively was 80 per cent on tricky ice in the opening draw.

The B.C. champs are slotted in Pool A which includes reigning champion and heavy favourite Rachel Homan.

In other opening night games featuring Pool A, Homan opened defence of her title with a 13-4 thumping of Prince Edward Island, Alberta doubled New Brunswick 8-4 and Saskatchewan beat Northern Ontario 10-6.

Brown takes to the ice Saturday afternoon at 4 Pacific time against Alberta champion Ashton Skrlik.

The Skrlik foursome was actually a threesome Friday night. Lead Geri-Lynn Ramsay was under the weather and stayed at the hotel. Her availability for Saturday is unknown.