| 1971 Canadian Ladies Curling Association Championship | |
|---|---|
| Host city | St. John's, Newfoundland |
| Arena | Memorial Stadium |
| Dates | February 22–26 |
| Winner |  Saskatchewan |
| Curling club | Sutherland Ladies CC, Saskatoon |
| Skip | Vera Pezer |
| Third | Sheila Rowan |
| Second | Joyce McKee |
| Lead | Lee Morrison |
| Finalist |  Alberta (Kay Baldwin) British Columbia (Ina Hansen) |
« 1970 1972 » | |
The 1971 Canadian Ladies Curling Association Championship, the Canadian women's curling championship was held February 22 to 26, 1971[1] at Memorial Stadium, in St. John's, Newfoundland.[2]
For the second consecutive year, there would be a three-way tiebreaker playoff to determine the championship as Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan all finished round robin play with 6–3 records. Team Saskatchewan, who was skipped by Vera Pezer captured the championship by defeating both British Columbia 10–7 in the semifinal and Alberta 9–2 in the final. This was Saskatchewan's fourth championship and third in a row. This would be the first of three straight titles for Pezer. Pezer's second, Joyce McKee became the first player to have won three Canadian women's championships as McKee previously won as a skip in 1961 and 1969.
The event had particularly good ice conditions for the time, due in part to cool weather and small crowds. The small crowds were blamed on a lack of a middle class in Newfoundland, and the small numbers of curlers in the province.[3]
British Columbia's 3–2 victory over Saskatchewan in Draw 5 set two tournament records for the fewest combined points scored between two teams in one game (5) and the most blank ends in one game (5). The lowest combined score would be matched four more times (1986, 1988, and twice in 1999). The blank ends record was matched in 1981 and eventually was broken in 1986.[4]
The Nova Scotia rink ended up becoming the third team to finish round robin play winless. At the time, the team set tournament records for most points allowed (112), fewest points scored (43), and worst point differential (-69).
- ^ "Women's Curling Starting". Regina Leader-Post. February 22, 1971. p. 23. Archived from the original on 2022-01-29. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
- ^ "Defenders Bemoan Lack of Strategy". Vancouver Sun. February 25, 1971. p. 24. Archived from the original on 2022-01-29. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
- ^ "Even with three losses Pezer has a second chance". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. February 26, 1971. p. 24. Archived from the original on 2022-06-11. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
- ^ "Canadian Women Records". Curling Canada Stats Archive. Curling Canada. Retrieved 22 February 2023.