Robyn Silvernagle and Team Saskatchewan, with Swift Current's Kelly Schafer playing third, opened the Scotties Tournament of Hearts with a tough 12-7 loss to Christina Black and Nova Scotia on Friday night in Kamloops, BC.

Nova Scotia opened with a single in the first end and a steal of one in the second before Silvernagle responded with three in the third end to take a 3-2 lead. After two more singles for Black in the fourth and fifth ends put her up 4-3 at the break, Saskatchewan got the lead back with a deuce in the sixth end. Nova Scotia would start to pull away with a four-ender in the seventh end to go up 8-5, and after Silvernagle got two back in the eighth, Black picked up three in the ninth end and stole one more in the tenth to wrap up the victory.

Saskatchewan will face Kayla Skrilik and Team Alberta in the evening draw tonight at 8:00pm.

Other games on Friday night had Kerri Einarson begin her Scotties title defence with an 11-8 win over Laurie St-Georges and Team Quebec, Kaitlyn Lawes and her Wild Card team defeated Alberta 8-5 and Clancy Grandy and Team BC defeated Suzanne Birt and PEI 10-6.

Today's games include six-time Scotties champion Jennifer Jones taking on Northern Ontario's Krista McCarville, and three-time champion Rachel Homan battles Stacie Curtis and her rink from Newfoundland and Labrador, both in the afternoon draw. Einarson will face BC in the evening draw tonight.