The chance to represent Canada the World Mixed Doubles Curling Championships, and possibly the 2026 Olympics in Italy, ended on the Maritime shores of the Atlantic Ocean Friday, Jan. 3, for Vernon's Jaelyn Cotter and Jim Cotter.

The daughter-father combo fell 9-6 to Edmonton's Rachel Homan/Brendan Botcher team at the Canadian Trials in Liverpool, NS, ending the Cotters' bonspiel.

The game was one of two playoff matchups Friday morning. The other saw the duo of Brittany Tran/Rylan Kleiter from Calgary/Saskatoon defeat Jennifer Jones/Brent Laing of Barrie, Ont. 8-6.  

Homan/Botcher will now take on Tran/Kleiter at 3 p.m. Pacific in the three-versus-four Page playoff matchup. The loser will be eliminated, and the winner will advance to the semifinal Saturday morning to face the loser of the one-versus-two Page playoff game, which goes Friday night.

That match sees the undefeated pair of Brett Gallant/Jocelyn Peterman of Calgary taking on Lisa Weagle/John Epping of Toronto, also at 3 p.m. The winner gets a berth in Saturday afternoon's championship. 

Team Homan/Bottcher took control of the game against the Cotters in the second end.

After the Vernon team stole a point in the opening frame, Homan/Botcher countered with four to take a 4-1 lead. The Cotters scored one with the hammer in the third end, only to see Homan/Botcher put another four-spot on the board in the fourth for an 8-2 lead at the break.

Team Cotter came out of the intermission with the hammer, and scored a pair to cut the lead in half. Homan/Botcher added one in the sixth, and the Cotters countered with a deuce in seventh. There was no scoring in the eighth end.

The winner of the trials will represent Canada at the World Mixed Doubles Curling Championships in Fredericton, with a chance to earn a Canadian berth to the 2026 Olympics also up for grabs.