Calleen Neufeld left the door open, and Stacie Devereaux made no mistake.

The Newfoundland and Labrador skip scored three in the final end to stun Manitoba's Neufeld 7-6 and give her province its first Canadian junior women's curling championship Sunday in St. Catharines, Ont.

Newfoundland and Labrador curlers (left to right) skip Stacie Devereaux, third Stephanie Guzzwell, second Sarah Paul and lead Julie Devereaux pose with their medals and trophy after beating Manitoba 7-6 to win the Canadian junior curling championship on Sunday.
(Michael Burns/Canadian Press)

"We haven't had an easy game all week," Devereaux told CBC. "We're fighters and we believe in each other and keep positive and keep going. [We] hang in."

Neufeld held a 6-4 lead heading into the 10th end, but misfired with her final stone to leave Devereaux lying two with the hammer.

After drawing a deep breath in the hack, Devereaux calmly drew to the eight-foot to set off a joyous celebration by her St. John's rink.

The victory gave Newfoundland and Labrador its first national junior crown since Brad Gushue of St. John's won the men's title in 2001 — coincidentally, also in St. Catharines.

"Brad has shown the whole province and the whole country that if you work really hard you can do whatever you want," Devereaux said of the 2006 Olympic champion. "You just have to believe in yourself."

Meanwhile, it was another agonizing defeat for Neufeld, who lost last year's national final to Saskatchewan's Megan Selzer.

Neufeld appeared in control heading into the final end, having scored four unanswered points to take a 6-4 lead with one frame to play, but her Manitoba rink struggled to keep the house clear in the 10th.

Devereaux will join Alberta's Charley Thomas, who on Saturday won his second straight men's title, in representing Canada at the world junior curling championships, March 3-11 in Eveleth, Minn.