{{short description|Canadian curler}} {{Infobox curler | name = Ashley Sippala | image = Ashley Sippala April 2022.jpg | image_size = | caption = Sippala at the [[2022 Players' Championship]] | birth_name = Ashley Miharija | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1987|01|21}} | birth_place =[[Thunder Bay]], [[Ontario]], Canada | Curling club = [[Fort William Curling Club|Fort William CC]], <br> [[Thunder Bay|Thunder Bay, ON]] | Skip = | Third = | Second = | Lead = | Alternate = | Member Association = {{NO}} | Hearts appearances = 10 ({{STOH|2009}}, {{STOH|2010}}, {{STOH|2016}}, {{STOH|2017}}, {{STOH|2020}}, {{STOH|2022}}, {{STOH|2023}}, {{STOH|2024}}, {{STOH|2025}}, {{STOH|2026}}) | Top CCA ranking = 8th ([[2021–22 curling season|2021–22]]) | medaltemplates={{MedalSport | [[Curling]]}} {{MedalCountry | {{NO}} }} {{MedalCompetition | [[Scotties Tournament of Hearts]]}} {{MedalSilver| [[2016 Scotties Tournament of Hearts|2016 Grande Prairie]] | }} {{MedalSilver | [[2022 Scotties Tournament of Hearts|2022 Thunder Bay]] | }} {{MedalBronze| [[2023 Scotties Tournament of Hearts|2023 Kamloops]] | }} {{MedalCountry | {{ON}} }} {{MedalCompetition | [[Scotties Tournament of Hearts]]}} {{MedalBronze| [[2010 Scotties Tournament of Hearts|2010 Sault Ste. Marie]] | }} {{MedalCompetition | [[Canadian Olympic Curling Trials]]}} {{MedalBronze| [[2021 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials|2021 Saskatoon]] | }} }}
'''Ashley Sippala''' (born '''Ashley Miharija''', January 21, 1987) is a Canadian [[curling|curler]].
==Career== Sippala's first major curling event was when she played third for [[Mike Assad]]'s [[Northern Ontario]] team at the [[2008 Canadian Mixed Curling Championship]]. The team finished 6–5.<ref>{{cite web |title=Canadian Mixed Curling Championship: 2008 Mixed |url=https://www.curling.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Mixed_2008.pdf |publisher=Canadian Curling Association |accessdate=May 25, 2020 |pages=1, 4 |date=January 17, 2008}}</ref>
Sippala [[skip (curling)|skipped]] Team Northern Ontario at the [[2008 Canadian Junior Curling Championships]]. Her rink of [[Jessica Williams (curler)|Jessica Williams]], [[Jenna Enge]] and [[Sarah Potts (curler)|Sarah Lang]] finished with an 8–4 record, before losing in a tie-breaker match to Saskatchewan.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://cdn.curling.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Junior_Women_2008.pdf?e81271 |title=Archived copy |access-date=2012-01-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120906031152/http://cdn.curling.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Junior_Women_2008.pdf?e81271 |archive-date=2012-09-06 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The following season, Sippala qualified for her first women's provincial championship. She skipped her Port Arthur Curling Club rink to a 4–5 record at the [[2009 Ontario Scotties Tournament of Hearts]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Miharija 4–5 at 2009 Ontario Scotties Tournament of Hearts |url=https://www.curlingzone.com/event.php?view=Team&eventid=2138&teamid=40613 |website=CurlingZone |accessdate=May 25, 2020}}</ref> She was invited by [[Krista McCarville]] to be the team's alternate at the [[2009 Scotties Tournament of Hearts]].<ref>{{cite web |title=2009 Scotties Tournament of Hearts |url=https://s17962.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/2009_Scotties_Tournament_of_Hearts.pdf |publisher=Canadian Curling Association |accessdate=May 25, 2020 |page=2 |date=May 3, 2010}}</ref>
The following season, she fully joined the McCarville rink, first playing as the team's second. The team won the [[2010 Ontario Scotties Tournament of Hearts]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Ontario Scotties — Playoffs |url=https://www.curlingzone.com/event.php?view=Playoffs&eventid=3020# |website=CurlingZone |accessdate=May 25, 2020}}</ref> and the team went on to win a bronze medal at the [[2010 Scotties Tournament of Hearts]], losing the semi-final to Prince Edward Island.<ref>{{cite web |title=2010 Scotties Tournament of Hearts |url=https://s17962.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/2010-Scotties-Tournament-of-Hearts.pdf |publisher=Canadian Curling Association |accessdate=May 25, 2020 |pages=2, 41 |date=September 24, 2010}}</ref>
The next season, Sippala was promoted to the team's third.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ashley Sippala Teams |url=https://curlingzone.com/player.php?playerid=15809&view=Teams |website=CurlingZone |accessdate=May 25, 2020}}</ref> She was moved to second in 2015 when [[Kendra Lilly]] was added to the team. The team won a silver medal at the [[2016 Scotties Tournament of Hearts]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Alberta wins 2016 Scotties Tournament of Hearts |url=https://www.curling.ca/blog/2016/02/29/72815/ |accessdate=May 25, 2020 |work=Curling Canada |date=February 29, 2016}}</ref> They also played in the [[2017 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials]], finishing 4–4.<ref>{{cite web |title=2017 Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings — Women: Standings/Draw: Round Robin |url=https://www.curling.ca/scoreboard/#!/competitions/2441/standings |website=Curling Canada |accessdate=May 25, 2020}}</ref>
Team McCarville won the [[2020 Northern Ontario Scotties Tournament of Hearts]] which qualified them for the [[2020 Scotties Tournament of Hearts]] in [[Moose Jaw]], [[Saskatchewan]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dunick |first1=Leith |title=McCarville headed to eighth Scotties Tournament of Hearts |url=https://www.tbnewswatch.com/local-news/mccarville-headed-to-eighth-scotties-tournament-of-hearts-2065566 |accessdate=May 25, 2020 |work=TBayNewsWatch |date=February 2, 2020}}</ref> They lost the 3 vs. 4 game to Ontario's [[Rachel Homan]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wyman |first1=Ted |title=Veteran Homan books spot in Scotties semifinal with spectacular shot in ninth end against McCarville |url=https://winnipegsun.com/curling/veteran-homan-books-spot-in-scotties-semifinal-with-spectacular-shot-in-ninth-end-against-mccarville |accessdate=May 25, 2020 |work=Winnipeg Sun |date=February 22, 2020}}</ref>
The 2021 Northern Ontario provincial playdowns were cancelled due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario]]. As the 2020 provincial champions, Sippala, with McCarville's team, was given an automatic invitation to represent Northern Ontario at the [[2021 Scotties Tournament of Hearts]] in Calgary. However, the team declined the invitation, citing family and work priorities.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Heroux |first1=Devin |title='Family first': Northern Ontario's Krista McCarville declines invite to Scotties bubble |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/winter/curling/krista-mccarville-scotties-bubble-1.5845870 |access-date=December 18, 2020 |work=CBC Sports |date=December 17, 2020}}</ref>
Team McCarville had enough points to qualify for the [[2021 Canadian Olympic Curling Pre-Trials]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.curling.ca/blog/2021/02/04/2021-trials-process-revised/|title=2021 Trials proceess revised|work=Curling Canada|date=February 4, 2021|access-date=June 22, 2022}}</ref> There, they went 5–1 through the round robin, qualifying for the playoffs. The team had two impressive come-from-behind wins in their two playoff games. In their first game against the [[Mackenzie Zacharias]] rink, they were down 7–3 heading into the tenth end, but scored four points, then stole a point in the extra end to win the match. In their second game against [[Jacqueline Harrison]], the team gave up five points in the second end to trail 5–1, but rallied back to win the game 9–6.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/winter/curling/curling-pre-trials-update-oct-30-heroux-1.6231845|title=Krista McCarville punches ticket to Olympic curling trials in Saskatoon|publisher=CBC Sports|author=Devin Heroux|date=October 30, 2021|access-date=October 31, 2021}}</ref> With the win, they qualified for the [[2021 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials]], held November 20 to 28 in [[Saskatoon]], [[Saskatchewan]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.tsn.ca/tim-hortons-curling-trials-krista-mccarville-1.1715742|title=Tim Hortons Curling Trials Profile: Team McCarville|publisher=TSN|author=Ryan Horne|date=November 12, 2021|access-date=June 22, 2022}}</ref> At the Trials, the team went through the round robin with a 4–4 record.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.curling.ca/blog/2021/11/26/tiebreaker-logjam/|title=Tiebreaker logjam|publisher=Curling Canada|date=November 26, 2021|access-date=June 22, 2022}}</ref> This earned them a spot in the second tiebreaker where they defeated [[Kerri Einarson]] 4–3.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.tbnewswatch.com/local-news/mccarville-edges-einarson-for-spot-in-olympic-trials-semifinal-4805998|title=McCarville edges Einarson for spot in Olympic Trials semifinal|publisher=Thunder Bay News Watch|author=Leith Dunick|date=November 27, 2021|access-date=June 22, 2022}}</ref> In the semifinal, they lost 8–3 to [[Jennifer Jones (curler)|Jennifer Jones]], eliminating them from contention. The 2022 [[Northern Ontario Scotties Tournament of Hearts]] was cancelled due to the pandemic and Team McCarville were selected to represent their province at the national women's championship.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://curlnoca.ca/team-mccarville-to-represent-northern-ontario-at-2022-scotties-tournament-of-hearts/|title=Team McCarville to represent Northern Ontario at 2022 Scotties Tournament of Hearts|publisher=CURL NOCA|date=January 7, 2022|access-date=June 22, 2022}}</ref> At the [[2022 Scotties Tournament of Hearts]], the team went 5–3 through the round robin, enough to qualify for the playoffs.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.curling.ca/blog/2022/02/03/a-helping-hand/|title=A helping hand!|publisher=Curling Canada|date=February 3, 2022|access-date=June 22, 2022}}</ref> The team then won both of their seeding round games and defeated New Brunswick's [[Andrea Crawford]] in the 1 vs. 2 page playoff game to qualify for the final where they faced the Einarson rink. There, they could not keep their momentum going, losing the Scotties final 9–6.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/winter/curling/scotties-womens-curling-championship-einarson-1.6341733|title=Kerri Einarson wins 3rd consecutive Scotties Tournament of Hearts|publisher=CBC Sports|author=Jim Morris|date=February 6, 2022|access-date=June 22, 2022}}</ref> They wrapped up their season at the [[2022 Players' Championship]] where they missed the playoffs.
With their success at the Olympic Trials and Scotties, the McCarville rink racked up enough points to qualify for the first Slam of the [[2022–23 curling season|2022–23 season]], the [[2022 National]]. There, they finished with a 1–3 record, defeating [[Hollie Duncan]] in their lone win.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://thegrandslamofcurling.com/fujisawa-fends-off-einarson-to-stay-undefeated-in-boost-national/|title=Fujisawa fends off Einarson to stay undefeated in Boost National|publisher=Grand Slam of Curling|author=Jonathan Brazeau|date=October 7, 2022|access-date=February 25, 2024}}</ref> The team also qualified for the [[2022 Tour Challenge]] Tier 2 event, winning one game against Denmark's [[Madeleine Dupont]]. In December, Team McCarville competed in the [[Curl Mesabi Classic]] where they went undefeated until the final, losing 5–3 to the United States' [[Tabitha Peterson]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://curlingzone.com/event.php?view=Main&eventid=7376|title=2022 Curl Mesabi Classic|website=CurlingZone|access-date=February 25, 2024}}</ref> Next for the team was the [[2023 Northern Ontario Scotties Tournament of Hearts]]. There, they finished first through the round robin with a 5–1 record, earning them a spot in the 1 vs. 2 game. They defeated [[Jackie McCormick]] to advance to the final where they topped [[Krysta Burns]] 9–4, securing their spot in the [[2023 Scotties Tournament of Hearts]] in [[Kamloops]], [[British Columbia]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/northern-ontario-curling-1.6731912|title=McCarville, Horgan prepare for national curling championships after victories at northern Ontario playdowns|publisher=CBC Sports|author=Kris Ketonen|date=January 31, 2023|access-date=February 25, 2024}}</ref> At the Hearts, the team topped their pool with a 7–1 record before defeating Nova Scotia's [[Christina Black]] in the page seeding game to reach the 1 vs. 2 game for a second straight year.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.curling.ca/blog/2023/02/25/one-step-closer-2/|title=One Step Closer!|publisher=Curling Canada|date=February 25, 2023|access-date=February 25, 2024}}</ref> However, they lost both the page playoff and semifinal to Manitoba's Jennifer Jones and Canada's Kerri Einarson respectively, settling for bronze.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.curling.ca/blog/2023/02/26/four-in-sight/|title=Four in Sight!|publisher=Curling Canada|date=February 26, 2023|access-date=February 25, 2024}}</ref>
For the [[2023–24 curling season|2023–24 season]], Team McCarville added New Brunswick native Andrea Kelly as their new third, with Sippala, Lilly and Potts rotating on the front-end.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/winter/curling/andre-kelly-joins-team-mccarville-1.6792790|title=9-time N.B. provincial champion Andrea Kelly links up with Team McCarville|publisher=CBC Sports|author=Rory Summer|date=March 27, 2023|access-date=February 25, 2024}}</ref> The team had immediate success together, winning the [[2023 KW Fall Classic]] by defeating Scotland's [[Rebecca Morrison]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.tsn.ca/curling/krista-mccarville-wins-with-new-teammate-andrea-kelly-while-silvana-tirinzoni-continues-winning-ways-1.2008698|title=McCarville wins with new teammate Kelly while Tirinzoni continues dominance|publisher=TSN|date=September 17, 2023|access-date=February 25, 2024}}</ref> They also had a quarterfinal finish at the [[North Grenville Women's Fall Curling Classic]], losing out to [[Hailey Armstrong]]. In the new year, the team again won the [[2024 Northern Ontario Scotties Tournament of Hearts]] with ease, going undefeated to claim their fourth straight title at the event.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.tbnewswatch.com/local-news/new-look-mccarville-team-returning-to-the-scotties-8174286|title=New-look McCarville team returning to the Scotties|publisher=TB News Watch|author=Leith Dunick|date=January 28, 2024|access-date=February 25, 2024}}</ref> At the [[2024 Scotties Tournament of Hearts]] in [[Calgary]], the team had mixed results. Sitting 4–3 heading into their last round robin game, they lost to Manitoba's [[Kaitlyn Lawes]] 6–5. This created a five-way tie for third with Lawes, British Columbia, Quebec, and Saskatchewan. With tiebreaker games abolished and the first tiebreaker (which was head-to-head between all tied teams) tied as well at 2–2, cumulative last stone draw distance between all the teams was used to decide who would make the playoffs. The McCarville rink finished with a total of 370.3 but would miss the playoffs as the Lawes rink finished first with a 231.6.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.curling.ca/blog/2024/02/22/lawes-lobbies-back/|title=Lawes Lobbies Back!|publisher=Curling Canada|date=February 22, 2024|access-date=February 25, 2024}}</ref>
Team McCarville reached the final in their first event of the [[2024–25 curling season|2024–25 season]], losing to Japan's [[Miyu Ueno]] at the [[Mother Club Fall Curling Classic]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.curlingzone.com/post.php?postid=9472|title=Ueno Secures First Win at Mother Club Classic|publisher=CurlingZone|date=September 22, 2024|access-date=March 1, 2025}}</ref> They next played in the [[2024 Stu Sells Toronto Tankard]] where they were taken out by eventual champion [[Kim Eun-jung (curler)|Kim Eun-jung]] in the quarterfinals. In November 2024, they won the [[Stu Sells Living Waters Collingwood Classic]], going undefeated to claim the title.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.tsn.ca/curling/epping-s-hot-season-continues-in-collingwood-mccarville-enters-winner-s-circle-1.2209374|title=Epping's hot season continues in Collingwood; McCarville enters winners circle|publisher=TSN|date=November 24, 2024|access-date=March 1, 2025}}</ref> At the [[2025 Northern Ontario Women's Curling Championship]], the team finished the round robin in a three-way tie for first place. After beating Robyn Despins in the semifinal, the McCarville rink scored one in the tenth end of the final to defeat [[Emma Artichuk]] 6–5, securing their fifth consecutive Northern Ontario women's title.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nwonewswatch.com/local-sports/mccarville-wins-way-into-scotties-in-thrilling-fashion-10133795|title=McCarville wins way into Scotties in thrilling fashion|publisher=NWO News Watch|author=Leith Dunick|date=January 26, 2025|access-date=March 1, 2025}}</ref> This qualified them for the [[2025 Scotties Tournament of Hearts]] which was played at the [[Fort William Gardens]], adjacent to the [[Fort William Curling Club]] they curl out of.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/curling/2025/02/13/krista-mccarvilles-road-to-hometown-scotties-tournament-of-hearts-intense|title=Krista McCarville;s road to hometown Scotties Tournament of Hearts intense|publisher=Winnipeg Free Press|author=Donna Spencer|date=February 13, 2025|access-date=March 1, 2025}}</ref> There, the team had a disappointing start, losing their first four games. They then won their last four games, however, it was not enough to qualify for the playoffs.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.curling.ca/blog/2025/02/20/skrlik-secures-second/|title=Skrlik Secures Second!|publisher=Curling Canada|date=February 20, 2025|access-date=March 1, 2025}}</ref> A week after the event, the team announced Andrea Kelly stepped away from the team and returned to New Brunswick.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/curling/article/andrea-kelly-leaves-team-mccarville-after-two-seasons/|title=Andrea Kelly leaves Team McCarville after two seasons|publisher=Sportsnet|date=March 1, 2025|access-date=March 1, 2025}}</ref>
==Personal life== Sippala is employed as a lab technician for the [[Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre]]. She is married to Brian Sippala and has two children.<ref name="Media Guide">{{cite web |url=https://www.curling.ca/files/2020/02/2020-Scotties-Tournament-of-Hearts-Media-Guide-3.pdf |title=2020 Scotties Tournament of Hearts Media Guide |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=<!--Not stated--> |website= |publisher=Curling Canada |access-date=2020-02-12 |quote=}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{Sports links}} * [http://www.curling.ca/2011/02/07/female-athlete-of-the-week-ashley-miharija/ CCA profile]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sippala, Ashley}} [[Category:1987 births]] [[Category:Canadian women curlers]] [[Category:Sportswomen from Ontario]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Curlers from Thunder Bay]] [[Category:Canada Cup (curling) participants]] [[Category:21st-century Canadian sportswomen]]