Birt rink picks up O’Rourke’s lead stone as alternate for women’s curling event

(Dave Stewart)  

Less than 24 hours after a heartbreaking loss in the provincial Scotties Tournament of Hearts final, Tricia Affleck received a surprising phone call. On the other end was Leslie MacDougall, lead stone for the Suzanne Birt rink. MacDougall asked Affleck if she’d be interested in serving as the alternate player for the Birt foursome in the national women’s curling championship in Charlottetown, Feb. 19 to 27. Some might consider that odd considering Affleck’s team (she throws lead rocks for Kathy O’Rourke’s rink) lost to Birt in that final. The two teams went head to head four times over the tournament. “It’s different for sure,’’ Affleck said when asked what it felt like to temporarily join the Birt team. “Leslie and I have been good friends for years.’’ Affleck has been to the national final with Birt before, in 2004 and 2006, as lead stone. Failing to make it back to the national Scotties still stings, but Affleck said the curling community is a pretty tight-knit group. “Once it’s all said and done, everybody tries and wants to win provincials. Whether I’m on the team or off the team I’m going to support Team P.E.I. Everybody wants our province to do well so if it’s not (my team) I’m still OK to support someone else.’’ Birt said choosing their alternate off the O’Rourke team wasn’t hard. 

 “We wanted to make sure we picked somebody who worked really hard this year and there’s no other team that worked as hard as their team did,’’ Birt said of the O’Rourke squad. “We wanted to make sure that it wouldn’t disturb our team dynamic and she’s the best one that would fit in.’’ 

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Tricia Affleck, left, and Geri-Lynn Ramsay sweep as P.E.I. skip Kathy O’Rourke releases her rock during the 2010 Scott Tournament of Hearts Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. (Canadian Press photo)