Monthly Archives: December 2011

Matters wins 1st game of best of 3 final series in extra end against Ramsay at Pepsi Juniors

Posted on by December 31, 2011

The host club rink of skip Alex Matters, who calls the game but throws third stones, Chris Gallant, who throws fourth stones,  second Kyle Holland, and lead Andrew Cameron, with coaches Peter Gallant and Derrick Cameron, edged their clubmates, the Sam Ramsay rink by a 7-6 extra end score this afternoon in the first game of the best of three final between these two teams in the Pepsi Provincial Junior Men’s Curling Championships at the Charlottetown Curling Club. Other members of the Ramsay rink are Matthew Nabuurs, Connor MacPhee, and Shawn Pitre, with coach Rob Roberts.

Matters rink

Photo (L-R): Chris Gallant, Andrew Cameron, Kyle Holland from the Alex Matters rink

The second men’s final, along with the sudden death junior women’s championship game between Sarah Fullerton of the Charlottetown and Cornwall clubs, and Amanda MacLean of the Cornwall and Maple Leaf clubs, go Monday at 10 am, with the third men’s final, if needed, going Monday at 2:30 pm. The winning teams will advance to the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors, February 4-12, 2012, in Napanee Ontario.

Matters edges Ramsay 7-6 in extra end in 1st game of Pepsi junior men’s final (Guardian)

Posted on by December 31, 2011

Guardian photo by Brian McInnis

Skip Alex Matters keeps an eye on his sweepers during play Saturday in the Pepsi Provincial Junior Curling Championships at the Charlottetown Curling Club.

Matters defeated Sam Ramsay 7-6 in game one of their best of three final to decide the P.E.I. mens junior winner. Game two goes Monday at 10 a.m. at the Charlottetown Curling Club. The womens final goes at the same time between Amanda MacLean, who curls at the Cornwall Curling Club and Maple Leaf Club and Sarah Fullerton of the Charlottetown Curling Club and Cornwall Curling Club. Both Matters and Ramsay curl at the Charlottetown Curling Club.

Click to read this story in The Guardian.

Sarah Fullerton and Amanda MacLean rinks to face off in Monday sudden death final for Pepsi Jr. Women’s crown

Posted on by December 31, 2011

The teams have now been determined for the Pepsi Provincial Junior Women’s sudden death final game, scheduled for 10 am on Monday at the Charlottetown Curling Club, following the completion of double round play this morning, with the top two teams advancing to the final. The Amanda MacLean rink, who curl out of the Cornwall and Maple Leaf clubs, defeated the Emily Keen team from Charlottetown to finish the round robin in second place, with a 4-2 win-loss record, while the two-time defending champion Sarah Fullerton rink from Charlottetown and Cornwall stole a triple in the extra end in an exciting 8-5 come-from-behind victory over Cornwall’s Veronica Smith rink, to grab first place with a 5-1 record.

20111230_91

Photo (L-R) Hillary Thompson, Sarah Fullerton, Sara MacRae

The Smith rink, which includes Fullerton’s sister Katie at third, had beaten the Fullerton foursome earlier in the competition, and led this game 5-3 after eight ends of play. Fullerton took a single in the 9th, and forced the extra by stealing a point in ten.

The winner of Monday’s final between Fullerton and MacLean will advance to the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors, February 4-12, 2012, in Napanee Ontario.

Alex Matters to play Sam Ramsay for Pepsi Jr. Men’s title

Posted on by December 31, 2011

The best-of-three Pepsi Jr. Men’s final begins at 2:30 this afternoon, and continues on Monday at 10 am and, if necessary, 2:30 pm at the Charlottetown Curling Club. The Sam Ramsay rink from the host club were awarded first place in the round robin, and advanced on Friday night.

Matters

Photo: Alex Matters

The Alex Matters foursome, also from Charlottetown, are the other finalists, after beating O’Leary’s Matthew MacLean foursome 12-5 this morning, aided by a steal of three in the second end, and a four point fifth end. All three teams finished the round robin with 4-1 win-loss records.

The junior men’s and women’s champions will advance to the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors, February 4-12, 2012, in Napanee Ontario.

The road to the Scotties: Central Canada update (CCA)

Posted on by December 30, 2011

(CCA) The Road to Red Deer continues with an update from Central Canada.

Quebec:

Marie-France Larouche (Photo Michael Burns)

The eight-team field is now set for the 2012 Quebec Scotties Tournament of Hearts, which will determine the women’s provincial curling champions who will travel to Red Deer and the national Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Marie-France Larouche, who has represented Quebec at six national Scotties shootouts, will be the prohibitive favourite at the provincial final which will be played at the Club de Curling Kenogami in Jonquiere, Quebec, from January 25-29.

Ontario:

Sherry Middaugh (Photo Michael Burns)

Unlike the Brier, the province of Ontario sends only one entry to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. As a result, there are play-downs in Northern Ontario and play-downs in Southern Ontario which precede a joint championship. This year’s Ontario Scotties Tournament of Hearts will be held at the Kenora Curling Club from January 23-29. Ten teams will play a round-robin in advance of a four-team page playoff schedule.

The four Northern Ontario teams advancing to Kenora were determined at the Northern Ontario provincial finals in Copper Cliff over the weekend of December 8-11. Krista McCarville, at 29 years of age, has been to four national Scotties tilts and will be among the favourites in Kenora.

Southern Ontario will send four teams to Kenora through a zone and regional playdown process. Defending Ontario champion Rachel Homan and her Ottawa Curling Club team of Emma Miskew, Alison Kreviazuk and Lisa Weagle have survived zone play and will face regional competition in early January. Seven-time Scotties participant Sherry Middaugh and her Coldwater & District Curling Club team of Jo-Ann Rizzo, Lee Merklinger and Leigh Armstrong have had a tremendous year on tour and should be a force in regional play.

The last 2 entries into the Kenora field will be decided at the Scotties Hearts Challenge Round to be held at the Oshawa Curling Club over the weekend of January 13-15.

Click for full story at the CCA website.

Ramsay, Matters, Matthew MacLean, Fullerton all 4-1 at Pepsi Juniors. Ramsay in final.

Posted on by December 30, 2011

Round robin play wrapped up this evening in the junior men’s section of the Pepsi Provincial Juniors at the Charlottetown Curling Club, with three teams, skipped by Sam Ramsay and Alex Matters of the host club, and Matthew MacLean of O’Leary’s Maple Leaf Curling Club all finishing with 4-1 win-loss records. Ramsay was awarded first place after tiebreaking rules were used, while Matters and MacLean will face off in a 10 am Saturday tiebreaker to determine second place. Ramsay and the winner of the tiebreaker will then play a best of three championship round, with the first game Saturday at 2:30 pm, game two on Monday at Jan. 2 at 10 am, and game three, if needed, following at 2:30 pm Monday.

In the Friday evening draw, Matters downed Alex MacFadyen (0-5) of the Silver Fox in Summerside by a 14-2 score in only six ends, getting off to a flying start with a six point opening end. MacLean also needed only six ends to score an 8-3 victory over Cornwall’s Jeffery Taylor (2-3), while Ramsay beat Cody Dixon (1-4) of Montague 8-5.

Photo (L-R): Kassinda Bulger, Amanda MacLean, Emily Gray

One draw remains, at 10 am Saturday, in the junior women’s double-round robin. Two- time defending champion Sarah Fullerton of the Charlottetown and Cornwall clubs is in the lead with a 4-1 win-loss record, with Amanda MacLean of the Cornwall and Maple Leaf clubs and Veronica Smith of Cornwall both at 3-2. Emily Keen from Charlottetown is 0-5.

In action tonight, Fullerton beat MacLean 11-3, scoring a six-ender (the third one scored at the event today) in the process. The two teams also met in the morning draw, with an identical 11-3 result. The Smith team blanked the Keen rink 12-0 in only six ends.

In the final double round robin draw tomorrow at 10 am, the Fullerton foursome will face the Smith team, the only one to beat them in the competition, while MacLean takes on Keen.

The top two junior women’s teams from the double round robin will play in a sudden death final, Monday January 2 at 10 am.

Complete draw and live end-by-end results are available at peicurling.com/juniors and at livecurling.com.

The junior men’s and women’s champions will advance to the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors, February 4-12, 2012, in Napanee Ontario.

Five teams at 3-1 in Pepsi Juniors – Fullerton to play MacLean again tonight

Posted on by December 30, 2011

No undefeated teams remain, going into the Friday evening draw at the Pepsi Provincial Junior Curling Championships being played at the Charlottetown Curling Club. Three junior men’s rinks, captained by Alex Matters,  Matthew MacLean and Sam Ramsay, and two junior women’s teams, directed by Amanda MacLean and Sarah Fullerton, all have 3-1 win-loss records.

Two-time defending champion Fullerton, who curls out of Charlottetown and Cornwall, beat the Amanda MacLean rink from Cornwall and the Maple Leaf club in O’Leary, by an 11-3 score this morning. MacLean will square off against Fullerton again tonight at 7 in the women’s double round-robin draw. Veronica Smith of Cornwall (2-2) plays Emily Keen of Charlottetown (0-4) in the other junior womens contest.

In action this afternoon, Fullerton downed Keen 8-1, and MacLean edged Smith 7-6.

The final double-round women’s draw goes Saturday at 10 am with Keen taking on MacLean, and Fullerton playing Smith, the only team that she has lost to in the event.

On the junior men’s side, it came down to the last rock in the battle of the two undefeated teams, skipped by Alex Matters of Charlottetown, and Matthew MacLean of the Maple Leaf club this morning. MacLean scored one in the 9th to tie the game, but gave up hammer for the final frame. Chris Gallant, who throws final stones for Matters, hit and stuck for the 5-4 win.

Photo: Sam Ramsay rink (top to bottom): Sam Ramsay, Matthew Nabuurs, Shawn Pitre, Connor MacPhee

Sam Ramsay, whose host club team includes two members of last years’ championship rink, tripled Alex MacFadyen of the Silver Fox 12-4, taking a four point fifth end, and winding the game up early with five points in the 9th. Jeff Taylor of Cornwall had a 6-2 win over Montague’s Cody Dixon in the other morning game.

Ramsay pulled into the three way tie for first in the afternoon draw, with an 8-3 win over Matters, blanking the first three ends, and scoring a deuce in four. Matters responded with a dpair of his own in end five to tie the game 2-all at the half. Another blank was followed by a rare six point end for Ramsay in the seventh. Matters scored a single in the eighth, but couldn’t recover, and it was handshake time.

The other afternoon junior men’s games saw Matthew MacLean double Dixon 8-4, and Taylor beat MacFadyen 9-4. Taylor currently sits at 2-2, with Dixon 1-3 and MacFadyen 0-4. The junior men’s round robin wraps up with tonight’s 7 pm draw, where MacLean faces Taylor, Matters plays MacFadyen, and Ramsay takes on Dixon.

The top two teams from the junior men’s round robin, following any tiebreakers, will advance to a best of three final round. The top two junior women’s teams from the double round robin will play in a sudden death final. In the event that one team goes through the double round robin undefeated, they will be declared the winner, without playing the one-game final.

The junior women’s championship game, if required, goes Monday January 2 at 10 am, while the first junior men’s final goes Saturday at 10 am or 2:30 pm, or Sunday at 1 pm, depending on tiebreakers. The second junior men’s best of three game goes Monday at 10 am, with the third, if needed, taking place at 2:30 pm Monday.

Complete draw and live end-by-end results are available at peicurling.com/juniors and at livecurling.com.

The junior men’s and women’s champions will advance to the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors, February 4-12, 2012, in Napanee Ontario.

Unbeaten rinks and two-time defending champ to face off this morning at Pepsi Juniors

Posted on by December 30, 2011

This morning’s 10 am draw at the Pepsi Provincial Junior Curling Championships at the Charlottetown Curling Club promises to be one to watch, with the two unbeaten junior men’s rinks, skipped by Alex Matters and Matthew MacLean, facing off on sheet two, and the 2-0 junior women’s team skipped by Amanda MacLean taking on two-time defending champion Sarah Fullerton (1-1) on sheet five. The other games in the draw see Sam Ramsay take on Alex MacFadyen, Emily Keen face Veronica Smith, and Jeffrey Taylor battle Cody Dixon.

Photo (L-R): Coach Peter Gallant, Chris Gallant, Alex Matters

Other draws Friday are at 3:30 and 7 pm. The junior men’s round robin wraps up with the 7 pm draw, while the junior women’s double round robin finishes with the 10 am Saturday draw.

MacLean siblings and Matters rinks unbeaten after day one at Pepsi PEI Junior Curling Ch’ships

Posted on by December 29, 2011

Two draws are in the books after opening day play at the Pepsi Provincial junior championships at the Charlottetown Curling Club.  Three rinks – the Alex Matters foursome from Charlottetown, and teams skipped by Matthew MacLean out of the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O’Leary, and his sister Amanda MacLean and her Cornwall/Maple Leaf rink, remain undefeated.

Two-time junior women’s champion Sarah Fullerton from the Charlottetown and Cornwall clubs was handed her first loss in the afternoon draw, losing 8-5 to the Veronica Smith rink from Cornwall, which includes Fullerton’s sister, Katie, at third. Fullerton had downed Emily Keen from the host club 8-2 in her opener.

Photo (L-R) Amanda MacLean, Emily Gray

Amanda MacLean’s rink, which includes Youth Olympian Emily Gray at second, recorded an 8-6 win over Smith and a 10-2 victory over Keen, who had to replace her third in the event due to a death in the family.

Fullerton and Smith are both 1-1, while Keen is 0-2 after Thursday action in the four team junior women’s section.

Matthew MacLean’s team doubled the Alex MacFadyen rink from the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside by a 12-6 score in the opening draw of the six team junior men’s division, and beat Sam Ramsay and his host club team, which includes two members of last year’s junior men’s championship rink, by a 7-4 score.

The Alex Matters foursome, with Matters calling the game and throwing third, and Chris Gallant throwing final stones, beat the Cody Dixon rink from Montague by an 9-3 score, and topped Cornwall’s Jeffrey Taylor squad 6-4.

Dixon and Ramsay are 1-1 after opening day play, while MacFadyen and Taylor are 0-2.

Unbeaten Matters and Matthew MacLean square off, and defending champion Fullerton faces undefeated Amanda MacLean in 10 am Friday play. Other Friday draws go at 2:30 and 7 pm.

The top two teams from the junior men’s round robin, which concludes with the 7 pm Friday draw, will advance to a best of three final round. The junior women are playing a double round robin, which wraps up on Saturday morning with the 10 am draw. The top two junior women’s teams then play in a sudden death final. In the event that one team goes through the double round robin undefeated, they will be declared the winner, without playing the one-game final.

The junior women’s championship game, if required, goes Monday January 2 at 10 am, while the first junior men’s final goes Saturday at 10 am or 2:30 pm, or Sunday at 1 pm, depending on tiebreakers. The second junior men’s best of three game goes Monday at 10 am, with the third, if needed, taking place at 2:30 pm Monday.

Complete draw and live end-by-end results are available at peicurling.com/juniors and at livecurling.com.

The junior men’s and women’s champions will advance to the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors, February 4-12, 2012, in Napanee Ontario.

Pepsi Junior Ch’ships underway in Ch’town (Guardian)

Posted on by December 29, 2011

The Sarah Fullerton foursome downed the Emily Keen rink 8-2 to start the Pepsi provincial junior curling championships with a 1-0 record at the Charlottetown Curling Club Thursday morning.

The Fullerton rink, consisting of skip Sarah Fullerton, mate Michelle McQuaid, second Sara MacRae and lead Hillary Thompson, is a two-time defending champion and will face the Veronica Smith rink in their next match at 3:30 p.m. Thursday.

 

Photo: Skip Sarah Fullerton, right, discusses a shot with mate Michelle McQuaid during the rink’s first game of the Pepsi provincial junior curling championships Thursday morning at the Charlottetown Curling Club.

The tournament, being hosted at the CCC, features six junior men’s and four junior women’s teams from five Island curling clubs.

Click for full story in The Guardian

Annual Pink Ladies women’s funspiel set for Montague

Posted on by December 29, 2011

The annual “Pink Ladies” women’s funspiel takes place Feb. 10 and 11 at the Montague Curling Rink. $120 team entry includes three six-end games, finger food on Friday evening, continental breakfast Saturday morning, a pot luck dinner Saturday evening provided by the Montague ladies, and the opportunity to win great prizes.

Entry deadline is Feb. 3. Send entry form and cheque payable to the Montague Curling Club to: Montague Curling Club, Attn: Larry Richards, PO Box 806, Montague PE C0A 1R0.

Click for entry form

For more info, email montaguecurlingclub@pei.aibn.com

Pepsi Provincial Juniors start this morning in Charlottetown

Posted on by December 29, 2011

The Pepsi Provincial Junior Curling Championships, for curlers age 20 and under, get underway this morning at the Charlottetown Curling Club, with six junior men’s and four junior women’s teams from five Island curling clubs taking part, including Charlottetown and Cornwall’s Sarah Fullerton rink, two-time defending champions in the women’s event. Spencer Pitre, last year’s men’s champion skip, is now out of the age category, but Matthew Nabuurs and Connor MacPhee from that team are playing this year on the Sam Ramsay rink from the host club.

Here are the team rosters (skip to lead, coach, club):

JUNIOR MEN

Cody Dixon,  Brooks Roche, Dylan Lowery, Owen Newson, Tammy Dewar  (coach), Montague Curling Club.

Alex MacFadyen,  James Dalton, Matthew MacDonald, Parker MacFadyen,   David MacFadyen (coach), Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club (Summerside)

Matthew MacLean,   Marshall Smallman, Kevin Gallant, Alan MacLean, Glen MacLean  (coach), Maple Leaf Curling Club (O’Leary)

Alex Matters (throws 3rd stones),  Chris Gallant (throws 4th rocks),  Kyle Holland, Andrew Cameron,  Peter Gallant and Derrick Cameron (coaches), Charlottetown Curling Club

Sam Ramsay,  Matthew Nabuurs, Connor MacPhee, Shawn Pitre, Rob Roberts (coach),   Charlottetown Curling Club.

Jeffrey Taylor,  Alex Sutherland, Alex Jenkins, Jonathan Schut, Taylor McInnis (alternate), Allan Campbell and Bryan Sutherland (coaches), Cornwall Curling Club

JUNIOR WOMEN

Sarah Fullerton, Michelle McQuaid, Sara MacRae, Hillary Thompson, Angela Hodgson (coach),  Charlottetown and Cornwall curling clubs

Emily Keen,  Holly Predinchuk, Emma Matheson, Jenny Mutch, David Ross (coach),        Charlottetown Curling Club

Amanda MacLean, Kassinda Bulger, Emily Gray, Aleya Quilty, Glen MacLean and     Shelley Gray (coaches),  Cornwall Curling Club

Veronica Smith,  Katie Fullerton, Sabrina Smith, Jenny McLean, Paul Smith (coach), Cornwall Curling Club

The junior men will play a round robin, with the top two teams advancing to a best of three final round.

The junior women will play a double round robin, with the top two teams going to the sudden death final. In the event that one team goes through the double round robin undefeated, they will be declared the winner, without playing the one game final.

The junior women’s championship game, if required, goes Monday January 2 at 10 am, while the first junior men’s final goes Saturday at 10 am or 2:30 pm, or Sunday at 1 pm, depending on tiebreakers. The second men’s best of three game goes Monday at 10 am, with the third, if needed, taking place at 2:30 pm Monday.

Here is the opening draw for Thursday December 29 at 10 am:

Ice 1 (jr. women): Amanda MacLean (Cornwall) vs Veronica Smith (Cornwall)

Ice 2 (jr. men): Alex Matters (Charlottetown) vs Cody Dixon (Montague)

Ice 3 (jr. women): Emily Keen (Charlottetown) vs Sarah Fullerton (Charlottetown/Cornwall)

Ice 4 (jr. men): Matthew MacLean (Maple Leaf) vs Alex MacFadyen (Silver Fox)

Ice 5 (jr. men): Jeffrey Taylor (Cornwall) vs Sam Ramsay (Charlottetown)

Complete draw and live end-by-end results are available at peicurling.com/juniors and at livecurling.com.

The junior men’s and women’s champions will advance to the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors, February 4-12, 2012, in Napanee Ontario.

The Road to the Scotties: Eastern update (CCA)

Posted on by December 28, 2011

(CCA) The 2012 Scotties Tournament of Hearts takes place in Red Deer, February 18-26. Here’s the latest news on playdowns in the East.

Nova Scotia:

Heather Smith-Dacey (Photo Andrew Klaver)

Six of the eight teams which will play in the provincial final for the right to represent Nova Scotia at the 2012 Scotties Tournament of Hearts have now been decided. Reigning provincial champion Heather Smith-Dacey and her teammates Danielle Parsons, Blisse Comstock and Teri Lake advanced through a triple knockout qualifier held over the weekend of December 9-11 at the Wolfville Curling Club. They will have home ice advantage when they defend their title at the CFB Halifax Curling Club in late January.

Prince Edward Island:

The P.E.I. Scotties Tournament of Hearts will be played at the Charlottetown Curling Club from January 20-23, with the winners earning a trip to Red Deer. Suzanne Birt, with six previous national Scotties appearances to her credit, will lead the team to beat at the provincial shootout. Teams skipped by Kim Dolan, Donna Butler and Meaghan Hughes, all of the Charlottetown Curling Club, have also confirmed their participation in the provincial final. This competition is an open event with an entry deadline of January 3, so there will undoubtedly be more teams entering the fray.

New Brunswick:

The Gage Golf & Curling Club in Oromocto will play host to the 2012 New Brunswick Scotties Tournament of Hearts from January 25-29. It will utilize an 8-team round-robin format featuring teams which have qualified through a preliminary competition. That qualifier will be an open format, double knock out affair, which will be held at Curl Moncton’s Beaver Curling Club and Beausejour facilities over the weekend of January 6-8.

Newfoundland & Labrador:

Newfoundland and Labrador’s Stacie Devereaux hopes to return (Photo Andrew Klaver)

The 2012 Newfoundland & Labrador Scotties Tournament of Hearts will be held at the Re/Max Centre in St. John’s from January 18-22. This open competition is sure to feature some of the best women curlers on “the Rock”. Stacie Devereaux and her team of Stephanie Guzwell, Sarah Paul and Heather Martin should be back to defend their title.

Click for full story at the CCA website

Emily Gray’s Youth Olympic Dreams: The Journey So Far (CCA)

Posted on by December 27, 2011

(reprinted in full from the CCA website)

Editor’s Note: Prince Edward Island curler Emily Gray will be leaving for Austria in less than two weeks to compete for Canada at the first-ever Youth Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck. Since July, she’s been writing about her experiences training with her Team Canada teammates Derek Oryniak, Corryn Brown and Thomas Scoffin. Today, Emily reflects on the journey so far.

Emily Gray takes a break from training to help out at a local kids’ curling program (Photo courtesy E. Gray)

1. Physical training: since you’ve started training for the team, how have your fitness/curling skills improved?

Fitness-wise, I am on one of the best programs.   Bob Comartin (Strength and Conditioning Specialist for the CCA) set me up with awesome workouts and I am in the best shape of my life! (I’m still young though!).  Curling-wise, I have been working with some of the best high performance coaches in Canada and they have all helped me so much with the littlest things.

2. Highlights from Whitecap?

Whitecap is something I look forward to every year!  Being in Atlantic Canada I know almost all the campers, and with it being my third year I know a lot of the returning campers.  My highlights were probably the cheer and the great shootout.  Seeing all my friends again was pretty awesome, but having the Youth Olympics team see

Whitecap cheer (Photo courtesy E. Gray)

my side of the country and all my friends was pretty cool.  I think my teammates really came out of their ‘western shells’ during the cheer!

3. Highlights from the Ottawa Junior Superspiel?

In Ottawa, my family got to meet the team for the first time.  It was really great having them meet the team and see us play.  Two of the highlights from that weekend were running around Parliament Hill in the freezing cold pitch black with my family, and winning ‘the pants’ in the consolation final with my team.  It was a great weekend and we got absolutely everything we could out of that weekend.  Whatever could happen in competition, happened.  We played the most games you could, ended up playing three games in one day, we were in a ‘sudden death’ scenario for our last three or four games, the rest of the team missed their flights and had to reschedule and we had to play in three different rinks.  We also had a lot of people come and watch us who we were not used to seeing, so we got absolutely everything out of that weekend that we could. It was absolutely ideal!

We also were interviewed for a video. And getting all of our Balance Plus gear was awesome!

Emily and Corryn model “The Pants” in Brandon (Photo courtesy E. Gray)

4. Highlights from the Brandon Junior spiel?

Brandon was definitely fun.  Even though we didn’t get as many games as we would have liked out of the weekend, it was still a great experience.  When we arrived, our Canada LoudMouth pants were waiting in Helen’s room so that was pretty awesome.  We all played really well, but we just didn’t have luck on our side.  Even though the weekend didn’t turn out as planned, we had a great practice on Sunday morning before we headed back to Winnipeg.  Helen showed us a lot of little drills that we can do at home, a lot to do with line, and I use them at every practice now.

5. Who has helped your team along the way?

The Canadian Curling Association has just been absolutely amazing to our team.  They provided funding covered our travel and provided us with the top-notch resources, so we have really learned a lot through these last nine months.

Helen (Helen Radford, CCA National Junior Coach) has helped us through all the ups and downs of becoming a team and she is always there to talk to. Performance-wise, Helen has provided us with an environment where we can grow as athletes and become the best we can be for Innsbruck.  I think I speak for the whole team when I say I cannot thank Helen enough for all that she has done for us in the last nine months.

Personally, my family has been there for me every step of the way.  I know it was hard for my mom to say good-bye to me on my first flight to Regina, but after this is all over she’ll probably be wanting to send me on a plane to anywhere, she’ll be so sick of me being home all the time!  My friends are all very supportive as well. I know they are probably sick and tired of my countdowns, but I know they are all very proud of me and of what I have accomplished.  I am constantly reminding them of how much I want gold, and I don’t think they realize how real this goal is becoming to me!

All in all, everybody who has encountered us through our Youth Olympics journey has been great!  Thank you all!

6. Looking ahead: what do you still have to do to get ready for Innsbruck?

I haven’t started packing yet: have to make ‘the list’!  I am still training hard and will be right up until I leave.  Of course, I will need to do a bit of shopping, too.

7. Any other thoughts about your Youth Olympics Team journey so far?

This experience has been absolutely unbelievable.  I have met so many people along the way, and my teammates are the best.  I don’t think I could ask for three greater people who I can call my team.  I know it’s going to be a sad day when I have to say good-bye to them, but I know that we’ll see each other sometime again along the way.  The whole journey has just been surreal and I still can’t believe that this is me, I am doing this.

But it will all be coming true in two weeks!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!

(The 1st Winter Youth Olympic Games take place in Innsbruck, Austria, from January 13-22, 2012)

Team Canada with coach Helen Radford. Left to right, skip Thomas Scoffin, third Corryn Brown, lead Emily Gray, second Derek Oryniak (Photo courtesy H. Radford)

Future Scotties approaching

Posted on by December 20, 2011

This is a reminder that the PEI Future Scotties registration deadline of January 3 is approaching.  This event takes place Jan. 20-23 at the Charlottetown Curling Club.  Entry fee of $25/player is also due on Jan 3, 2012. All participating coaches must have a  Level … Continue reading →

Jones captures Canada Cup (CCA)

Posted on by December 4, 2011

(by Larry Wood) What’s in Jennifer Jones’s wallet now? Another berth in the Canadian Olympic curling trials leading to the Sochi Games, that’s what! Jones absolutely demolished a much less experienced Manitoba foe in Chelsea Carey on Sunday morning in … Continue reading →