(by Jason Molloy)
Pressure, what pressure?
Kim Dolan isn’t feeling any as she and her teammates prepare to defend their P.E.I. Scotties Tournament of Hearts provincial women’s curling championship, which begins today at the Charlottetown Curling Complex.
P.E.I. skip Kim Dolan gives the thumbs up at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Red Deer, Alta.
“There is always the fact that you are the defending champion, people certainly do want to beat you,” said Dolan, the nine-time provincial champion, including six as a skip. “I’ve been through so many, I don’t feel any (pressure) and I don’t think my team does either.”
The team includes third Rebecca Jean MacDonald, second Sinead Dolan (Kim’s daughter), lead Michala Robison and coach John Likely. They have been together for three years while Kim Dolan and MacDonald have played together for all but a couple of years since 1995. Robison, an alternate last year, replaces Nancy Cameron, who is not competing this year.
The field also includes teams skipped by Suzanne Birt, Kathy O’Rourke, Lisa Jackson and Tammy Dewar.
Dolan said she doesn’t consider her rink the favourite heading into today’s opening games of the five-team tournament.