(by Jason Simmonds)
LIVERPOOL, N.S. — Adam Casey is about to add another event to his resumé.
This time it’s one of the highest-profile competitions Casey will curl in.
A Charlottetown resident who grew up in Seven Mile Bay, Casey is in his third season playing third stone for the Jason Gunnlaugson rink that has qualified for the 2021 Tim Hortons Canadian Curling Trials, presented by AGI, in Saskatoon, Sask., from Nov. 20 to 28.
Adam Casey leans in to watch a shot during play in the 2021 Home Hardware Curling Pre-Trials event last week in Liverpool, N.S. Casey, who grew up in Seven Mile Bay, plays third stone for the Jason Gunnlaugson rink that earned one of the two final berths in the 2021 Tim Hortons Canadian Curling Trials, presented by AGI, in Saskatoon, Sask., from Nov. 20 to 28. Curling Canada Photo/Michael Burns
“I’ve never been (to the Olympic curling trials),” Casey told the SaltWire Network in a phone interview on Oct. 31 after Team Gunnlaugson pulled out a wild 9-8 win over Tanner Horgan in the A-side qualifier of the 2021 Home Hardware Curling Pre-Trials event in Liverpool, N.S. “It’s exciting and you want to keep that chance to go to the Olympics alive and the only way to do that was to go through here.”
The pre-trials competition determined the final two men’s and women’s rinks for the Olympic trials.
After starting 4-0 (won-lost), Gunnlaugson completed round-robin play 4-2 (won-lost). The Manitoba-based rink outscored Glenn Howard 8-6 in the opening playoff game to advance to the A-side qualifier against Horgan.
“We are really happy with how everybody performed, and we were able to put together such a good game at the end,” said Casey. “To book our trip to Saskatoon, it feels really good.”
Casey said Team Gunnlaugson showed grit and tenacity in Liverpool, and the rink showed steady progression throughout the week. Although the team started 4-0, Casey said the rink was not curling its best.
“We hashed out a few things and got lucky basically to sneak into the playoffs,” said Casey. “The team we beat (in the final) needed to win for us to make the playoffs, so that was nice of them.”
Casey felt the rink peaked in the playoffs and pointed to the Howard game as a turning point in the week.
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