It鈥檚 been a year of change and challenges on the provincial women鈥檚 curling scene and it will all come to a head this coming week at the sa国际传媒 Scotties Tournament of Hearts at the Cloverdale Curling Club in Surrey.
Simone Brosseau鈥檚 Juan de Fuca rink, with Sarah Wark throwing last stones, is hoping to be the final team standing at the 10-team playdown.
Brosseau calls the game and throws third stones with second Kim McLandress and lead Janelle Erwin rounding out the team.
Veteran Pat Sanders is the rink鈥檚 alternate, set to join them at mid-week, and the team is coached by Roselyn Craig.
Craig actually represented Victoria at last year鈥檚 event, finishing 6-3 after the round-robin, but was eliminated by Kelley Law in the playoffs.
Wark threw last stones for Craig at the 2012 sa国际传媒 Scotties, which was won by Kelly Scott, who beat Marla Mallett 6-5 in the final.
The latter two will be favourites again this week.
In fact, Scott has won the last three sa国际传媒 titles and five of the last eight. Mallett claimed the championship in 2009.
鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to say just where everyone fits in heading into provincials,鈥� said coach Craig.
鈥淲ith our team, Simone is coming off injury, but we had an excellent practice on Sunday, so we鈥檙e optimistic.
鈥淚 think [Scott and Mallett] will be tough, for sure, but I think our team is pretty good,鈥� added Craig. 鈥淵eah, they鈥檙e favourites going in because of past records and experience that they have. But Kelly has changed her lineup a little this year, as has Marla, so it鈥檚 hard to say when you put a new team out there, just what will happen.鈥�
As for the locals, Craig and Wark hail from Shawnigan while Brosseau is from Victoria.
Erwin resides in Nanaimo and McLandress comes in from Chilliwack.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not worried about any one team more than another,鈥� said Wark. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a super long week and one rock can change things. We鈥檙e not going to get too caught up on little things, just take it one rock at a time.鈥�
The team qualified for provincials in late November at the North Shore playdowns and that was with Sanders filling in for Brosseau, who was injured.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been really good,鈥� Wark said of the mix. 鈥淲e鈥檙e winging it a little bit this year, but it can almost be beneficial to us because we鈥檙e going to have to work so hard on the little things.鈥�
It was a slow start for the rink, with injuries and lineup changes, but they鈥檝e settled in.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got a solid team, sort of last-minute, but all the girls get along really well and we work well together,鈥� said Wark.
And as for expectations?
鈥淶ero expectations going in,鈥� Wark said bluntly. 鈥淐urling is a great sport, but it鈥檚 totally up in the air. You never really know what鈥檚 going to happen. There are always little things that can happen, so expectations are none going in. We鈥檙e just going to try and do the little things well and hope for the best.鈥�
EXTRA ENDS: Erwin has previously won a sa国际传媒 crown curling with Allison MacInnes in 2008. Sanders has won numerous titles ... Brosseau鈥檚 rink begins play Monday against MacInnes and ends the round robin vs. Scott.
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