Corryn Brown is hoping her success in the junior ranks of curling can spill over into women鈥檚 competition.
The Kamloops skip 鈥� along with her rink of third Erin Pincott, second Dezary Hawes and lead Samantha Fisher 鈥� are among the challengers at the 2018 sa国际传媒 Scotties Women鈥檚 Curling Championship presented by Best Western.
Brown and Co., coached by Allison MacInnes, started out the event Tuesday night at the Victoria Curling Club with a 7-5 victory against Holly Donaldson鈥檚 split Vancouver/Victoria rink, which includes locals third Steph Jackson-Baier and lead Carley Sandwith of the VCC, along with second Lindsay Hudyma.
鈥淲e鈥檙e definitely excited. For three of us it鈥檚 our first women鈥檚 provincial, so it鈥檚 something that鈥檚 new and exciting,鈥� said Brown, who won three sa国际传媒 junior championships and the 2013 Canadian crown. 鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to have that step up from juniors. I think we鈥檙e ready and, hopefully, we play well.
鈥淚 think there鈥檚 going to be some tough games out here. It鈥檚 not going to be a cakewalk, by any means. I really don鈥檛 think any team is going to go undefeated. I think the field is very even and it鈥檚 going to be whoever plays best all week. I鈥檓 hoping we come out.鈥�
It鈥檚 a case of who gets hot at the right time in the eight-team round-robin, which will shift into Page playoffs for the top four teams on the weekend.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 how provincials work. It might be a team that hasn鈥檛 been doing well at bonspiels, but has a really solid week and peaks when necessary,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淚 think we have as good a chance as anyone else. We have a 50 per cent chance of qualifying [for the playoffs] 鈥� that鈥檚 the first step.鈥�
On the World Curling Tour this season, Brown鈥檚 foursome made $3,200. That compares with $6,150 for veteran Diane Gushulak and $3,500 for Kesa Van Osch of Nanaimo.
鈥淚t hasn鈥檛 been too difficult, because we鈥檝e played in most of the same spiels and just eliminated the junior spiels,鈥� Brown said of graduating to the women鈥檚 field. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been playing in the Crown of Curling [bonspiel in Kamloops] and the Vernon Cashspiel.
鈥淲e鈥檝e played all these teams before. They were never our direct competition, just competition at the spiel.鈥�
Brown split a pair against Gushulak this season, for example.
Pincott is the newest recruit to the team and the only one with experience at the women鈥檚 level, after playing with Karla Thompson last year. Pincott also played with Brown and Fisher for 10 years in junior before graduating.
鈥淎dding her was an easy fit and we just had to build team dynamics, as the four of us. It鈥檚 worked out really well. It鈥檚 been a good season,鈥� said Brown, 22, of her inaugural year in women鈥檚 play.
Gushulak, at 48, is one of the veterans here, bringing lots of experience. Thompson won this event two years ago.
鈥淭here are quite a few teams who have been here before, but you can鈥檛 underestimate the teams that might not be as well known, either,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淵ou have to watch out for them as well. We just have to bring the same mentality against whoever we鈥檙e playing. Take who we鈥檙e playing out of the equation and just worry about ourselves.鈥�
Also on Tuesday, Gushulak, of Royal City, defeated Randi Ludwar of Kelowna 10-3. Thompson downed the Van Osch rink 8-5. Slattery, of Vernon, edged Kayte Gyles of Royal City 8-7 in an extra end in the other Draw 1 game.
Draw 2 goes today at 11 a.m. with Thompson vs. Ludwar, Slattery vs. Donaldson, Van Osch vs. Gushulak, and Gyles vs. Brown. Draw 3 is set for 6:30 p.m. at the VCC, with tickets at $5 per game or $35 for the entire event.
