Elaine Dagg-Jackson, the Canadian national coach and team leader for the women鈥檚 national curling rink since 2003, knows full well what Team Rachel Homan is capable of on the pebbled ice.
That鈥檚 why the Victoria resident believes Homan and her crew of third Emma Miskew, second Joanne Courtney and lead Lisa Weagle will remain in their element, playing against nine men鈥檚 teams at the Pinty鈥檚 Grand Slam of Curling鈥檚 Elite 10, which begins Thursday at The Q Centre.
鈥淚 think they鈥檒l do great. There is nobody training harder than Rachel Homan is right now. They are always ready to play,鈥� said Dagg-Jackson. 鈥淲hen they play, they don鈥檛 so much play against the opponent. They do what they need to do to score enough points.鈥�
The Homan rink is known for its up-weight game, but there is so much more to the foursome.
鈥淭hey are really good at it, but I don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 anything that they don鈥檛 have,鈥� Dagg-Jackson said of their curling abilities. 鈥淎re they able to throw it the same as the men? Maybe not, but then they factor that into their game plan.
鈥淭hey don鈥檛 let themselves get into that situation that requires that shot that, say somebody on Mike McEwen鈥檚 team, might throw. They would plan their strategy to not get into that situation, but when they need to make rocks go away, they sure do that.鈥�
Dagg-Jackson, who is heading to Swift Current, Sask., on Thursday for the Women鈥檚 World Championship (in which sa国际传媒 will be represented by Alberta鈥檚 Chelsea Carey), has travelled to two worlds with Team Homan, in which they finished second and third.
Homan is also the first women鈥檚 team to qualify for sa国际传媒鈥檚 Olympic trials to be held in her home town of Ottawa on Dec. 2-10, 2017, for the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Dagg-Jackson has also welcomed Homan to Parksville to teach at her Four-Foot Curling camps.
The longtime coach isn鈥檛 the only one who believes Homan will fit in. Brier champ Kevin Koe, who is among the nine men鈥檚 teams, knows what Team Homan is capable of.
鈥淭hey are the top women鈥檚 team in the world,鈥� he said over the phone. 鈥淚 think they鈥檒l do OK.
鈥淲hoever they are playing, they obviously want to win, but there might be a little extra pressure because you don鈥檛 want to lose to them,鈥� he added with a chuckle, knowing he鈥檚 not on Homan鈥檚 side of the draw and would not have to meet the team until playoffs on Saturday. 鈥淲e鈥檒l be interested spectators, just like everyone else.鈥�
Homan opens Thursday at 4 p.m. against Ontario鈥檚 John Epping.
