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They鈥檙e not totally sure what to expect, but the UVic Vikes鈥� representatives know they will be ready to compete at the CIS-Curling sa国际传媒 University Championships in Kelowna, beginning Sunday.
Skip Corey Chester, third Andrew Komlodi, second Sanjay Bowry and lead Deryk Kuny will carry the Vikes鈥� colours among the eight-team men鈥檚 field at the Kelowna Curling Club. The event is hosted by UBC Okanagan.
A round-robin wraps up Tuesday night with the top four finishers moving on to playoffs where the top team will face No. 4, while No. 2 takes on No. 3 in the semifinals, starting at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday. Winners advance to the final at 2:30 p.m., with losers also playing for bronze.
鈥淭his year we鈥檝e invested more time into training, brought on Melissa (Soligo) as a coach, which was a huge factor and it paid off because we clinched a spot at Westerns,鈥� said Chester, an economics student whose team fell just short of qualifying for nationals last year.
鈥淏ecause we鈥檝e put in a lot more this year, with Melissa coaching, we鈥檙e aiming for a playoff spot. That鈥檚 our outcome objective and once we make playoffs, we鈥檒l adjust from there. We鈥檙e playing to win it,鈥� Chester said.
The team finished second at Westerns, grabbing the remaining spot for nationals along with defending champ and favourite Thomas Scoffin of the University of Alberta.
Team Chester will play two games today at 1 and 6 p.m.
鈥淥n the one hand, I think we know we can win the whole thing. On the other, if you go in expecting to win the whole thing, you can screw it up. Playoffs would be a great outcome and then we鈥檒l see what happens,鈥� said Komlodi, who won the 2011 Nova Scotia Juniors and represented Dalhousie at the CIS championship in 2013.
Komlodi, 24, who has a brilliant sense of humour, already has a political science degree from Dalhousie and is now working on his Masters in dispute resolution.
鈥淛obs would be nice, but I鈥檒l take school for now and curling,鈥� he said of his career path.
鈥淚f I could somehow get to the Brier while being the Premier, that would be the dream, but I don鈥檛 think that would work for the people of British Columbia or my curling team. We鈥檒l see,鈥� he said with a laugh.
Chester won back-to-back sa国际传媒 Junior titles in 2012 and 2013, the second with Bowry.
Alberta鈥檚 Kesley Rocque, a two-time Canadian and world junior champion and defending CIS winner, headlines the womens鈥� field, which does not include a Vikes team.
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