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Group Black’s first foray on the Scotties Event of Hearts final 12 months needed to be thought of successful.
The Dartmouth Curling Membership staff superior to the playoffs however misplaced out when a dramatic comeback within the sudden-death recreation fell brief.
With the teachings discovered from their maiden voyage, skip Christina Black, third Jenn Baxter, second Karlee Everist and lead Shelley Barker are poised to take one other run at Canada’s curling elite when competitors begins on Friday in Kamloops, B.C.
With an distinctive fall cashspiel season and a second provincial title underneath their belts, they enter the competitors assured of their talents.
“We imagine we belong,” mentioned Black, in her third 12 months as skip. “We all know we are able to compete and win any recreation we go into. We’ve all of the instruments and abilities to win. There is no motive why not, it is only a matter of performing ourselves. It does not matter who we’re taking part in in opposition to, we all know that we’re able to successful any recreation we play.”
Baxter will make her sixth Scotties look whereas Black is at 5 as members of Mary-Anne Arsenault’s staff. The Arsenault rink received the bronze medal in 2018, the final time the Scotties was performed in British Columbia.
The staff is again for the second straight 12 months with expertise gained of their roles. It was Black’s first Scotties as a skip, whereas Everist and Barker have been making their debuts. The rink is ranked ninth within the Canadian Group Rating System and nineteenth on the planet.
“We discovered rather a lot as a staff final 12 months, I discovered rather a lot,” mentioned Black. “It is completely different skipping than taking part in different positions. They’re each exhausting. One is extra mentally exhausting and the opposite is extra bodily exhausting.
“The large factor I discovered was how mentally draining an extended week of skipping is. I do know going into this 12 months I’m higher in a position to take my time to relaxation my mind and the way I have to recharge to be prepared for each recreation.”
Nova Scotia’s Spherical-robin Schedule
(All occasions Atlantic)
Friday
Nova Scotia vs. Saskatchewan (Silvernagle), 10 p.m.
Saturday
Nova Scotia vs. Wild Card No.1 (Lawes), 10 p.m.
Sunday
Nova Scotia vs. P.E.I. (Birt), 5:30 p.m.
Monday
Nova Scotia vs. B.C. (Grandy), 12:30 p.m.
Nova Scotia vs. Canada (Einarson), 10:30 p.m.
Tuesday
Nova Scotia vs. Nunavut, 10:30 p.m.
Wednesday
Nova Scotia vs Alberta (Skrlik), 5:30 p.m.
Thursday
Nova Scotia vs. Quebec (St-Georges), 10:30 p.m.
Pool play
Group Black is in Pool A with Kerri Einarson (Group Canada), Kaitlyn Lawes (Wild Card 1), Clancy Grandy (British Columbia), Kayla Skrlik (Alberta), Suzanne Birt (Prince Edward Island), Robyn Silvernagle (Saskatchewan), Laurie St-Georges (Quebec) and Brigitte MacPhail (Nunavut).
Pool B consists of Rachel Homan (Ontario), Jennifer Jones (Manitoba), Casey Scheidegger (Wild Card 2), Meghan Walter (Wild Card 3), Andrea Kelly (New Brunswick), Kerry Galusha (Northwest Territories), Krista McCarville (Northern Ontario), Stacie Curtis (Newfoundland & Labrador) and Hailey Birni (Yukon).
Nova Scotia opens play on Friday (10 p.m. Atlantic time) in opposition to Silvernagle. On Saturday they tackle Wild Card No.1 Lawes (10 p.m.). Group Black has latest expertise in opposition to Lawes after they misplaced 5-4 to the Manitoba rink within the last of the Stu Sells Halifax Basic occasion in Halifax in November.
Scotties ‘a dream come true’
For Baxter, carrying Nova Scotia’s colors on the Scotties is a thrill she by no means takes as a right.
“I’m so grateful for all of my experiences as you by no means know in case you are ever going to get to go once more,” mentioned Baxter. “The Scotties is a dream come true every time you go and I get butterflies interested by strolling in and seeing the world for the primary time and making an attempt on the jersey with my title written on the again.
“So I shall be approaching this Scotties with the mentality that it’s unbelievable to be again and throw all my vitality into performing properly and being who I must be to assist my teammates.”
Black mentioned it ‘feels good to not be a (Scotties) beginner’. She will get the additional advantage of finishing her Scotties necklace with a diamond pendant.
“I am excited to go to my fifth Scotties, my necklace shall be crammed up,” mentioned Black, chuckling on the considered being referred to as a veteran. “It is exhausting to imagine that I’m a veteran when it comes to expertise to a few of the different groups.”
Nova Scotia proud
The Black rink can have loads of Nova Scotia firm on the Scotties.
Truro’s Karlee Burgess is the third on Manitoba’s Jennifer Jones rink, Jill Brothers (Halifax) is the second for New Brunswick’s Andrea Kelly, Marie Christiansen (Halifax) is the third for Suzanne Birt’s P.E.I. Rink and Brigitte MacPhail (Halifax) is the skip for Nunavut.
For Brothers and Christianson, will probably be their sixth Scotties look.
“There’s a whole lot of good curlers popping out of right here, a whole lot of expertise,” mentioned Black. “It is going to be enjoyable to be on the Scotties on the identical time with Jill as a result of usually it might be her or us.”