You wouldnSA国际影视传媒檛 think there would be curling in the month of May but things havenSA国际影视传媒檛 exactly been normal in recent times.

So when Pearl Gillis and her rink of Tyra Bain, Adrianna Hendrick and Tamara Bain, based out of the Inuvik Curling Centre, took to the ice at the Canadian U18 Curling Championships in Oakville, Ont., earlier this month, it was like any other bonspiel.

Just in May.

The foursome competed on the girls side of the draw and didnSA国际影视传媒檛 leave without hitting the win column. In fact, they managed two victories and both of those wins came at the expense of the two Quebec teams: 6-4 over Quebec 2 on May 3 and 7-6 over Quebec 1 the following day.

Gillis admitted she and the girls were hoping for a bit more than that.

SA国际影视传媒淲e were looking to win more than two,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淲e had our ups and downs and we had some bad ends but we still played some great games and ISA国际影视传媒檓 really proud of the team.SA国际影视传媒�

Those two victories came in pool play and were tucked in between four losses and that meant the girls would play in the C bracket of the playoff pool. They were forced to forfeit their first playoff game versus Newfoundland and Labrador because of a bug that went through everyone on the team, except Gillis, but they came back for their final contest against Prince Edward Island, which ended in a 7-3 loss.

SA国际影视传媒淎 lot of people on teams were getting sick,SA国际影视传媒� said Gillis. SA国际影视传媒淲e had to forfeit because we didnSA国际影视传媒檛 have enough players to play.SA国际影视传媒�

Before heading to Oakville, the girls got a chance to get three days of practice time in Manitoba; there was no ice in Inuvik for the girls to work on before making the trip.

SA国际影视传媒淲e went to a year-round rink and we were lucky to get that time,SA国际影视传媒� said Gillis.

This yearSA国际影视传媒檚 tournament is the first one in three years as itSA国际影视传媒檚 either been cancelled or postponed since 2020. Oakville wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 even the original host site for this yearSA国际影视传媒檚 bonspiel SA国际影视传媒� Timmins, Ont., was set to host it back in February but a surge of Covid-19 in the province forced Curling Canada to postpone it.

Gillis said she was just happy to get the chance to play.

SA国际影视传媒淧laying it two or three months later was disappointing but we were still excited to get to play,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淎t least it wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 cancelled.SA国际影视传媒�

This was the final go-round for this current set-up of Team Gillis as they will all be doing something different next year.

Gillis said she and Hendrick will be graduating in June and plan to focus on education for the time being instead of high-level curling.

SA国际影视传媒淲e wonSA国际影视传媒檛 be doing it competitively,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淲hen we get to university or college, weSA国际影视传媒檒l probably get back into it but we arenSA国际影视传媒檛 leaving the sport completely.SA国际影视传媒�