ItSA国际影视传媒檚 no secret Team Galusha has been on a roll this season.

Until their quarter-final loss at the Stu Sells Toronto Tankard earlier this month, Kerry Galusha and her rink of Jo-Ann Rizzo, Sarah Koltun and Margot Flemming had reeled off 11 consecutive wins to that point. But thereSA国际影视传媒檚 a much bigger test coming up in a few days time and it will determine whether the ladies get the chance to compete for one of the biggest prizes in Canadian curling.

The Home Hardware Curling Pre-Trials get underway in Liverpool, N.S., this coming Monday and Team Galusha will be one of 14 teams in the womenSA国际影视传媒檚 field looking to earn one of the last two spots up for grabs for the Tim Hortons Curling Trials in Saskatoon next month. Galusha and company qualified for this stage by winning one of the two spots at the Canadian Curling Pre-Trials Direct Entry Event in Ottawa late last month.

The set-up is similar to what the Scotties Tournament of Hearts looks like with the 14 rinks split into two pools of seven for the round-robin. GalushaSA国际影视传媒檚 pool consists of Corryn Brown, Beth Peterson, Jestyn Murphy, Krista McCarville, Penny Barker and Jacqueline Harrison.

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檝e played all of them before,SA国际影视传媒� said Galusha on Wednesday. SA国际影视传媒淲e played Harrison for the first time in Oakville (earlier this month). ItSA国际影视传媒檚 like a mini-Scotties in a way because there are so many good teams.SA国际影视传媒�

Only the top three teams will advance to the playoff round with the first and second-placed teams getting the benefit of a second life should they lose their first playoff game. The third-placed team gets just the one life and needs to keep on winning in order to stay in it.

Does it matter to Galusha where the team finishes? Absolutely not, she said.

SA国际影视传媒淭op-three is the goal and weSA国际影视传媒檒l just claw our way through, if we get in,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淎ll of the teams are so even, you could have this the following week and have two different teams qualify. We want to get off to a good start and give ourselves a chance.SA国际影视传媒�

The games will be held on arena ice, just like it was in Ottawa, and Galusha said getting used to arena ice early on has always been a banana peel in the past.

SA国际影视传媒淚t takes us a bit to get used to it but we played four games in arena ice in Ottawa,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淲e just have to adjust quicker.SA国际影视传媒�

The ladies will get going on Tuesday morning at 5 a.m. MST against Brown and that seems to be the time where they will be playing most of their round-robin games. To prepare for the early wake-ups, Shona Barbour, the teamSA国际影视传媒檚 coach, has been making sure the ladies get up at 5 a.m. and begin their day.

SA国际影视传媒淲e have to start getting used to Nova Scotia time (Atlantic),SA国际影视传媒� said Galusha with a laugh. SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 all about preparing our bodies as best as we can. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 doing the little things before we go to get us used to what weSA国际影视传媒檒l have to do.SA国际影视传媒�

With the ice finally in at the Yellowknife Curling Centre, that means the ladies here in town SA国际影视传媒� Galusha, Koltun and Flemming; Rizzo is in Ontario as the out-of-territory player SA国际影视传媒� can get in some practice. The only drawback? ItSA国际影视传媒檚 one woman per sheet for the present time due to Covid-19 restrictions.

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檝e been able to throw on our own but itSA国际影视传媒檚 not ideal because I canSA国际影视传媒檛 hold the broom for them,SA国际影视传媒� said Galusha. SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 better than nothing and weSA国际影视传媒檝e been out there almost every day SA国际影视传媒� we had a day off (Wednesday) so that was good. We donSA国际影视传媒檛 want to wear ourselves out before we go.SA国际影视传媒�

The ladies are also working from home at the present time so that helps with the on-ice prep, she added.

There is genuine excitement among the ladies, said Galusha, as this will be the first time almost everyone will experience something like this. Rizzo is the exception as sheSA国际影视传媒檚 been through the process before as third for OntarioSA国际影视传媒檚 Sherry Middaugh at the 2013 Olympic trials. Middaugh ended up losing in the final to Jennifer Jones of Manitoba that year.

SA国际影视传媒淲e are so excited for this chance,SA国际影视传媒� said Galusha. SA国际影视传媒淚t would be crazy if we won a spot and you never know how itSA国际影视传媒檚 going to turn out but weSA国际影视传媒檙e just focused on the pre-trials. We want to build on what weSA国际影视传媒檝e done in the past four weeks together and bring it all together.SA国际影视传媒�