Team Galusha hit the pay window again during their latest stop down south.
But, internally, there was a belief that the final result should have been a lot different.
Fresh off their semifinal showing at the HearingLife Tour Challenge in Grande Prairie, Alta., the weekend before, Kerry Galusha and her rink of Jo-Ann Rizzo, Sarah Koltun and Margot Flemming were on the ice in Kemptville, Ont., for the North Grenville Fall Curling Classic this past weekend and managed to reach the quarter-finals. ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 as far as they got as they dropped a 4-3 decision to Danielle Inglis of Ontario.
ItSA国际影视传媒檚 an event that Galusha won in 2018 when it was known as the Royal LePage Fall WomenSA国际影视传媒檚 Classic.
The ladies began the triple-knockout event in the A bracket on Oct. 27, where they took on Christine McMakin of North Dakota in their opening contest. A 9-2 win put them into the next round against Laurie St. Georges of Quebec and that, too, was a tick in the win column, 5-3.
Galusha said the ladies were firing on all cylinders in the early going.
SA国际影视传媒淟aurie is one of the top teams from Quebec SA国际影视传媒 sheSA国际影视传媒檚 usually at the Scotties,SA国际影视传媒 she said. SA国际影视传媒淲e knew it would be a tough field, but we played really well in the early going.SA国际影视传媒
Their next game was against Sarah Anderson of Minnesota and a win would put them through to the playoffs, but a 6-5 loss saw them drop down to the B bracket.
SA国际影视传媒淭hat game could have gone either way, but Sarah was really good,SA国际影视传媒 said Galusha. SA国际影视传媒淭hey had the hammer coming home and she made a nice shot to win it.SA国际影视传媒
Because they advanced as far as they did in the A bracket, that meant the ladies wouldnSA国际影视传媒檛 have to go through the entire B bracket to move on. They took on Emily Deschenes of Ottawa on Saturday with a playoff spot going to the winner and Galusha would get the win, 8-5, to book her teamSA国际影视传媒檚 place in the final eight.
SA国际影视传媒淚f we lost, it would have been a three-game day, but we had the evening to rest,SA国际影视传媒 said Galusha.
Disappointment
The quarter-final was one which Galusha described as SA国际影视传媒渄isappointingSA国际影视传媒 SA国际影视传媒 Inglis opened with the hammer and scored a single, which was answered in the second end to tie it up at 1-1. The third end was blanked before Inglis scored another single in the fourth to go back out in front. Galusha got that back in the fifth, but Inglis scored another single in the sixth, and then stole a single in the seventh to take a 4-2 lead. Galusha had the hammer coming home, but could only get one to spell the end.
Galusha said the win was there to be had.
SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檙e disappointed with that one,SA国际影视传媒 she said. SA国际影视传媒淲e would have won if we had played better, but it was a game where hammer (last rock) didnSA国际影视传媒檛 matter. Both skips were bailing their teams out every time and there werenSA国际影视传媒檛 any multiple-point chances for either team, which is strange because our games are usually a lot higher-scoring. We just werenSA国际影视传媒檛 super sharp and we didnSA国际影视传媒檛 make the right shots when we needed to.SA国际影视传媒
ItSA国际影视传媒檚 another $2,000 in the teamSA国际影视传媒檚 bank account for reaching the final eight, but Galusha felt as if the chance to win it all again was there for the taking.
SA国际影视传媒淚 feel like we were better than we were when we won in 2018,SA国际影视传媒 she said. SA国际影视传媒淕etting to the quarter-final isnSA国际影视传媒檛 too shabby, but I think we could have gotten to the final.SA国际影视传媒
Galusha and company now have a couple of weeks off before hitting the road again to Red Deer, Alta., for the Prism Flow Red Deer Curling Classic beginning on Nov. 18. That event is one of the bigger spiels on the tour with a $35,000 purse up for grabs. Kevin Koe, GalushaSA国际影视传媒檚 older brother, will be part of the menSA国际影视传媒檚 draw, but he wonSA国际影视传媒檛 be coaching the Galusha crew as he did in Grande Prairie.
Yes, Koe stepped in that week in place of Shona Barbour, the teamSA国际影视传媒檚 regular head coach, as she wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 able to make it to that event.
And it wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 simply big brother helping out little sister either, said Galusha.
SA国际影视传媒淲e were hanging out at the PointsBet event in New Brunswick (in September) and we asked him if he could work with us in Grande Prairie if the schedules didnSA国际影视传媒檛 conflict,SA国际影视传媒 she said. SA国际影视传媒淗e told us to write up an official proposal with what we wanted to focus on, what we needed to improve, and so we made up a list and sent it to him.SA国际影视传媒
Koe sat in on games when he wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 practising or playing, and Galusha said her brother was full of useful knowledge.
SA国际影视传媒淗e was giving us tips and comments we had never heard before,SA国际影视传媒 she said. SA国际影视传媒淲e werenSA国际影视传媒檛 sure how it would go, but he was really knowledgeable and it was really good having him work with us and ask his opinion on things.SA国际影视传媒
When it comes time to head to Red Deer, the entire team will be there, including Barbour and Megan Koehler, the teamSA国际影视传媒檚 fifth.
SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檒l cycle Megan into the line-up and that will give us a break,SA国际影视传媒 said Galusha. SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 looking forward to it SA国际影视传媒 itSA国际影视传媒檚 going to be a tough one. The field is similar to the one we had in Edmonton (in September).SA国际影视传媒