Going into the Home Hardware Pre-Trials in Liverpool, N.S., Kerry Galusha figured it would be a tough battle to get one of the two spots up for grabs in the main event later this month in Saskatoon.
She was right.
Galusha and her rink of Sarah Koltun, Jo-Ann Rizzo and Margot Flemming did not get a chance to play for either of those golden tickets as they failed to get past the pool stage at the last-chance tournament. Their record of one win and five losses was too much; only the top four in each pool moved on to the championship round.
Galusha said it just didnSA国际影视传媒檛 happen for them last week.
SA国际影视传媒淚t was up and down,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淲e had a consistent first four weeks to our season and we just dipped in Nova Scotia. We missed some shots we should have made and were making beforehand.SA国际影视传媒�
The ladies started out against B.C.SA国际影视传媒檚 Corryn Brown and if you thought they had won after checking the scores, youSA国际影视传媒檇 be right. The scoreboard online had Galusha winning 10-9 in an extra end but someone mustSA国际影视传媒檝e realized the mistake and changed it back to the proper scoreline, a 9-6 win for Brown not in an extra end.
SA国际影视传媒淲e werenSA国际影视传媒檛 sharp in that game,SA国际影视传媒� said Galusha. SA国际影视传媒淲e got behind the 8-ball early.SA国际影视传媒�
They rebounded in their next contest to beat SaskatchewanSA国际影视传媒檚 Penny Barker, 7-5, before dropping a 6-3 decision to OntarioSA国际影视传媒檚 Krista McCarville. A 10-8 loss to Beth Peterson of Manitoba put the ladies right up against the wall but they still had an outside chance of squeaking into the championship round if they could win their final two games. It wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 to be as a 9-6 loss to Jacqueline Harrison of Ontario and a 7-6 defeat to Jestyn Murphy of Ontario sealed their fate.
SA国际影视传媒淲e werenSA国际影视传媒檛 blown out of the water in any of our games, unlike some teams,SA国际影视传媒� said Galusha. SA国际影视传媒淲e couldSA国际影视传媒檝e easily been 6-0 but we just didnSA国际影视传媒檛 make the shots we needed to at the right time.SA国际影视传媒�
Going into the pre-trials, the ladies were on a roll, having lost just once in their 12 previous contests and it seemed they had peaked at the right time.
But Galusha said for every peak, there comes a dip and it happened at the worst possible time.
SA国际影视传媒淲e knew it would come, we just hoped it wouldnSA国际影视传媒檛 be in Nova Scotia,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淓very team peaks, then dips, but we know what we have to work on. We have a couple of months now to practice and start to peak again in time for the womenSA国际影视传媒檚 playdowns but thatSA国际影视传媒檚 sports. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 ups and downs.SA国际影视传媒�
Those playdowns Galusha speaks of are the NWT WomenSA国际影视传媒檚 Curling Championship, which will happen in Inuvik in January. Galusha goes in as the defending champion with the winner getting the ticket to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Thunder Bay, Ont., this coming February.
In the meantime, Flemming and Megan Koehler, the teamSA国际影视传媒檚 fifth, are on their way to Canmore, Alta., to join Jamie Koe for the Canadian Mixed Curling Championship, which begins on Saturday, while Rizzo will be playing in some seniors events in Ontario, where she lives as sheSA国际影视传媒檚 the teamSA国际影视传媒檚 out-of-territory player.
With a couple of months to relax and recuperate somewhat, Galusha reflected on skipping the first team from the North to enter the Olympic qualification process.
She said it was special to be the only Northern team in the hunt and to have all the support that came with it.
SA国际影视传媒淚t was a neat experience because itSA国际影视传媒檚 never been done by a team from the North before,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淔our years is far away and who knows if weSA国际影视传媒檒l get to do this again. We knew it would be hard but we had plenty of support and weSA国际影视传媒檝e always appreciated that. Everyone up here had our backs and followed the journey with us. We read all the messages and see all the likes on our Facebook page and it felt so good knowing so many people were cheering us on.SA国际影视传媒�
