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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Fort Simpson will be well represented when Team NWT competes at the national darts championship.

Three dart players from the village, including Louisa Moreau, Brenda Moreau and Steve Gooderham made the 18 member territorial team as a result of their rankings at the First Air Territorial Darts Championships held in Yellowknife from March 13 to 15.

The members of the NWT darts team that will compete in the national championships in June was decided during the First Air Territorial Darts Championships in Yellowknife. Team members include, from left, back row Kim Strand, Steve Gooderham, Jason Elgie, Myles Longphee, Penny McHugh, Paul Morey, Paul Power, Claude Boucher, Dean Willis, Elvis Beaudoin and Joy Cathers; front row:,Heather Makaro, Louisa Moreau, Brenda Moreau, Samantha Antoine, Clara Lindsay and Louise Kuzman. - photo courtesy of Brenda Moreau

Brenda once again proved her dart skills by placing first in the ladies division. This is the fourth consecutive year that Brenda has taken first place in the territorials.

Despite her placement, Brenda didn't quite reach her goal. She was hoping to go undefeated in all her games. Instead, she lost one of her approximately 24 games.

"I think I did just fine," Brenda said.

She faced a few surprises at the competition when playing other strong female darts players from around the territory. One of those players was Brenda's mother Louisa Moreau who also made the territorial team.

"I did okay," said Louisa who placed fifth in the ladies division.

"I could have done better, I just couldn't double out."

There was good competition at the event from the other communities that sent players including Inuvik, Hay River and Yellowknife, Louisa said.

"It was nice to meet some of the players again," she said-day tournament Saturday was the most challenging day, Louisa said. A power outage on Friday night meant that the scheduled games couldn't be finished. The dart games started again at 9 a.m. on Saturday and were still going at 9 p.m.

"It was really hard on Saturday because it was such a long day," she said.

Louisa, who practices about an hour a night, said she was more focused at this championship, which allowed her to beat players that she used to lose against. Mother and daughter did meet in one game at the event with Brenda coming out on top.

Gooderham will be going to the nationals as an alternate after placing ninth.

He has competed in every territorial, except for one, since 1999 and has been to the nationals on three previous occasions.

"It's getting tougher every year," said Gooderham about the competition at the territorial level.

More and more players are developing in the NWT and testing their skills at the territorials, he said.

"Darts in the Northwest Territories is really healthy," said Gooderham.

The 18 player territorial team will be competing in the National Championships in June in Ste. Hyacinthe, Que. The players will also have the option of competing in the Hotel de Seigneurs Open and the Canadian Open that occur on the weekends flanking the nationals.