INUVIK
For Rayna Vittrekwa, this third trip to junior curling nationals was the best experience yet.

The NWT junior girls curling team, fresh off a relatively successful nationals tournament in Newfoundland, are preparing for the Canada Winter Games and are looking to make some noise. Making up the team are Carina McKay-Saturnino (skip), left, Karly King Simpson (third), Rayna Vittrekwa (second) and Hilary Charlie (lead). - Andrew Livingstone/NNSL photo

Vittrekwa, second for the Inuvik team skipped by Carina McKay-Saturnino, brought home gold in the mixed doubles segment of the 2015 junior nationals in Corner Brook, N.L. The mixed doubles tournament features all the players and coaches who didn't qualify for the playoffs.

Paired with Alex Cormier of Quebec and Saskatchewan coach Dean Kleiter, the pair beat Katie Chislett-Manning of Nunavut and Tristan Steinke of Alberta (coached by Alberta's Jeff Ginter) 8-4 in the gold-medal game.

The entire team was excited for Vittrekwa's feat and they hope to take her victory and the team's three tournament wins and turn it into momentum at the Canada Winter Games starting Feb. 13 in Prince George, B.C.

Picking up an early win against a tough New Brunswick team, 7-6, the girls struggled in their next five games, losing to some of the nation's best teams. However, they were able to pull out victories against Nunavut and Northern Ontario in their last two matches, 12-5 and 8-7, respectively.

"We had a rough start but as we went along we started playing well and were having fun," said McKay-Saturnino.

"Our goal was to finish top eight and we just didn't play the best and make the shots when we needed to."

Coach Nick Saturnino said the win-loss tally isn't representative of the girls play. While they may have conceded some games, he said a few missed shots here and there were the difference.

"I see they can compete with the top teams," he said.

"Someone misses a shot and then it snowballs and it's going to happen."

Saturnino said the mental toughness and consistent confidence plays a major role in whether the girls find success or not. When they're making shots, he said, the team can play with the best squads from across Canada.

"They have the tools, they just need to believe in themselves more," he said.

"They don't get to play 100 games together like some teams in the south do, so it can all add up in the end."

The nationals experience, likely their last together as a team because many of the girls will be graduating high school and going off to college and university, will benefit the girls as they head to the Canada Winter Games Feb. 13.

However, the squad will require a major adjustment since they will lose Hilary Charlie and replace her work with a substitute player from Hay River who the girls have only played with about a half-dozen times.

The team will play a number of squads at Canada Winter Games that they played in Corner Brook, and Saturnino said having that experience under their belts could benefit them early on in round-robin play.

"If the girls can get off to a good start, and build the confidence they need, it could go very well," said Saturnino.

Team NWT plays its first game on Feb. 22 against Yukon at 10 a.m. PST, followed by British Columbia on Feb. 23.