Team Galusha wins by default
Yellowknife skip and her rink going back to Scotties Tournament of Hearts after winning NWT Scotties
James McCarthy
Northern News Services
Friday, January 6, 2017
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Kerry Galusha is once again your NWT representative for the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. And she didn't even have to throw a rock to do it.
Kerry Galusha, right, flashes a smile in between ends at the 2016 Scotties Tournament of Hearts last February. Galusha and her rink will be heading to the 2017 edition of the Canadian women's curling championship after winning the NWT Scotties playdowns by default. From left are Shona Barbour, Megan Cormier, Danielle Derry and Kerry Galusha.- Andrew Klaver/Curling Canada photo |
Galusha and her rink of Megan Koehler, Danielle Derry and Sharon Cormier will once again don the territory's colours at the 2017 Canadian women's curling championship in St. Catharines, Ont. next month after winning the NWT Scotties playdowns by default.
No other NWT outfit registered to play by the deadline, handing Galusha the victory.
On paper, not having to get on the ice and expend energy would seem like a good thing.
But the problem is the playdowns provide the ladies with priceless competitive games. That's something Northern teams don't get a lot of unless they want to travel and there will be none forthcoming this time around.
"Last year, there were four teams in Hay River and we got to play seven games and it was really great to get those games in," said Galusha.
"It gears you up for the Scotties if you come out on top and we were really looking forward to going to Fort Smith and get some competition but now, we go to the Scotties without any competition. It's disappointing but it's out of our control."
Galusha's rink would have walked into the playdowns in Fort Smith as the defending champions.
The upside is they're going to be saving thousands of dollars by not having to make the trip. The downside is the lack of games.
"We received an e-mail from Janie (Hobart, NWT Curling Association president) the day after the registration deadline had passed informing us that we were the only team that signed up and we were going to the Scotties," said Galusha.
She'd already heard from one of the Hay River rinks she'd played last year that there wouldn't be any Hay River teams competing this time around, as there are no curling clubs in the community right now.
"Had we not had the heads-up from that Hay River contact, it would have been absolutely shocking to us," she said.
Galusha's rink has had some game action this season.
They played in the Tour Challenge, a Grand Slam event, last November and another bonspiel in Red Deer, Alta., later in the month. That would normally be a good thing but it went against the instructions of their coach, John Epping.
Galusha said Epping had told the rink not to play anything until getting on the ice and those words were a bit prophetic at the Tour Challenge.
"We had ice about a week before we went and you don't know you're in a Grand Slam event until the beginning of October," she said. "Had we known before that, we would have gone to a bonspiel to prepare. When we showed up, it showed that we hadn't had any competitive games yet. You can practice all you want but if you don't play games, it's a completely different mindset."
Entering a bonspiel outside the city now isn't an option as most of the competitive ones are full.
Galusha said there were a couple of bonspiels in the United States which had room but the costs would have been even worse than going to Fort Smith.
The best thing going for Galusha's rink right now is the bonspiel at the Yellowknife Curling Centre later this month. That will provide some competitive games as the ladies will be taking on men's teams in the form of Jamie Koe, Steve Moss and Greg Skauge. That trio will be looking for some strong competition as they will be heading to Fort Smith for the NWT Brier playdowns later this month.
"The guys are always good at giving us a chance to play with them," said Galusha. "Sometimes we get crushed but sometimes we give them a close game and anytime we need some extra practice, the guys help us out."
When it comes to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, the NWT will be in the pre-qualification round of the tournament.
They aren't part of the main draw and will have to play their way in by winning the pre-qualification round, which is for the 12th and final spot.
This will be the last year for the pre-qualification round as Curling Canada will be moving to a 16-team pool format beginning in 2018 but Galusha said it's still going to be a nervous time.
"Every game in the pre-qualification round is sudden death," she said.
"I'm just hoping third time will be the charm for us and we can get in because I know we can do decent if we can get in."
