Scotties Shaping Up

Team Homan: Rachael Homan, Emma Miskew, Allison Kreviasuk and Lisa Weagle. This Ottawa foursome will be representing Ontario this year at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. And they are a tough team too. I fully expect them to be in the playoffs at the end of the week, at the very least. Northern Ontario's Tracy Horgan did not fare as well this year and did not make it to the final. It was Cathy Auld and although this Auld squad had a great week, they could not get by this Homan powerhouse. Some regulars from the other provinces will be there and some new names will also grace the sheets in Kingston.

Team Canada: Heather Nedohin...the Edith Prickly (remember SCTV?) of Curling. I enjoy watching this crew. They are colorful and talented. Personally, I think Heather and her personality are perfect for TV curling.

BC: Kelly Scott...the Smurfette of curling. Great player and a solid team. I expect they will make a play off spot but I cannot see them winning. Nonetheless, Kelly Scott is one of the most polite curlers you will ever see. I like this squad.

Alberta: Kristie Moore. New name in the Scotties field but they must be good! They beat alot of good teams to get to the Scotties. I don't see them making the playoffs but you never know.

Saskatchewan: Jill Shumay. Another new name to the Scotties but not really that new in Saskatchewan curling circles. Once again, this squad beat a tough squad in Stephanie Lawton to get to this National Championship so they can't be slouches. I'll be interested in seeing how they make out.

Manitoba: Jennifer Jones. Not a shocker. This is still a solid crew and I fully expect to see them in the playoffs at the end of the week. I have never been much of a Jennifer Jones fan but I must admit, I have warmed up to them a bit in the past year. Would I root for them to win the Scotties?...let's not get carried away. But you have to hand it to them, they are good and the possibility of them winning the Scotties is very real. Despite knee surgery and having a baby in the last year, Jennifer is back to her normal, tough-shootin' self.

Quebec: Allison Ross. What, no Marie France Lerouche. As much as I like Marie France (I've been a fan since Sudbury in 2001), it is refreshing to see some new talent coming out of this province.

New Brunswick: Not decided yet but Andrea Crawford (nee Kelly)...alias Bunny Eyes will definitely be a strong contender in this provinces' provincial which is being played as I type this. Another strong team that could get to the Scotties out of NB is Sylvie Robichaud. Excellent rock chucker! Stay tuned but rest assured, a tough crew will be coming out of this province.

PEI: Suzanne Birt. You might remember her as Suzanne Gaudet. She was a rising star out of the juniors a few years ago. This is NOT her first Scotties, in fact this will be her 4th or 5th trip I should think. Her third is Shelly Bradley and I am a huge fan of this lady. You might remember Shelly Bradley having her own squad back in 2001 and going 5 or 6 straight before the bottom came out and they imploded. I felt her pain. She has been to several Scotties either as a skip, a vice or as a 5th. I hope for good things from these ladies. I have a soft spot for PEI Teams, especially since the final in Sault Ste Marie with Erin Carmody at the helm.

Nova Scotia: MaryAnne Arsenault. You won't be seeing the talented Heather Smith Dacey this year. BUT, Mary Ann Arsenault is no stranger to the Scotties. In fact, she is a world champion. She'll be joined by the infamous Colleen Jones and Kim Kelly. This team will hopefully have a good showing. I like them alot. I'm sure Wrigleys gum is stoked that Colleen is going to this National Championship.

Newfoundland / Labrador: Stacy Devereaux. This squad has been to the Scotties before. They did not have the best showing but I am hoping that they are more seasoned and will get to a play off. I HAVE to hope for this because they are from my beloved "Rock" and I would be remiss not to root for them.

Territories: Kerry Galusha. Not a big surprise here Kerry is the # 2 Smurfette of Curling. There are not alot of contenders coming from the territories and Kerry is always a crowd favorite. I do not expect to see them in the playoffs but I do expect to see some real good games from this crew. They may not be the strongest team there but they are entertaining and it is fun to watch the crowd get behind them.

PREDICTIONS?: Playoff Spots will go to Jennifer Jones, Heather Nedohin, Rachael Homan and Kelly Scott. Homan and Jones in the final and Homan goes to the Worlds. Of course, this is only a prediction and anything could happen. The one prediction I have that is for sure is that this year will have some excellent curling and I'm stoked for the Scotties to begin.

Whomever comes out of the Scotties will not have a cakewalk at the Worlds. There are awesome teams out there like Ott (Swiss), Sigfridsson (Sweden), and don't forget Anna Siderova from Russia who is a shooting star.

Rock On!

The Curling Chronic