麻豆社区

The road to the national championships for three Yukon curling teams was without any obstacles this year.

Team Meger will be representing the Yukon as the junior women鈥檚 team at nationals, while Teams Johnson and Zealand will be representing the women鈥檚 and men鈥檚 masters teams respectively.

The territorial trials were scheduled for Dec. 21 to 23 in Whitehorse, but after the Dec. 1 deadline to sign up passed, and only three teams put their names forward in different divisions, it was clear no trials needed to be held.

鈥淲e weren鈥檛 really surprised because we knew we were probably going to be the only team that applied for it,鈥� said Alyssa Meger, the skip for the junior women鈥檚 team.

The Meger rink, which has competed at one nationals before is made up of lead, Zaria Netro, second, Peyton L鈥橦enaff, and third, Emily Matthews.

They finished 13th last year, winning two of nine games and did not advance out of the seeding pool.

Meger鈥檚 rink is keeping their expectations in check this year.

鈥淚 think we mainly just expect to win a few games, try to win one more than last year,鈥� the 16-year-old skip said.

The team won鈥檛 have any warm-up competitions before the national championships, which will be held in Victoria Jan. 21 to 29 next year.

Meger said the competition at nationals is a lot stiffer than in the Yukon.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot harder than what we usually play, just because we don鈥檛 have a lot of competitive teams here,鈥� she said.

No junior boys team will represent the Yukon at the 2017 nationals.

Normally, when more than one team expresses interest in attending nationals, a playdown takes place.

Not this year.

It will be master鈥檚 women鈥檚 skip Ellen Johnson鈥檚 fifth time representing the Yukon at the national level.

The Johnson rink is made up of lead Elaine Sumner, second Ev Pasichnyk, and third Nancy Kowalyshen.

鈥淚t would be more fun to have a play down,鈥� said Johnson. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 also fun to go.鈥�

Johnson picked up the sport 40 years ago when she moved to the Yukon.

She said if she wanted to spend any time with her husband, she needed to learn to curl to join him on the ice.

She enjoys the social aspect of the sport and is looking forward to playing against new teams from across the country at the masters nationals, which will take place April 2-9 in Guelph, Ont.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a phenomenal experience,鈥� she said.

Gordon Zealand鈥檚 team will have a new look this year. Zealand, who said he has competed at master鈥檚 nationals 鈥渇ive or six times鈥� will be joined by lead Bob Walker, second Richard鈥圱rimble and third George Hilderman.

鈥淚t鈥檚 getting tougher and tougher all the time,鈥� said Zealand of the nationals competition.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a whole different level. Everyone has to be firing on all cylinders or you鈥檙e not going to be able to compete.鈥�