It ain’t Vancouver Olys, but Soo what?

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/01/2010 (5964 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. — She’s skipping Team Canada again. Not a bad gig, actually.

But this isn’t Vancouver.

Jennifer Jones is wearing the familiar red Maple Leaf on her back, but there aren’t any logos of the Olympic rings on the walls of the Essar Centre here in frigid Sault Ste. Marie.

That dream died more than a month ago in Edmonton.

By the sounds of things, however, the Winnipeg skip has put one of her worst curling performances behind her — a failed attempt at the Canadian Olympic Trials in December in the Alberta capital — and is fired up about a chance at a historic three-peat at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts national women’s curling championship.

"Honestly, and it’s not just words, you can’t change the past. As much as you’d like to, you can’t go back in time and change the past. You can only look to the future," said Jones late Friday, on the eve of the 2010 Scotties. "We were really disappointed in Edmonton. Things just didn’t go our way. But it’s not hard to get up for the Scotties… it’s the best event we play in all year.

"Being Team Canada doesn’t get old. Every time I see my jacket I pinch myself because you see that Maple Leaf and your name on the back. It’s an honour and a privilege to wear it."

Jones, with third Cathy Overton-Clapham, second Jill Officer and lead Dawn Askin, is gunning for a third straight title. Only two other teams have won at least that many in a row — Nova Scotia’s Colleen Jones who won four (2001-04) and Saskatchewan’s Vera Pezer with three in the early 1970s.

Canada plays its first game tonight at 6:30 p.m. against a familiar foe — Jill Thurston’s Team Manitoba quartet — at the 4,100-seat Essar Centre, home to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League.

The Scotties kick off early this afternoon with the final of the Ford Hot Shots competition, the opening ceremonies and the first draw (2 p.m.) of the nine-day event.

Three other Olympic Trials teams curling in The Soo include former Winnipegger Kelly Scott who skips B.C., Amber Holland of Saskatchewan and Krista McCarville of Ontario.

The final goes Sunday, Feb. 7, with the winner heading to the world women’s championship in Swift Current, Sask., in late March.

Suffice it to say Team Canada’s lead already has a good handle on the ice.

Askin beat the field Friday afternoon during the opening round of the Ford Hot Shots, a pre-event shot-making competition with a two-year lease of a 2010 Ford Taurus SEL on the line.

Askin, who won a world championship with Jones in 2008, scored 25 out of a possible 30 points, as curlers from all 12 teams had to make six shots of varying degrees of difficulty. Each shot was awarded points on a scale from 0-5.

She’ll be in today’s final with seven others, including two from Team Manitoba — Thurston and third Kristen Phillips.

Askin said she had no idea how many points she had racked up, even after a perfectly played double-takeout to seal the deal.

"It’s pretty cool because I never do well in this thing," she said. "I wasn’t counting at all. I just wanted to do at least as good as last year (13 points).

"Every year I kind of go up by a few points. Every year I slowly do better."

The Hot Shots gave players their first chance to check out the ice conditions, but the real test begins today. And tonight is the first meeting between Jones and Thurston this season.

"Obviously, (Thurston team) are all great players and we expect them to be tough," said Jones. "It’s always weird to play your province, because we expect to be representing Manitoba ourselves."

Thurston is joined on Team Manitoba by Phillips, second Leslie Wilson and lead Raunora Westcott.

Making her third appearance at the national women’s championship but first as a skip, Thurston said she’s thrilled to be back in the spotlight after stepping away from the game for a couple of years.

"This is just amazing. I mean, (winning Manitoba) was the goal but everyone says that," she said. "I just wanted to have a strong season and get to know the girls. It’s worked out."

Alberta’s Valerie Sweeting, Quebec’s Eve Belisle, New Brunswick’s Andrea Kelly, Nancy McConnery of Nova Scotia, Shelley Nichols of Newfoundland and Labrador, Kathy O’Rourke from Prince Edward Island and Sharon Courmier of Northwest Territories/Yukon are also vying for a national title.

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

 

Time to hit the hack

at Scotties

 

TODAY’S GAMES

DRAW 1

2 P.M.

Holland (Sask.) vs. O’Rourke (P.E.I)

McCarville (Ont.) vs. Kelly (N.B.)

Courmier (N.T/Y) vs. Nichols (NL./Lab.)

McConnery (N.S) vs. Belisle (Que.)

 

DRAW 2

6:30 P.M.

McConnery (N.S.) vs. Courmier (N.T/Y)

Thurston (Man.) vs. Jones (Can.)

Scott (B.C.) vs. Sweeting (Alta.)

Kelly (N.B.) vs. O’Rourke (P.E.I.)

 

Note: TSN is broadcasting nearly 70 hours of exclusive coverage. That’s every draw, including playoffs and the final on Sunday, Feb. 7 (1:30 p.m.).