Scotties curlers test out Soo ice with Hot Shots competition

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This article was published 29/01/2010 (6027 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SAULT STE. MARIE — Suffice it to say Dawn Askin already has a good handle on the ice here in The Soo.

Askin, playing lead for Jennifer Jones and Team Canada at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts national women’s curling championship, beat the field this afternoon during the opening round of the Ford Hot Shots, a pre-event shot-making competition.

The Scotties kicks off Saturday with the first draw at 2 p.m. (CST).

Askin scored 25 out of a possible 30 points, as curlers from all 12 teams had to make six curling shots. Each shot was awarded points on a scale from 0-5.

On Saturday, Askin and seven others will play in the Hot Shots final right after the Scotties opening ceremonies here at the approximately 4,100-seat Essar Centre – home to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League.

She’ll be joined by two members of rival Team Manitoba – skip Jill Thurston and third Kristen Phillips.

Thurston, playing in her third national women’s championship but skipping for the first time, scored 22 points to sit alone in second place, while her third, Phillips, finished with 20 points.

The winner gets a two-year lease on a 2010 Ford Taurus SEL.

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 Saturday. There are only two draws slated for Day 1, and Jones team, the two-time defending champions, actually face Thurston’s Manitoba foursome in the evening draw – the first for both teams. That game is on TSN, beginning at 6:30 p.m. (CST).

It’ll be their first meeting of the season.

“Obviously, (Thurston’s team) are all great players and we expect them to be tough,” said Jones, who has third Cathy Overton-Clapham at third, Jill Officer at second and Askin at lead.

“It’s always weird to play your province, because we expect to be representing Manitoba ourselves. But I am quite OK with having the maple leaf on my back.”

Jones is gunning for a third straight Canadian crown.

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

“We found out right after we won (provincials) in Killarney that we would start off by playing Jennifer,” Thurston said. “You have to be on your best game no matter who you are playing your first game.”

Jones is considered a favourite to win another Canadian crown this time around.

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca