Quebec curler addicted to game, couldn’t stay on sidelines

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This article was published 22/02/2016 (3826 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

GRANDE PRAIRIE, Alta. — Three years ago, burned out by the highs and lows on the road to winning six Quebec titles, Marie-France Larouche put away her broom.

Mostly, she said Sunday, it was a matter of balance. She had a young and growing family to focus on, and her job as a phys-ed teacher in her hometown of Levis.

“It was too hard for me to lose,” she said. “When I lose, I was so bad. It was too hard, so that’s why I decided to quit and just (do) some other things.”

Well, it didn’t last. After watching the Quebec playdowns last year, Larouche felt something flicker; that’s when she decided to reassemble her squad of third Brenda Nicholls, second Annie Lemay and lead Julie Rainville and give curling another shot.

“I had some butterflies in my stomach,” she said. “I knew in that moment I will be back. It’s in our blood. Sometimes, you have to focus on other things to remember why we are here. We are here to play well, and we are here to have fun with friends.”

Apparently, they’re also here to win. Although the Quebec champs only played a handful of events this season, they looked polished in their 2-0 start at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, including a landslide 10-3 victory over Saskatchewan Sunday afternoon.

Best of all?

Whatever happens this week at nationals, Larouche isn’t too worried.

“I know there’s a lot of other things in my life,” she said. “When I lose, it’s a little bit less hard for me. I’m just here because I love the sport, and I love playing against the great teams. So that’s why I think I’m better right now in my head.”

Red-hot Alberta

While Chelsea Carey and her curlin’ Albertans rocketed out to a 3-0 start, third Amy Nixon waved off any talk about whether that puts a bigger target on their back.

“Anyone who thought we weren’t a decent team is ridiculous,” Nixon said. “I don’t think there’s any target that shouldn’t have been there in the first place.”

(Anyone who’s followed the frank, straight-shooting Carey can surely see why Nixon and the former Manitoba champ are clicking so well.)

On that note, she said, opening the Scotties with wins over Jennifer Jones, Newfoundland and British Columbia isn’t really a statement, if the statement has long since been made.

“The result is more about us then it is what anyone thinks about us,” Nixon said.

McDonald bids adieu

Meanwhile, back home in Manitoba, one longtime top contender is calling it a career after more than 20 years of top junior and women’s play.

Saturday, skip Kristy McDonald announced on Twitter she will be hanging up her slider. The rest of the team, lead Raunora Westcott, second Leslie Wilson and third Kate Cameron, indicated they will continue with seven-time Saskatchewan champion Michelle Englot calling the shots.

The decision comes weeks after McDonald’s heartbreaking loss in the Manitoba final. After that game, the 36-year-old hinted her future was up in the air, citing her young family (she’d welcomed her first child months after winning her first Manitoba title in 2014, as third for Chelsea Carey).

That trip to nationals was a long time coming for McDonald, who was a two-time provincial junior champion skip in 1996 and ’99. She went on to become a fixture in the provincial women’s playoffs as skip between 2005 and 2009, before joining forces with Carey in 2010.

After assembling in 2014-15, McDonald’s most recent team had some success on the circuit. They made three grand slam playoff appearances this season, and were ranked 12th in the world by merit points and 11th on the yearly money list at the time of Saturday’s announcement.

In Grande Prairie, Carey saluted her former third’s exit.

“She had an amazing career, and I’m so lucky that I got to play with her,” Carey said. “I’m a little sad that she won’t be around, and I won’t get to see her as much. That’s a tough one for me, but it’s the right decision for her, so I’m very happy for her.”

melissa.martin@freepress.mb.ca

Melissa Martin
Reporter-at-large

Melissa Martin reports and opines for the Winnipeg Free Press.

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