Birchard beating the best

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This article was published 21/11/2016 (3421 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Shannon Birchard and her rink from the St. Vital Curling Club came off their rookie season brimming with confidence.

Of course, making a deep run in the Manitoba Scotties Tournament of Hearts will do that to a team.

Success has followed Birchard and her team made up of third Nicole Sigvaldason, second Sheyna Andries and lead Mariah Mondor. 

In 2013, they came within one game of becoming Canadian Junior Curling champions, losing a tight final game to B.C.

Last year, they finished among the semifinalists in their first trip to the marquee provincial event, losing out to Kerri Einarson, who went on to win the event.

“We just learned that we can play here and we can play against the best teams and win,” Birchard said Sunday afternoon at the Dekalb Superspiel in Morris. “It’s something I think we’ve carried into this season. It gave us a lot of encouragement.”

Following their 2013 run, Birchard and her team disbanded due to age eligibility on the junior circuit. When Birchard aged out herself prior to the start of last season, a reunion became a no-brainer.

“That was always the plan,” Birchard said. “Coming out of junior, I was a free agent, but we had such great chemistry together (during the 2013 season). We’re all best friends, so it just made sense. We had a really successful year, so why not try it on the women’s side.”

The challenge for one of Manitoba’s women’s up-and-coming rinks is dealing with the rigours of life off the ice.

Birchard graduated from the University of Winnipeg this past spring, but her third is still in school and they all have work commitments to uphold.

“We’re a little bit in the middle right now… You definitely have to make a lot of sacrifices,” Birchard said. “It’s been a little tough to get away. I think in the future we will be looking to get away more and push to get those points and improve our standings in the world.”

After their fortunes last year, Birchard said she would have liked to have made that jump this season.

“But curling isn’t something you can live off of,” she said. “At our age, we want to be setting up careers. It’s really tough to sacrifice that to play. But then again, we’re young. Are we ever going to be as good as we are in these few years when we have more time.”

Birchard currently sits 32 on the World Curling Tour’s Order of Merit and has qualified in events in Calgary and Portage la Prairie thus far this season. 

PLAYOFFS SET

Mike McEwen and Reid Carruthers are among a stacked group of qualifiers for Monday’s playoff bracket at the Dekalb Superspiel in Morris. 

McEwen needed an extra end but managed to top fellow Winnipegger Jason Gunnlaugson 3-2 in a very tight 3 p.m. draw Sunday. 

Winnipeg’s William Lyburn qualified alongside Carruthers on Saturday. Sweden’s Gustav Eriksson qualified Sunday afternoon. 

Carruthers had Sunday off after posting a 4-0 record over Friday’s and Saturday’s draws to cruise into Monday’s playoffs. He will have a chance to defend his 2015 crown on Monday. 

One the women’s side, Jennifer Jones, like Carruthers, had Sunday off and will have her own chance to reclaim the title she won last year. Jones beat fellow St. Vital Curling Club rink Shannon Birchard 5-4 on Saturday to qualify. 

Winnipeg’s Michelle Englot finished second at the Grand Slam of Curling event in Cranbrook, B.C. and is in the hunt for another top finish after qualifying on Sunday. Englot put up four in the second end against Birchard and survived a comeback attempt to book her ticket for Monday’s playoffs. 

Jamie Sinclair’s Blaine, Minn., rink and Winnipeg’s Darcy Robertson round out those qualified on Sunday afternoon. 

Ontario’s Julie Tippin scored three in the eighth end to come from behind and beat Cathy Overton-Clapham 5-3 on Sunday night. Winnipeg’s Briane Meilleur broke a 4-4 deadlock in the eighth, scoring a single to oust Sweden’s Margaretha Sigfridsson. 

scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @scottbilleck