THUNDER BAY – A Scotties Tournament of Hearts title would be great, but like every elite Canadian curler this fall, Krista McCarville has her eyes locked on one target – Olympic gold.
The Thunder Bay skip will take her first step toward that goal starting Nov. 6 in Summerside, P.E.I., when she and her squad join 13 other teams at the Road to the Roar Pre-Trials, seeking one of two spots at the Roar of the Rings Canadian Curling Trials in December in Ottawa.
McCarville, coming off back-to-back playoff appearances at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, will be in tough in Anne of Green Gables country, facing off against some of the top teams in the country, skipped by the likes of Sudbury’s Tracy Fleury, Ontario’s Sherry Middaugh, Manitoba’s Kerri Einarson and Alberta’s Shannon Kleibrink.
“You really have to play to the best of our ability, for sure,” McCarville said. “We have to have a really good week. Every team is saying the same thing. Honestly, they’re such close teams, I think that whoever is playing the best is going to come out on top and get those two spots.”
Experience does matter, and there will be plenty of that to go around in Summerside. Middaugh is a five-time Ontario champion and the silver-medalist at the most recent Canadian Olympic curling trials. Kleibrink has a runner-up finish at the Scotties.
McCarville is hoping her experience, with six provincial titles under her belt, gives her an advantage over some of the competition.
“I definitely think it helps. The Scotties is such a long week. Pre-trials is such a long week and it’s a stressful week,” she said. “Also, you’re doing a lot of waiting around while you’re watching the other teams, which you don’t have at the Scotties.
“You want to be in the top two and you don’t care how you get there, you just want to get there and be in the Trials because it’s so exciting to be there.”
Potts said she’s noticed a number of teams treating this season a little bit differently. Normally teams that might have played every weekend are taking time off to ensure they’re rested for Summerside and/or Ottawa.
“You’re definitely seeing different strategies. Other teams are going really hard because it’s that year. We’ll see what pays off. No one has an answer to what’s going to work. We know for us it’s best if we’re practicing and rested,” Potts said.
“But we also want to get those games in, so it’s a balance.”
The McCarville team was in Portage La Prairie,Man. last week at the Canada Inns Classic, but were ousted by Alberta’s Chelsea Carey on the C-side in the triple-knockout event.
The McCarville rink will play in Pool D in the Pre-Trials, grouped with Einarson, Middaugh, Winnipeg’s Darcy Robertson, B.C.’s Karla Thompson, Winnipeg’s Brianne Meilleur and Mississauga’s Jacqueline Harrison.
The Thunder Bay rink will face Robertson in its opening match on Nov. 7.
