Estevan’s Kristy Johnson will be making her ninth trip to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts Provincials this January.
Johnson, who is a lead with Kronau’s Team Schneider, qualified with her rink for the tournament by winning a 7-2 C-event final over Biggar’s Team Barber at the Viterra Challenge Provincial Qualifying Bonspiel Dec. 13 at the Power Dodge Curling Centre.
Joining Johnson at the 2016 Viterra Scotties Tournament of Hearts Provincials at the Prince Albert Golf and Curling Club from Jan. 27 to 31 will be her teammates Kim Schneider, skip, Laura Strong, third, and Natalie Bloomfield, second. The team will be vying against 11 other women’s curling teams at Provincials for the opportunity to compete as Saskatchewan’s entry in the National Scotties Tournament held in Grand Prairie, Alberta, from Feb. 20 to 28.
“The goal is always to win,” said Johnson about her expectation of making it to nationals. “That’s why you work hard all year to try to get to that next level.”
Team Schneider earned the opportunity through beating Estevan Curling Club’s Team Peterson 7-3 in draw one, Martensville’s Team Martin 4-3 in draw two and Regina’s Team Fleming 6-4 in draw three in the A-event. The rink then lost the first qualifier match for provincials 8-3 to North Battleford’s Team Silvernagle.
“We played really well, got some rocks in play and got a few rocks in the house,” said Team Silvernagle skip Robin Silvernagle about the sixth end of their win when they scored three to go up by five on Team Schneider. “Amber (Holland, who was subbing in for Kim Schneider as skip in Estevan) wasn’t able to bury quite enough, so it left me a shot for three.”
With the loss Team Schneider jumped to the B-event for a match with Regina’s Team Campbell. The Campbell rink beat Team Schneider 10-6 before earning the second qualifying berth at provincials with a 6-4 win over Team Martin.
“It’s really exciting for us,” said Team Campbell skip Jolene Campbell, on earning the provincial berth. “It’s our first year together. Actually our second (Callan Hamon), this is just her first year in ladies play. She just aged out of junior. So (we’re) excited. The main goal was to get into that provincial and now we’ll work really hard so that, hopefully, when we get there we can be one of the top teams and be a contender.”
The Team Campbell wins pushed Team Schneider and Team Martin to the C-event, where Team Martin earned the third qualifier with a 6-5 win over Balgonie’s Team Selzer.
“We just stuck to our plan that we had all weekend and kept it to clean ends and played to our skill level,” said Team Martin skip Nancy Martin. “We’re a strong hitting team, so that’s what we like to do.”
Team Schneider first had to defeat Saskatoon’s Team Vey, which they accomplished with a close 8-7 win, before facing Team Barber in the qualifier. Against Barber, Team Johnson scored one with the hammer in the first end before Barber tied it up in the second, then got a second point in the third that was quickly followed by another Barber point to make it 4-4 after four ends.
“We just put rocks in play and when we got our three (in the fifth end) Amber made a nice double to leave two and Brett (Barber) tried a pretty hard shot and she didn’t make it, so we had an open (shot) at three,” said Johnson. “Then in the next end I actually was supposed to come in on my first and I dropped it short and we got more rocks in play than we wanted and we ended up stealing it.”
Johnson said they are expecting good competition at the provincial tournament and will have to bring their A-game to make the final round. She noted she has never advanced past the provincial tournament before, but there is always a chance.
“We won’t be one of the favourites,” she said, “but you never know once you get there.”
