N.W.T. IN UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY
Galusha rink rocking at the Scotties
Maybe the 10th time is the charm for Kerry Galusha.
In nine previous times skipping the Northwest Territories at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Galusha’s best round robin record was 4-7 (three times). She has yet to qualify for the playoffs, but that could change this year.
With a 12-9 comeback victory over winless British Columbia on Monday afternoon at the women’s curling nationals, Galusha improved her record to 3-1.
“I feel like I’m playing really well right now,” Galusha said. “31? Amazing. That was a must-win for us today. It was a one-game day today, and we’re so happy we have the night off.”
She and her team of third Megan Koehler, second Danielle Derry and lead Sharon Cormier trailed B.C. 6-2 after giving up a steal of four in the fourth end when Galusha misthrew a difficult, unwise attempted raise.
“Honestly, I feel like I curled lights out until that shot,” Galusha said. “That was just one bad shot. It was a bit of bad luck. I told (coach) John (Epping) he should have called a timeout. The girls were angry at me because they really didn’t like that shot, but I played it anyways, and it messed us all up.
“But you know what? We fought back. We battled hard and we were still in control.”
Indeed, Galusha answered immediately in the fifth, scoring three on a precarious crowd-side draw on Sheet A into the eightfoot, to cut the B.C. lead to 6-5 at the break. An end later, Galusha stole three more to go up 8-6 and seize control. With the hammer in the 10th, she scored three to break a 9-9 tie.
The 39-year-old has more experience on the Meridian Centre ice sheets than any skip at the Scotties. That’s because she had to win three of four pre-qualifying games from Thursday to Saturday afternoon just to squeeze past New Brunswick, Nunavut and Yukon and into the 12-team main draw. The one pre-qualifying loss was inconsequential as she’d already qualified for the play-in final.
Of seven meaningful games in St. Catharines, she has won five. It’s taking a toll, but not physically.
“I guess now people are saying, ‘Well, you had the pre-qualifiers. That’ll help,” Galusha said. “They did help, but mentally it was exhausting to go through that. It was up and down. Our bodies are holding up OK, it’s just our heads.”
Galusha is a member of the famous Koe curling family. Her older brother Kevin Koe is the reigning Canadian and world men’s champion, curling out of Calgary’s Glencoe Curling Club. Her twin brother Jamie Koe will compete in next month’s Brier as an 11-time Northwest Territories (or combined Northwest/Yukon Territories) champion.
“I told (Jamie) after we managed to squeak through Nova Scotia (on Sunday), I was like, ‘I am mentally done,’” Galusha said. “And he said, ‘I remember that from last year,’ because he had to do the same thing.
“So John’s a little worried we’re going to peter out come Wednesday, but today, I already felt 100 times better than I felt yesterday.”
Galusha skipped for the first time at the Scotties in 2001. She shot third stones the next three times, from 2005 to 2007, but has thrown skip rocks ever since. Her overall Scotties record, including two appearances as a Northwest Territories alternate, is 29-81.
To qualify for the Page playoffs — which begin Friday — she likely needs to finish 7-4. That would require going 4-3 in the rest of the round robin.
But Tuesday ’s schedule is brutal. The Northwest Territories rink faces Team Canada in the morning, then undefeated Ontario in the afternoon.
Galusha had to be told that schedule by a reporter afterward — an indication the team is heeding coach Epping ’s advice and taking everything a moment at a time. They’re staying away from the usual Scotties social scene and are barely checking their cellphones.
“Right now I’m just playing, and then leaving and resting. It’s been a gruelling week already. It’s very different than what our team would normally do, that’s for sure.”
Meanwhile, the only two remaining undefeated rinks rolled right along on Monday afternoon, both improving to 4-0.
Rachel Homan’s Ontario team held off Alberta’s Shannon Kleibrink 6-4. And Manitoba’s Michelle Englot outdid Newfoundland’s Stacie Curtis 10-5 in a game rife with stolen ends.
Homan stole one in the sixth to break a 3-3 tie when Kleibrink wrecked on a draw for two, stole one again in the seventh to go up 5-3 when Kleibrink was heavy on a draw to the full four-foot, then thieved another when Kleibrink could peel only one of two stacked Ontario rocks to conclude the eighth end.
Kleibrink failed to blank the ninth end by sticking on a routine hit-and-roll, and thereby gave the hammer back to Homan down 6-4 entering the eventually blanked 10th end.
Englot jumped out to a 3-0 lead, then rebounded authoritatively after giving up a steal of three in the fifth end to fall behind 5-3. She scored two in the sixth to tie it, then stole singles in the seventh, eighth and ninth ends before stealing two more in the 10th against Curtis.
There was no morning draw on Monday. Round robin play concludes Friday morning.