Birchard thrives on Scotties stage
Jennifer Jones knew she was looking into a deep pool when searching for a substitute for longtime third Kaitlyn Lawes before the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
Jones needed a third because Lawes and John Morris are off to the 2018 Winter Olympics in mixed doubles curling.
The skip of Team Manitoba, who is backed by second Jill Officer and lead Dawn McEwen, had an entire province with some of the country’s best curlers from which to choose for the Canadian women’s curling championship.
Jones recruited Shannon Birchard, a 23-year-old two-time Manitoba junior champion and skip of her own up-and-coming team.
“We felt that Shannon had the ‘it’ factor,” Officer said. “She has the ability to show up under the lights in a big show that she has never been part of. We knew that she would embrace it, be confident and make shots.”
Birchard’s ability was evident to other Manitoba curlers before she arrived at the Scotties.
“We figured they would pick her and that’s how they were thinking the whole time,” said Kerri Einarson, a native of East St. Paul, Man., who is skipping Team Wild Card. “It has worked out pretty well. She had done so well in juniors and even in the women’s where they have beaten Jennifer a few times. She must have some talent in her and she’s a great thrower.”
Birchard watched Jones curl while growing up in Winnipeg, and finds it surreal she’s curling with her idols on a national stage.
“We’re still in the honeymoon phase and I’m loving it out there,” she said. “I still have to pinch myself every once in a while and remember that I’m playing with some pretty amazing curlers.”
Birchard feels the depth of Manitoba curling helped her prepare for the Scotties, where she leads all thirds in shooting percentage (88).
“There are a lot of young players coming up in Manitoba and that’s encouraging,” Birchard said. “That provides a lot of competition for us to improve and to get better.”
Birchard played three games with Jones in the Grand Slam of Curling ’s Canadian Open.
“There was very little discussion or off-ice communication that we needed to have to make things work,” Officer said. “It clicked fairly soon. It just seemed to work well and we’re lucky that we had that competition right away.”
Birchard is treated as a fullfledged member of the team despite her temporary status.
“(Jones) told me coming into this to be comfortable and honest,” she said. “She wants to hear my opinion and that’s what I give her.”
Jones has been more than satisfied with Birchard.
“Her rocks are really easy to read and she has been calling great line on my shots,” Jones said. “She’s great at talking to me about the speed of the ice.”
If Jones wins the championship, Lawes would return to her regular position. It’s likely Birchard would be added as an alternate for the world championship in North Bay, Ont.
Jones, meanwhile, rolled past B.C.’s Kesa Van Osch 10-3 in the first round of the eightteam championship pool and improved her record to 6-2. Einarson and Alberta’s Casey Scheidegger are on top of the pack at 7-1, after Einarson topped Ontario’s Hollie Duncan 7-5 and Scheidegger defeated Northern Ontario’s Tracy Fleury 8-4. Jones is tied for third with Nova Scotia’s Mary-Anne Arsenault, who turned back Team Canada’s Michelle Englot 7-1.