Homan set for Scottie challenge
EIGHT MONTHS PREGNANT, OTTAWA SKIP SAYS SHE’S FEELING GOOD, READY FOR RUN AT CROWN
In a normal year at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts and other big women’s curling events, you’d be sure to hear a group of spectators chanting “Homan fans, in the stands, if you’re with us clap your hands.”
The chant comes from the entourage of Ontario skip rachel Homan and her teammates and it has become as common as the Northern Ontario moose call, pin trading and parties at the Heartstop Lounge during the Scotties.
Of course, there will be no such chants or moose calls or parties this year as the Canadian women’s curling championship is played in a bubble environment at Calgary’s Canada Olympic Park.
COVID-19 has changed everything and the women of curling were the first to see it first hand when the Scotties got underway Friday.
“We’ve performed with no crowds before,” three-time Canadian champ Homan, an Ottawa native who now resides in Alberta, said in a telephone interview from the bubble.
“It’s just a really nice atmosphere that we’re going to miss. It’s seeing your friends and family after the game and being able to go out for dinner with them after the games and enjoy the experience with them.”
The lack of fans and pins and the Heartstop Lounge are just some of the things that are different for the Homan team since they lost the 2020 Scotties final in Moose Jaw to Manitoba’s Kerri einarson last February.
The team has a new player in second Sarah Wilkes, Joanne Courtney has moved to lead to replace longtime teammate Lisa Weagle (now with Jennifer Jones) and Homan is expecting her second child as she takes to the ice for the start of the tournament.
Homan is eight months pregnant and there’s no doubt that will make playing in this championship different than any time she’s done it before.
“It presents some challenges but so far, so good,” said Homan, who also curls with longtime third emma Miskew.
“We were off for two monthsish. That was definitely challenging, through pregnancy and not being able to curl and taking two months off. It’s challenging because your body changes.
“We only had a week or two to see where we were able to get on the ice and see how things had changed for me and figure out a plan for the Scotties. It’s a different preparation and a different challenge.”
Homan, 32, fully expects to be able to play for the whole tournament but, just in case, the team brought along fellow Ontario skip danielle Inglis as fifth player.
If Homan has any issues or just wants to take a break during the round robin, Inglis could go in and play. betting money would be on Inglis seeing a fair bit of action during the tournament, whether it be at skip or any other position.
“I’m feeling good and, as long as I’m feeling good and healthy, I’ll be out there playing,” Homan said.
“but with COVID and pregnancy, you just never know what’s going to happen this week. We’re all hopeful for the best but danielle is an amazing player and shooter and a great person all around. It’s really great to have her around the team. If she needs to fill in anywhere, we’re really confident that it will be seamless with her.”
Homan’s first game of the Scotties this year is Saturday afternoon against beth Peterson, a Manitoba skip who got in as the third wild card team in the 18-team field.
It’s Peterson’s first Scotties appearance and she gets a daunting foe in Homan, who is playing in her eighth Tournament of Hearts. Homan is also a world champion and Olympian.
While that sounds like a mismatch on paper, things are so different this year, and there’s been so little practice and preparation, that no one really knows what will happen when the teams slide out on the ice.
“When it comes down to it, when we start, it will feel very similar to normal,” Homan said. “We’ll obviously be missing the fans but it will be very similar. Curling Canada has done a great job. The venue is amazing.
“The talent is so deep this year because we were able to select teams that have been doing so well the last couple of years. It’ll be a little bit different and look a little bit different but we’ll be out there and the team is ready.”