The Northern Ontario Curling Association (NOCA) hosts the final leg of the journey to the Tim Hortons Brier and Scotties Tournament of Hearts with the provincial championships this week.
The Don Shepherdson Memorial Arena in Temiskaming Shores, home to the Horne Granite Curling Club, will welcome 15 rinks from around Northern Ontario, seven women's rinks and eight men's, and Sudbury is well-represented with five rinks taking part, including four on the women's side.
Action got underway today (Jan. 29), with all eight men's teams hitting the ice at 1:30 p.m. A pair of Sudbury women's rinks will go head to head in draw one, with Krysta Burns' Idylwylde rink taking on her club mate Bella Croisier, whose rink also curls out of Idylwylde.
Burns' rink is made up of Krysta Burns, Megan Smith, Sara Guy and Amanda Gates, while Bella Croisier's rink is rounded out with Jamie Smith, Emilie Lovitt and Piper Croisier.
Other women's rinks that will be looking to earn a spot in the 2020 Scotties are a pair of Curl Sudbury rinks. Abby Deschene will skip a team that includes Alissa Begin, Megan St. Amand and Kim Headley, while Camille Daly skips a rink of Alyssa Denyer, Mikaela Cheslock and Emma Johnson.
Sudbury's Kendra Lilly will be throwing vice stones for Krista McCarville's Fort William Curling Club rink out of Thunder Bay. Thanks to an unnamed reader for pointing out Jen Gates of Sudbury is also playing for Team McCarville again this year, at lead. She was with them at the Scotties last year and was the first team all star in the second position.
Over on the men's side of the draw, Sandy MacEwan's Curl Sudbury rink is the lone representative out of the Nickel City. MacEwan will be joined by Dustin Montpellier, Lee Toner and Luc Ouimet as one of seven teams looking to upend the Olympic gold medalists out of Sault Ste. Marie.
Brad Jacobs' Community First Curling Club rink are the odds on favourites to head to the Tim Hortons Brier and MacEwan's rink will take on Jacobs and co. on Friday at 9:30 a.m.
You can stay up to date with all the results from the NOCA provincial championships at noca.ca.
