McCarville Continues at Stu Sells Tankard
The new-look Team Krista McCarville is off to a strong start this season. The five-player rink is hoping to build on its early success at this week's Stu Sells Tankard.
"You can beat anybody and you can lose against anybody," McCarville said. "We just want to go out there and personally feel the best that we can feel. I think that's important."
Her Thunder Bay, Ont.-based team added Fredericton-based Andrea Kelly to its lineup this season. The five-player crew also includes Kendra Lilly, Ashley Sippala and Sarah Potts.
They were victorious in their season debut at the KW Fall Classic last month, topping Britain's Rebecca Morrison in the final.
"That was really exciting, we seemed to jell really well," McCarville said. "You have to adjust on and off the ice to a new player.
Things seemed to just be really smooth.
"I feel like Andrea is very much similar to me. So it seemed to go really well."
Competition begins Thursday at the Barrie Curling Club. McCarville will open against Susan Froud in the late evening draw.
The women's field also includes EunJung Kim and Hollie Duncan. Glenn Howard, John Epping and John Shuster are some of the men's headliners.
Kelly won bronze at the 2022 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Thunder Bay, Ont.
McCarville reached the final at the event in her hometown but settled for silver.
McCarville reached the semifinals at last season's national championship but again fell to eventual champion Kerri Einarson.
The 40-year-old teacher said the time was right to make a lineup addition.
"We've been together for eight years (and) we've come so close to winning the Scotties and doing really well on the circuit and going to Slams and all that," McCarville said.
"But you kind of get to a point where you're like, 'OK we need something to change here. We need something to spruce us up, give us a boost and that energy feel."
"So we knew right away last (season) that we wanted to do something."
The team plans to have McCarville and Kelly on the back end while Lilly, Sippala and Potts rotate on the front.
"All four of us still wanted to curl together," McCarville said. "We love playing together. We're good friends. So it is a nice little boost of energy and to have Andrea with all her experience come onto our team, we just feel very confident about that.
"She's bringing a lot to our team."
Kelly won bronze at the 2005 world junior championship. She has played at the Scotties on 11 occasions.
"We're not changing a ton," McCarville said. "This is just what works for us. We all have our full-time jobs. We love curling but we also have family and lives that we focus on as well so that's really important to us."
McCarville has a career 7-7 record in three previous appearances at the Stu Sells Tankard, with Kelly having played once, finishing 3-2.
The Stu Sells Tankard continues through Monday.
There are 24 men's teams in the field and 24 rinks in the women's field at the triple-knockout event.
The Stu Sells Junior Tankard will run over the same weekend.
"You can beat anybody and you can lose against anybody," McCarville said. "We just want to go out there and personally feel the best that we can feel. I think that's important."
Her Thunder Bay, Ont.-based team added Fredericton-based Andrea Kelly to its lineup this season. The five-player crew also includes Kendra Lilly, Ashley Sippala and Sarah Potts.
They were victorious in their season debut at the KW Fall Classic last month, topping Britain's Rebecca Morrison in the final.
"That was really exciting, we seemed to jell really well," McCarville said. "You have to adjust on and off the ice to a new player.
Things seemed to just be really smooth.
"I feel like Andrea is very much similar to me. So it seemed to go really well."
Competition begins Thursday at the Barrie Curling Club. McCarville will open against Susan Froud in the late evening draw.
The women's field also includes EunJung Kim and Hollie Duncan. Glenn Howard, John Epping and John Shuster are some of the men's headliners.
Kelly won bronze at the 2022 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Thunder Bay, Ont.
McCarville reached the final at the event in her hometown but settled for silver.
McCarville reached the semifinals at last season's national championship but again fell to eventual champion Kerri Einarson.
The 40-year-old teacher said the time was right to make a lineup addition.
"We've been together for eight years (and) we've come so close to winning the Scotties and doing really well on the circuit and going to Slams and all that," McCarville said.
"But you kind of get to a point where you're like, 'OK we need something to change here. We need something to spruce us up, give us a boost and that energy feel."
"So we knew right away last (season) that we wanted to do something."
The team plans to have McCarville and Kelly on the back end while Lilly, Sippala and Potts rotate on the front.
"All four of us still wanted to curl together," McCarville said. "We love playing together. We're good friends. So it is a nice little boost of energy and to have Andrea with all her experience come onto our team, we just feel very confident about that.
"She's bringing a lot to our team."
Kelly won bronze at the 2005 world junior championship. She has played at the Scotties on 11 occasions.
"We're not changing a ton," McCarville said. "This is just what works for us. We all have our full-time jobs. We love curling but we also have family and lives that we focus on as well so that's really important to us."
McCarville has a career 7-7 record in three previous appearances at the Stu Sells Tankard, with Kelly having played once, finishing 3-2.
The Stu Sells Tankard continues through Monday.
There are 24 men's teams in the field and 24 rinks in the women's field at the triple-knockout event.
The Stu Sells Junior Tankard will run over the same weekend.