Lawes Into Players' Open Quarters

Kaitlyn Lawes (photo: Anil Mungal, GSOC) and her Winnipeg-based team is approaching this season a little differently than most women's curling rinks. "We're using this year as Year 1 - 2.0 - because of all the moving parts last year with the pregnancies," said third Selena Njegovan. "We're just learning how to play as a team basically in the second year of the quad. "We're treating this like our first year, setting some goals, trying to learn what's best for Team Lawes and going from there." In their opening game, Lawes lost 7-5, then responded with a 7-4 win over Fay Henderson (Stirling, Scotland). Lawes won 9-4 against Corrie Huerlimann (Zug, Switzerland), then won 7-4 against Jennifer Jones (Winnipeg, MB). Lawes went on to lose 6-5 against Hollie Duncan (Woodstock, ON) in their final qualifying round match, setting up a rematch tiebreaker Saturday evening against Jones. The Winnipeg-based squad played well last season considering all the position switches and substitute players. Three of the four players on the team - Lawes, Njegovan and second Jocelyn Peterman - had babies. "I think we just learned a lot about each other and how we can adapt to different situations," Njegovan said. "We didn't have the best season but we didn't have the worst season with the revolving door of players all year. I would say that was really impressive and we really persevered through that." The Lawes team, which also includes lead Kristin MacCuish, won two mid-level bonspiels and went to the final weekend at a couple Grand Slams. The foursome was ranked fourth in Canada at the end of the season. "We just learned last year that we're very supportive of each other and it holds true now that things are different now with kids on the road with us," Njegovan said. Her team won two of its first three games at this week's Insitu Players Open in Dundas, Ont. The new event features a 24-team women's draw and a 24-team men's draw. "We're excited to play in this event," Njegovan said. "Obviously it's a lot of fun to play in a new event and it's nice to be back on with the Slams (as) we're already out here in Ontario. We've been practising quite a bit." Many teams are using this competition as a warmup ahead of the Grand Slam opener - the HearingLife Tour Challenge - in Niagara Falls, Ont. "Sometimes the babies are here with us, sometimes they stay at home," Njegovan said. "Next week all the babies are going to be in Niagara Falls with us so we're super excited for that. But we have a really good support system at home who takes care of the babies and let's us just focus on curling. "It's been an adjustment but it's been good." Every player in the lineup has at least one Slam title on their resume. Lawes (2015) and Peterman (2016) have each won a national women's title. Lawes has also won Olympic gold on two occasions. She won women's team gold with skip Jennifer Jones in 2014 and mixed doubles gold with John Morris in 2018. "Everyone knows she's a very strong player," Njegovan said. "She has had a lot of experience in those big games and she's very smart. She knows when to bail and when we should go for it. She brings a lot of positivity. "We have a ton of confidence in her and we know she's going to make that last shot."