Saskatchewan skip Robyn Silvernagle meets the media on Feb. 14, 2020, in advance of the Scotties Tournament of Hearts women's curling championship in Moose Jaw. (Britton Gray/980 CJME)

By Britton Gray/CJME News Staff

Silvernagle rink ready for second Scotties appearance

Feb 14, 2020 | 5:40 PM

Robyn Silvernagle’s rink is hoping its second trip to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts can build off last year’s debut.

In its first Scotties in 2019, the North Battleford-based team finished with a bronze medal. This year, in front of a home crowd at Mosaic Place in Moose Jaw, the team has big aspirations for the Canadian women’s curling championship tournament.

“I think every team goes in with some goals and definitely we want to win just like every other team here,” Silvernagle said following the Saskatchewan team’s practice session Friday afternoon.

“First goal is to win the first game and, from there, make the championship round and then playoffs and then be the champion at the end.”

The 32-year-old skip believes her team gained some valuable experience playing in the national tournament last year.

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“You learn so much, just on even how to handle yourself and deal with certain situations,” Silvernagle said. “We’ll definitely take a lot from last year.”

Silvernagle, third Stefanie Lawton, second Jessie Hunkin and lead Kara Thevenot punched their ticket to the tournament by defeating Sherry Anderson’s team 8-5 in the Viterra Scotties provincial final at the Horizon Credit Union Centre in Melville on Jan. 28.

The Silvernagle team is anticipating Saskatchewan’s curling faithful to be out in full force throughout the Scotties.

“We’re all very excited. Getting to play in a couple (Grand) Slams in Saskatchewan last year was incredible so this is going to be even more electrifying,” Silvernagle said.

Having thousands of Saskatchewan fans cheering on her team isn’t going to be anything new for Lawton. She was the skip for Saskatchewan at the Scotties in Moose Jaw in 2015.

“I love this town so I’m excited to be back playing here,” Lawton said. “I think (the fans) are going to be dressed in green and loving it out here, so I’m expecting a really big crowd and lots of fun.”

The Saskatchewan representatives, who come in as the eighth seeds in the tournament, find themselves against some tough competition in Pool A.

They will compete with Manitoba’s Kerri Einarson (first seed), Team Canada’s Chelsea Carey (fourth seed), Laura Walker’s Alberta rink (fifth seed), the Northern Ontario rink led by Krista McCarville (ninth seed), New Brunswick’s Andrea Crawford (12th seed), Nunavut’s Lori Eddy (13th seed) and Quebec’s Noémie Verreault (16th seed).

In Pool B, Ontario’s Rachel Homan (second seed), the wild-card team (third seed), British Columbia’s Corryn Brown (sixth seed), Prince Edward Island’s Suzanne Birt (seventh seed), the Northwest Territories’ Kerry Galusha (10th seed), Nova Scotia’s Mary-Anne Arsenault (11th seed), Yukon’s Hailey Birnie (14th seed), and Newfoundland/Labrador’s Erica Curtis (15th seed) will battle it out.

Jennifer Jones’ rink and Tracy Fleury’s rink, both curling out of Manitoba, are to face off against each other in the wild-card game Friday night.

The top four teams from each pool will advance to the championship pool.

Silvernagle and her team are to open the round-robin against New Brunswick on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.