CALGARY — As Selena Sturmay floated her final rock in to complete an extra-end comeback, clinching her Team Alberta a berth in the Scotties playoffs in her home province, the 25-year-old travelled down the ice straight-faced.
Screaming schoolkids yelled “Al-bert-a!” after Sturmay’s team became the first to qualify for the playoffs here, and the skip smiled a little smile and waved a little wave.
That tells you much of what you ought to know about the Scotties rookie who isn’t playing anything like a first-timer here at WinSport Arena this week: Sturmay is composed as all get-out.
“As a skipper, you just have to have it,” said Team Alberta’s coach, Ted Appleman, with a shrug.
It’s that calm-and-composed identity that defines the Albertans, a team rounded out by lead Paige Papley, second Dezaray Hawes and third Danielle Schmiemann.
“We say that about our whole team: We’re pretty even-keel, we don’t like to show emotion one way or the other, just stay kind of in the moment,” said Hawes, the only member of the team with any experience at this national championship before this week. She spoke to reporters wearing Costco-brand slippers, if you wanted another indication that this young team of mostly Scotties rookies is rather comfortable.
If they were going to show any emotion in the early goings here, Wednesday morning was certainly the time for it, since they found themselves trailing Northern Ontario 6-1 through four ends. That’s the first time this Team Alberta had ever trailed at the Scotties — they waited six games to face real adversity.
“Yeah, I’m not complaining at all,” Sturmay said with a laugh, standing in her sock feet at arena level after the comeback win.
Some might’ve figured the game was all over when Northern Ontario was up 6-1, and led by two-time Scotties silver medallist Krista McCarville, but Sturmay and her teammates had other plans.
“We’re really good at clawing back in games and, you know, 10 ends is a really long game, so we knew that if we could just convert with hammer, get two, force one, get two, force one, and then maybe we sneak out a steal or two, it would be a game in the end,” Sturmay said.
The Edmonton-based nurse who doubles as a world-class skip makes it sound oh-so-easy, and that’s exactly what Team Alberta pulled off. They scored a deuce in the seventh, stole a single in the eighth and a whopping three in the ninth to take their first lead of the game, 9-7, into the 10th end.
That sent this crowd into a tizzy, with schoolkids slamming thunder sticks and screaming “Al-bert-a!” Sturmay’s husband, her parents, her in-laws and her sisters have all been in the crowd this week, and her team bought about 300 tickets in all for the round-robin.
“I think when we were down, it was great, it kind of fired us up and gave us that motivation,” Sturmay said of the crowd, which she figures is the loudest she’s ever played in front of. “When the score started to get closer, definitely felt a bit of pressure to perform for them — and then again, just the communication piece when it’s super loud in the rink, it’s hard to convey the messages as clearly and articulate that as clearly.”
Well, they got their communication across just fine.
McCarville narrowly missed scoring three in the 10th for a win, which sent it to an extra end, where Alberta had the hammer. McCarville’s final rock floated long, and it was good for shot rock, but it left a wide open draw for Sturmay for the 10-9 win.
“You know what? Anything can happen out here,” Sturmay said.
“It was a grind,” added a grinning Hawes. “I think that says a lot about our team, you know — the game’s not over until we shake hands.”
Team Northern Ontario narrowly missed some big shots that could’ve quelled the comeback, “just an inch here, an inch there,” McCarville said. “And, of course, my last shot. I need to make my last shot.”
The 41-year-old schoolteacher and her team are in must-win situation now, at 3-3 in Pool B. The top three teams in each pool make the playoffs, and Sturmay has that No. 1 spot locked up, and the four-time defending Scotties champions led by Kerri Einarson are 5-1 and looking good to nab the second.
McCarville’s team is one of five with three losses, all competing for that last playoff spot.
“We know we have to battle,” McCarville said. “There’s still a chance, but we probably need a little bit of help.”
Meanwhile, Team Alberta plays again Wednesday night, playoff spot in hand, needing no help.
Nobody on this team is super surprised at their undefeated start, given their pedigree: They own U-21 national titles and U Sport gold medals while playing for the University of Alberta. They’re ranked No. 5 in Canada.
“It's their first year [at the Scotties], but they've all had success in the past,” said coach Appleman. “So, you know, obviously I'm a little surprised we're 6-0, but I'm also not surprised. We all thought we'd do well here this week.”
During provincials last month to earn their way here, Appleman thought this team needed a little more zest. “I was trying to get them to be a little more intense, you know: ‘Come on girls, let’s pick it up a little more,’” he said. “And I started to realize that that is just not this team. This team plays better when they’re just chilled, relaxed, having fun.
“It’s weird, I haven’t really experienced that with many other curlers. They know exactly what their team identity is, and that’s how they play good. And you’ll see it out there when they’re just kind of smiling and relaxed — they play super well.”
You may not be able to tell from Sturmay’s cool-as-a-cucumber composure, but this could be the most fun she’s ever had in her 19 years of curling.
“Probably, yeah,” she said, with a smile. “I mean, it’s great to be here. It’s great to be Team Alberta in Alberta.”
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