With the Scotties Tournament of Hearts is less than a month away, veteran skip Sherry Middaugh knows there’s added pressure to make it back.
“We’re doing well, we’re qualifying. We are where we want to be and we are peaking,” says Middaugh.
And that’s good news for the Coldwater rink because starting next week the Penetanguishene Curling Club plays host to the 2015 Ontario Scotties.
“It’s the event everybody looks forward to the whole year,” says 2014 Ontario champion Allison Flaxey.
The event features ten of the best teams in southern Ontario fighting for a spot at Nationals. If they win in their own backyard and Team Middaugh then it is off to Moose Jaw but she knows it’s far from a done deal – she has to beat out last year’s champ Team Flaxey.
“They’ve got the skill and everything else so all ten teams have a chance. It’s played on ice and it’s slippery but definitely I like Allison and their team, they’ve played really hard,” adds Middaugh.
“Being a returning champ and not having to go thru playdowns to get here, you’re definitely having teams coming after you and you expect it though,” says Flaxey.
Tean Flaxey failed to reach the championship round in the 2014 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Montreal but next week in Penetanguishene she’s out to prove her Ontario title was no fluke.
“We’ve worked really hard for this, we’ve had a very tough year, playing against some of the best teams in the world to prepare and be ready for this so here we are.”
“Flaxey seems pumped as the defending champ so she’s got a bit of a target on her back but we might see them both in the finals,” says Keith Robillard with the Penetanguishene Curling Club.
“This is Sherry’s hood so it’s fun in that she’s going to have a lot of the attention and the crowd support which is good and bad I think,” adds Flaxey.
But Middaugh says bring it on.
“When you can see people cheering for you and the smiling faces behind the glass, it’s wonderful, it can only help, it’s like they say…the fifth man.”
