Image credit: Amanda Wong

By Marty Hastings

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Pincott, Fisher of Team Brown talk hot Scotties start, travel snafus, ice conditions, Homan matchup

Feb 18, 2025 | 4:45 PM

THUNDER BAY, ONT. — Erin Pincott and Samantha Fisher were at a loss for words when asked where the team plans to dine on Tuesday (Feb. 18) night in Thunder Bay, Ont.

“I’m just along for the ride,” said Pincott, chuckling while turning to Fisher and looking for an answer that never came. “Someone has booked a [reservation] somewhere. I just show up where needed.”

Perhaps the one-meal-at-a-time mentality is an unexpected manifestation of the Kamloops Curling Club rink’s mantra at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

“We look at it one game at a time,” Fisher said.

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Regular sports interview watchers might shudder at the words, but there is a reason they are uttered so often and sports psychologist Tracey Bilsky has encouraged the team to focus on the strategy.

It appears to be working.

Team Brown is participating in its fourth Scotties and has never started so well, its record of 4-1 good for third place in Pool A as of Tuesday afternoon.

“At the start of the event, I actually didn’t know who we played next,” said Fisher, whose team is not scheduled to play on Tuesday. “This year, we worked really hard on giving every team the grace and credit they deserve. They’re all really good teams here.”

Fisher and company were not offered much time to think — or overthink — prior to their Scotties opener thanks to a series of travel snafus.

“Long story short, we had several cancellations, changed airlines, had to stay in Toronto for close to an extra day and ended up arriving in Thunder Bay at about 3:00 a.m. the morning [Friday, Feb. 14] of our first game and pre-event practice,” Pincott said, noting the team left Kamloops on Tuesday. “We took planes, trains and automobiles to get here.”

The 1987 film Planes, Trains and Automobiles — a road trip comedy classic featuring Steve Martin and John Candy — has a happy ending, but Team Brown is not looking that far ahead.

“I just know our next game is against Canada and that’s at the forefront of my thought process,” Fisher said.

Team Canada, helmed by skip Rachel Homan of Ottawa and ranked No. 1 in the world, was atop Pool A with a record of 5-0 as of Tuesday afternoon, a juggernaut living up to expectations.

The B.C.-Canada game on Wednesday morning — a victory would put the Kamloops ladies on the brink of their first Scotties playoff berth — is among the most significant in Team Brown history.

“Sounds fun, doesn’t it?” Pincott said of the clash with Homan. “I’m looking forward to playing the best on the biggest stage that our country has to offer. We know it will be a good game. We had a close game against them earlier in the season [8-4 loss on Sept. 27]. Hopefully, we can come out firing.”

Travel woes did not faze the Kamloopsians in their opening contest, an 11-4 triumph over Selena Sturmay and her Alberta rink, which includes former Brown second Dezaray Hawes.

“It’s always nice to start in the win column,” Pincott said. “It feels a little less daunting when you have a crooked number on that side, especially with there being no [tiebreaker games]. Head-to-head [record] is pretty important.”

Kayla Skrlik and her Alberta quartet scored one in the 10th end to edge Brown 9-8 on Saturday, but the Kamloops rink rebounded with a clutch 7-6 extra-end win over Saskatchewan (Nancy Martin) on Sunday.

“It’s nice to win big, but it’s also nice to know that when things get a little tight and the pressure is on, we can close those games out, as well,” Pincott said.

Two victories on Monday — 9-3 over hometown Northern Ontario (Krista McCarville) and 10-3 over Nunavut (Julia Weagle) — brought Brown’s win total to four, tied for the most it has ever had in a Scotties round-robin.

Positional curling percentage comparison data shines well on Team Brown, with lead Fisher (first), second Sarah Koltun (first), third Pincott (fifth) and skip Corryn Brown (tied for third) among the top five in their respective categories at the tournament.

“We don’t take too much stock in what the percentages are that Curling Canada puts out, but I’m feeling good, finding my draw weight and getting better,” Fisher said.

Ice conditions have been a topic of discussion at the Scotties.

“The ice has been okay,” Fisher said. “It’s a bit tricky, I would say. There are some paths that are a bit straighter than other paths or if the ice sits for a little bit on one side, it might be a little bit heavy.

“I think we’re doing a great job of managing it. We talk a lot about the paths and we haven’t seemed to have too many issues with it so far. We just learn to love whatever ice we’re given and run with it.”

Rest, treatment, practice and that dinner — with a travelling fan club of Kamloops family and friends — were among agenda items for Tuesday.

Pincott and Fisher eventually heard news of the location (The Foundry).

Table talk doesn’t seem likely to focus on the bigger picture, but breakfast with Homan, a 9:00 a.m. start, might be up for discussion.

“I think we’ve just got to come out loose and have a good game,” Fisher said. “We can put all the shots together. They’re a good team, so give them their credit, but know that we have the potential to beat them.”