Team Kessel curling team to represent Sask. at national championships

Sask. curling team heading to nationals Team Kessel of Balgonie Curling Club will head to a national championship next week. Brit Dort has the story.

Team Kessel of Balgonie Curling Club will head to Quebec next week for the 2023 New Holland Canadian U-21 Women’s Curling Championship.

The group will represent as Team Saskatchewan after they defeated Team Kleiter in the provincial final to send them to nationals for the second straight year. The group also represented last year at the U18 championships.

“It’s just a different environment. We’re used to playing the same teams here in Saskatchewan. So going there, it was just a lot of different teams and meeting new people, seeing what their skills were, what their strategy was, and having to adjust to that,” said skip, Elizabeth Kessel on what she learned from last year’s national tournament.

Kessel’s team consists of:

Rugg’s grandfather, Garnet Zummack, coaches the group.

“We formed a team in 2020 and then of course COVID hit, so we lost two years of development. So, last year was our first year of competitive curling and the way they have progressed, it’s just unbelievable. We’ll be watching them in the Scotties [some day],” said Zummack.

“We’re very competitive! We have our highs and our lows, mainly highs. We always know how to bounce back. We just curl as friends and we have fun,” said Rugg.

Rugg and Zummack are not the only family connection on the team as Tessa and Mya are sisters.

“It’s awesome, I mean, I think lots of people think we might fight or something, but we get together really well. I think we both complement each other and we push each other to practice and in games too. It’s awesome to have that support and to have someone at home to be able to connect to and talk to after the games,” said Mya.

“I love it! We have so much in common so it’s really nice having someone there that really gets you and getting to enjoy doing the same things together,” said Tessa.

Even though Team Kessel has been together for over three years now, fifth Claudia Lacell just joined the group a little over a year ago.

“We kind of saw each other at the rink, we would always see each other at bonspiels. I’m admiring them and it’s fun to watch and kind of be the cheerleader behind the glass,” said Lacell.

“She’s been our most valuable player all year, she’s been a real trooper. She’s gone to every spiel that we’ve gone to and she sits behind the glass. When we need her, she comes in and plays like a million dollars,” said Zummack.

Just like her teammates, Lacell has experience on the national stage as she just represented Team Saskatchewan at the Canada Winter Games. All of them were excited and honoured to have the opportunity to wear the green jackets once again.

“Being able to represent our province and the Balgonie Curling Club is amazing, to know that we have everyone behind us is amazing,” exclaimed Kessel.

“It’s very big! I’m super excited to represent Saskatchewan again, this will be my third time. I just can’t wait to do it with these girls again and just have a blast,” said Rugg enthusiastically.

“To represent our province, it’s a huge thing! And when it sinks in and you know you have the support of your whole province, it’s awesome,” said Mya.

“It feels great! It’s a goal, our goal, since we formed a team so it’s really nice to know that all the hard work that you put in at the beginning, it’s actually paid off,” added Tessa.

The team is happy to have some national experience under their belt but have spent their time since winning provincials trying to prepare for the different environment that this year’s championships will bring.

“This time we’ll be curling on arena ice, so that’s new to us. That’ll be different just adjusting to that and playing with Curling Canada rocks. We’ll also be playing on a curling rink so just bouncing between the two different arenas (will be an adjustment),” explained Kessel.

“Our team is going to be a lot more relaxed. Most of the teams that we’re playing we played last year in the U18’s or played them in the Winter Games. They’re quite the fierce competitors. They might come off as sweet and innocent, but they’re competitors,” laughed Zummack.

Most of the team noted that they expect Alberta, Manitoba, and Nova Scotia to be some of their toughest competition. However, Tessa noted she is not counting any team out.

“I think everyone will be the toughest competition. I think everyone is there for a reason because they’re the top team in their province or territory. Everyone will be there to give it their all,” she explained.

The national event will take place March 25-April 2 at Aréna Glencore du Centre Dave-Keon and the Club de Curling Noranda in Quebec.