Penny Barker saved her best for last at the Viterra Scotties in Assiniboia, beating the previously undefeated Chelsea Carey 7-5 in Sunday’s final, after losing to Carey in their previous two meetings on Friday and Saturday.
“We just approached it as just another game,” said Barker. “We knew that we needed to make a couple more shots in the final than we had in the last couple of games we played against them.
“They are a strong team and we just knew that we had to make our shots and that should put us in a good position to hopefully win the game and we were happy to be where we were at the end of the game.”
Now, Barker and her Moose Jaw curling team, featuring third Christie Gamble, second Jenna Enge and lead Danielle Sicinski, will represent Saskatchewan at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, which is slated to get underway Jan. 28th in Thunder Bay, Ont.
“It was a battle for everyone out there,” said Barker. “Women’s curling in Saskatchewan is really strong. There was 12 teams competing this weekend and all 12 of them could represent the province.
“Really excited to be the ones that ended up on top.”
For Barker, it will be her second time skipping a team at the national event, after also wearing the Saskatchewan green jacket in 2017 alongside Sicinski. Enge will be attending her fourth Scotties, while it will be the first of Gamble’s career.
“That first Scotties win just gives you that drive to get back,” said Barker. “That’s been the last five years, is putting in more and more work to put us in a position to get back to the national stage.”
Now for the next three weeks prior to the event, all Barker and her team can do for is wait, keep themselves healthy and cross their fingers they don’t run into any pandemic issues. ‘
All Barker wants is a chance to play in the tournament, whatever it may look like this year.
“Whatever the organizers decide, that’ll be what it is and we’ll go in there and compete however they throw it at us,” said Barker.
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