Scheidegger thrilled for third Scotties appearance

By Lethbridge Herald on February 16, 2023.

THE CANADIAN PRESS photo Skip Casey Scheidegger, from the Lethbridge Curling Club, releases a rock during the wild-card game against Kerri Einarson’s rink from Gimli, Manitoba at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts at Centre 200 in Sydney, N.S. on Friday, Feb. 15, 2019. Scheidegger is thrilled for a third opportunity at the tournament that begins today in Kamloops.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

Lethbridge skip Casey Scheidegger and her curling team begin their quest for a Scotties Tournament of Hearts championship tomorrow in Kamloops.

Team Scheidegger comes into the tournament as a wild card team after losing in the Alberta Scotties qualifier final to Kayla Scrilyk’s team last month, who will be Team Alberta.

“I mean we would’ve loved to be Team Alberta,” said Scheidegger.

“But sometimes that doesn’t always work out. So we’re pretty happy though to be going as a wild card team and very thankful for the opportunity.”

There were three wild card berths this year and they were awarded to the highest-rank teams in the Canadian team ranking system that didn’t win through their respective provincial qualifiers.

Scheidegger secured the second wild card spot, Kaitlyn Lawes Winnipeg rink earned the first wild card and Manitoba’s Meghan Walter’s rink took the third spot.

“I think that your wild card teams are going to be strong teams because they are those higher ranked teams that weren’t able to make it out of their provincial playdowns and sometimes, you know, that happens,” said Scheidegger.

“And I think that’s why Curling Canada has decided to go the route of the wild cards — which I mean I’m pretty happy about this year. For us, it doesn’t really matter what colour of jacket we’re wearing or what we’re representing, we know that we’re still an Alberta team and we want to represent our province well and ourselves well.”

Scheidegger thinks this is one of the better Scotties fields that she has seen.

“With the addition or the wild card, I think that definitely makes sure that you have kind of your top 10 in Canada at the event,” she said.

“And then you kind of have like those outliers who don’t maybe play as much but are still really strong teams.”

The team’s focus will be to learn the ice early and fast as they can.

“And just try to find some consistent play to make sure that we are making as many shots as we can,” she said.

This will be Scheidegger’s third appearance at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts after being Team Alberta in 2018 and a wild card team in 2019.

“I think that every time you get to go back, you’re building on what you learned the previous times,” she said.

“…I know for myself, I’m looking forward to being able to (return) because it’s been a couple of years since I’ve go to attend a Scotties, and it’s always a pretty magical event and it’s something that I look forward to. So I’m really thrilled to be able to participate again.”

Scheidegger’s first draw is on Saturday against Walter’s rink at 2 p.m. MST.

Her rink consists of Third Kate Cameron, Second Jessie Haughian, Lead Taylor McDonald and coach Joan McCusker.

The 2023 Scotties Tournament of Hearts is from Feb. 17-26 in Kamloops, B.C.