News Elite 10

VICTORIA — Rachel Homan stared down the ice eyeing four counters all lined up nearly single file along the centre line in the house. Already leading 2-up in her Friday morning match against Charley Thomas at the Elite 10, Homan looked to put a hold on the game and make it more difficult for her opponent to start a comeback during the fifth end.

“Well, two for sure stay,” Team Thomas third Matt Dunstone said.

“Oh yeah?” Homan replied.

Not one to back down from a challenge, Homan delivered with a sick shot to make all four rocks scatter as the Q Centre crowd roared.

“We were hoping that they would go but we thought three would, we didn’t know four would,” Team Homan third Emma Miskew admitted after the game. “We gave it the best chance and it was great shot.”

It’s moments like these that showed the team of Homan, Miskew, second Joanne Courtney, and lead Lisa Weagle could hold their own against the top men’s teams in the world.

The Ottawa-based rink have been playing on a whole other level this season in the women’s division winning a record three consecutive Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling women’s titles — taking the Masters, National and Canadian Open — and cashing in over $150,000 in total on tour. They made history this week at the Elite 10 becoming the first women’s team to compete in a men’s GSOC invitational since Sportsnet acquired the series in 2012.

It wasn’t going to be easy with some obvious challenges along the way. Due to the physical differences between men and women, it was believed Team Homan would be at a significant disadvantage on the ice especially when it came to sweeping. But all four members of the team are ace shot-makers and could more than make up the difference.

“We’re just trying to keep up with throwing the rock well because we know that they’re going to outsweep us,” Miskew said. “Just throwing it better.”

On top of adjusting to the match play format, where teams attempt to win the most ends per game rather than total points scored, there were a few new rules added to the Elite 10 this year that also could have rattled them. One of them was banning tick shots on stones sitting on the centre line in the free guard zone during the first five rocks in play. The tick shot has become the signature move for their lead, but the “anti-Weagle” rule didn’t faze her one bit.

“With match play you probably wouldn’t be playing the tick very much anyway,” Weagle said. “You really want more rocks in play. It wasn’t too big of a difference. It’s kind of how we play the skins game anyway without the tick.”

Team Homan struggled during their first game Thursday against John Epping’s team — being held off the scoresheet in the 4 & 3 loss — but started to get the hang of things in their second game against Team Reid Carruthers. While Carruthers earned a 2-up victory, Homan got on the board first with a steal in the second end and pushed the game to the final frame.

“They’re an awesome team, right?” Carruthers said. “They’ve won $150,000 for a reason so I didn’t want to give them an extra $2,000 tonight, that’s for sure. … They didn’t seem like they were quite running at their full Team Rachel Homan potential so we got a couple breaks and we capitalized on them.”

Then the aforementioned game against Thomas and it all came together. Homan held on for a 1-up victory to enter the record books again as the first women’s team to defeat a top-ranked men’s team in a GSOC event.

“It was a great feeling to get the win,” Homan said. “It didn’t go into the extra, we won straight out. It was pretty awesome for us to accomplish that and figure out how the men play and try to beat them.”

“At least we belong,” Miskew added.

Homan’s run at the Elite 10 came to an end in their fourth and final round robin game Friday afternoon against Brad Gushue, who picked up a 2 & 1 win. Once again, Homan scored first on a steal that started to make the four-time Grand Slam champion Gushue a tad nervous.

“It was a little bit stressful especially with the way we started out,” Gushue said. “We played a perfect end, she made a great shot and then I missed and gave up a steal. All of sudden you’re behind the 8-ball and you know what everybody is talking about and hoping for.”

Any doubts Team Homan couldn’t hang with the men’s rinks were brushed aside this week with her opposition quick to point out praise for their inclusion.

“It’s great when they’re here because they put on a great show as well, and people like to see the women,” Gushue said. “This event, because of the format and no points, I think having Rachel here is good. It’s bringing a lot of publicity to the event. … I’m certainly okay with it. I wouldn’t be as enthused about it if it was one where there were points involved because obviously that has Olympic implications but an event like this I think is great. They’re fitting in.”

“They’re a very special ladies team, they’ve got a lot of unique abilities,” said Mike McEwen, who added with a chuckle, “I’m glad she’s not in my pool.”

The crowd too was on Team Homan’s side from beginning to end cheering on all of her shots even if it wasn’t the end result they were hoping for.

“The fans have been awesome, really welcoming and really supportive,” Homan said. “It’s tons of fun. It’s like a home crowd out here.”

“It was fun to play,” Weagle added. “We’re grateful to be invited and to be playing here.”

Homan said it was a great experience overall as her team now shift their attention back to the women’s schedule as they get set for the Players’ Championship next month in Toronto. Yet again, Team Homan has another shot at making history with a chance to become the first team ever — men or women — to sweep all four Grand Slam majors in a single season.

Would Homan consider playing in an event like the Elite 10 again?

“Yeah, absolutely,” she said without hesitation. “You can only learn from playing the best.”