The Masters: Women’s teams primer
The Masters kicks off another season of the Grand Slam of Curling series, taking place Oct. 28 to Nov. 2 in Selkirk, Man.
Here’s what you need to know as we break down the lineups, hometowns, World Curling Tour order of merit rankings and quick recaps for all 15 women’s teams.
TEAM ANDERSON
Lineup: Sherry Anderson (skip), Sherri Singler (third), Marliese Kasner (second) and Stephanie McVicar (lead)
Hometown: Saskatoon
WCT order of merit ranking: 10th
As Team Lawton, the rink has had success on the cashspiel circuit winning the Players’ Championship in 2012 as well as the both Manitoba Lotteries Women’s Curling Classic and Colonial Square Ladies Classic tournaments during the 2012-13 season.
TEAM CAREY
Lineup: Chelsea Carey (skip), Laura Crocker (third), Taylor McDonald (second) and Jen Gates (lead)
Hometown: Edmonton
WCT order of merit ranking: 17th
Winnipeg-born Carey won the bronze medal at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts representing Manitoba last season. Carey moved to Edmonton during the off-season and formed a new rink. Crocker and Gates won back-to-back CIS curling championships in 2011 and 2012 while attending Sir Wilfrid Laurier University. McDonald won the gold medal with Team Canada at the world junior championship last season.
TEAM FELTSCHER
Lineup: Binia Feltscher (skip), Irene Schori (third), Franziska Kaufmann (second) and Christine Urech (lead)
Hometown: Flims, Switzerland
WCT order of merit ranking: 9th
The reigning world champions recently won the Women’s Masters Basel tournament in Switzerland. Feltscher earned a silver medal at the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Italy, while playing third for Mirjam Ott.
TEAM FLAXEY
Lineup: Allison Flaxey (skip), Katie Cottrill (third), Kristen Foster (second) and Morgan Court (lead)
Hometown: Listowel, Ont.
WCT order of merit ranking: 15th
Team Flaxey represented Ontario at the 2014 Scotties Tournament of Hearts. The Winnipeg-born Flaxey also won the 2009 Canadian Mixed Curling Championship throwing third stones for Manitoba’s Sean Grassie.
TEAM HOMAN
Lineup: Rachel Homan (skip), Emma Miskew (third), Joanne Courtney (second) and Lisa Weagle (lead)
Hometown: Ottawa
WCT order of merit ranking: 2nd
Team Homan is the two-time defending Canadian and Masters champion although the team made one roster change as Courtney replaced Alison Kreviazuk at second. Courtney previously played with Team Sweeting and faced Homan in the finals of the Scotties Tournament of Hearts last season. Homan has been a finalist this year at both the Stockholm Ladies Curling Cup and the Curlers Corner Autumn Gold Curling Classic.
TEAM JONES
Lineup: Jennifer Jones (skip), Kaitlyn Lawes (third), Jill Officer (second) and Dawn McEwen (lead)
Hometown: Winnipeg
WCT order of merit ranking: 1st
The Olympic champions finished their dream season capturing the Players’ Championship in April. Team Jones hasn’t lost their golden touch and recently won the Curlers Corner Autumn Gold Curling Classic in Calgary.
TEAM MCDONALD
Lineup: Kristy McDonald (skip), Kate Cameron (third), Leslie Wilson-Westcott (second) and Raunora Westcott (lead)
Hometown: Winnipeg
WCT order of merit ranking: 23rd
McDonald won the 2010 Manitoba Lotteries Women’s Curling Classic and was a finalist at the 2012 Masters while playing third for Team Carey. McDonald formed her own team for this season.
TEAM MIDDAUGH
Lineup: Sherry Middaugh (skip), Jo-Ann Rizzo (third), Lee Merklinger (second) and Leigh Armstrong (lead)
Hometown: Coldwater, Ont.
WCT order of merit ranking: 8th
Team Middaugh has been on a roll of late winning both the AMJ Campbell Shorty Jenkins Classic and the Stu Sells Toronto Tankard. The rink reached the finals at the Canadian Olympic Trials last season.
TEAM MUIRHEAD
Lineup: Eve Muirhead (skip), Anna Sloan (third), Vicki Adams (second) and Sarah Reid (lead)
Hometown: Stirling, Scotland
WCT order of merit ranking: 3rd
Muirhead skipped her team to the world championship and the Players’ Championship titles in 2013. Muirhead, Sloan and Adams also won the bronze medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Reid joined the team at lead for this season.
TEAM NEDOHIN
Lineup: Heather Nedohin (skip), Amy Nixon (third), Jocelyn Peterman (second) and Laine Peters (lead)
Hometown: Edmonton
WCT order of merit ranking: 11th
Team Nedohin won the Scotties Tournament of Hearts and earned a bronze medal at the world championship in 2012. The team reached the quarterfinals at the Masters last season. Nixon won an Olympic bronze medal representing Canada at the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, Italy, and joined Nedohin’s rink this season.
TEAM PAETZ
Lineup: Alina Paetz (skip), Nadine Lehmann (third), Marisa Winkelhausen (second) and Nicole Schwaegli (lead)
Hometown: Baden Regio, Switzerland
WCT order of merit ranking: 12th
Paetz won the gold medal at the world championship in 2012 as the alternate for Mirjam Ott’s team. She also earned gold at the 2011 world mixed doubles curling championship with Sven Michel.
TEAM SIDOROVA
Lineup: Anna Sidorova (skip), Margarita Fomina (third), Aleksandra Saitova (second) and Ekaterina Galkina (lead)
Hometown: Moscow, Russia
WCT order of merit ranking: 6th
Sidorova represented Russia on home soil at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. The team also captured the bronze medal at the world championship last season.
TEAM SIGFRIDSSON
Lineup: Maria Prytz (fourth), Christina Bertrup (third), Maria Wennerstroem (second) and Margaretha Sigfridsson (skip)
Hometown: Skelleftea, Sweden
WCT order of merit ranking: 4th
Sigfridsson, who skips from the lead position, earned the silver medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. The team started this season winning the Stockholm Ladies Curling Cup in September.
TEAM SWEETING
Lineup: Val Sweeting (skip), Cathy Overton-Clapham (third), Dana Ferguson (second) and Rachel Brown (lead)
Hometown: Edmonton
WCT order of merit ranking: 7th
Sweeting represented Alberta at the 2014 Scotties Tournament of Hearts and earned the silver medal. The team added Crawford at third this season (replacing Joanne Courtney) and has reached the finals at both the HDF Insurance Shoot-Out and the Prestige Hotels & Resorts Curling Classic tournaments. Overton-Clapham fills in at third after Andrea Crawford left the team.
TEAM TIRINZONI
Lineup: Silvana Tirinzoni (skip), Manuela Siegrist (third), Esther Neuenschwander (second) and Marlene Albrecht (lead)
Hometown: Aarau, Switzerland
WCT order of merit ranking: 5th
Team Tirinzoni made it to the semifinals at the Players’ Championship last season. The rink kicked off this year winning the Stu Sells Oakville Tankard in September.
