As recently as the 2022-2023 season, the SDSSAA girls curling league numbered eight rinks strong, with signs of a nice bounce back following Covid.

A step back both in 2023-2024 and this current campaign suggests that there is still a need to replenish the youth ranks locally. That said, early signs point to the four teams that will battle it out this winter making it much more intriguing to see who will follow in the footsteps of a Marymount Regals team that went on to capture silver at OFSAA.

Only skip Kameron Tellier returns from that foursome and in action earlier this week, the Regals dropped a 7-3 decision to the Collège Notre-Dame Alouettes in a contest that was much closer than what the final score might suggest.

Still, with CND making their re-appearance in the girls loop following the graduation of Valérie Ouimet and Justine Toner in 2023, now led by grade nine skip Sophie Perreault, February playoff time could be a whole lot of fun in the smallish gathering of female teams.

Though just 14 years-old and with two years of competitive curling under her belt, Perreault can draw upon roughly eight years of experience being out on the ice, getting accustomed to the strategic nuances of the game that she most enjoys.

“It can be really complex and I like it when there are a lot of things to learn,” said Perreault, who was joined by teammates Gabrielle Marquis, Rheanna Crépeault and Brianne Portelance, improving to 2-0 Wednesday afternoon at the Idylwylde Golf & Country Club.

“And you get to meet a lot of people.”

Now in her second year at the helm of a U16 team that brings together the tandem of Vivienne Bolestridge and Caitlyn Connors (who both curl with the Lasalle boys team) as well as Marymount vice-skip Grace Schmidt, Perreault acknowledged that she will call a different game when moving from club to high-school.

“I try and keep the house more empty with high-school,” she said. “If there’s a really, really hard shot, there’s a better chance that we might not make it here. With my other team, I would play a little more risky.”

Though St Charles College skip Morgan Skinkle is not necessarily a fan of huge risks, she does favour the mental component of curling, a sport that she first picked up on a regular basis upon entering secondary school three years ago.

“I started to play, just for fun, but I really enjoy it now – it’s kind of a hobby of mine,” said the 16 year-old who also competed with the Cardinals flag football crew. “My dad had a business get together at the Coniston Curling Club and that’s kind of where I picked it up.”

“It seems that it’s a loit about seeing angles and I’m pretty good at that stuff.”

She definitely was on this day as she combined with fellow SCC students Sophie Larcher (vice), Kalina Lavoie (second) and Lindsey Haw (lead) to topple the Bishop Carter Gators 6-3, evening their record at 1-1 while BAC fell to 0-2.

Where many young curlers thrive on the thrill of upping the weight and blasting the stones right through the back wall, Skinkle is much more a fan of a more delicate touch, favouring a draw to a takeout, every day of the week.

“Some of our players throw a better takeout than I do, for sure,” she suggested. “It’s better for me to just get it in the house, nice and cleanly, than to try and knock something out. That’s just not my forte.”

Joining Kameron Tellier and Grace Schmidt in seeking back to back banners at Marymount are Danielle Levasseur and Julia Hayden (and new coach, Emily Tokola) while the BAC Gators quintet this year are Cameron O’Daiskey, Alexis Savard, Leah Beaudry, Taigan Armstrong and Trista Appleby.