As pretty much every long-standing curler well knows, the ability to accurately read the ice might well stand as the single-most important skill in the sport.

Not only do conditions vary from one club to the next as well as from one sheet of ice to the adjacent one within the same club, the fact is that speed and swing will change substantially, even in the course of a single game.

Given all of this, the simple truth remains that there is no substitute for the experience that comes with playing often – and at different locales.

The mix of curling talent that make up the SDSSAA ranks this year might possess all sorts of varying goals as to what they would like to accomplish in the sport, but there is absolutely no doubt that the extra time on the ice they receive in this relatively relaxed setting cannot help but to serve them well.

Skip of a Bishop Alexander Carter boys' team that played to a 7-7 tie with the Lockerby Vikings, Elliot Poirier and his young team of vice Jules Wong, second Nick Caissie, lead Nash Middleton and alternate David Rogerson largely owe their introduction to the sport to the good folks at the Capreol Curling Club.

Participants in a regional junior league that competes every Saturday across the region, the Gators were enjoying a chance to take in the Northern Credit Union Community Centre (NCUCC) hospitality on Wednesday, dealing with the nuances that they have come to know a little.

“The ice here is pretty different,” acknowledged Poirier, a 15 year old grade 10 student at BAC. “In Capreol, there is usually a lot less curl, sometimes as much as two or three feet less.”

Still more of a “fun curler” than an exceptionally competitive one, Poirier is keenly aware of the development of his game in recent years, and specifically how that affects his tactical approach to curling.

“As our abilities have increased. the shots that we can do have gotten better – and we’ve gotten more confident,” he noted. “Our coaches have helped us to get there. For me, I am more of a draw kind of a guy. I just like that strategic placing of a tight shot for the win.”

In this particular matchups, those placements looked great – early on.

Bishop jumped out to a 6-0 lead after just two ends before Lockerby countered with one in the third followed by a steal of four. In the end, the Vikes recorded a steal of one in the seventh and final end to earn the draw, with Poirier and company left to ponder any potential “do-overs” in their strategy.

“We tried to play a more defensive game (once they were ahead), tried to keep the house pretty guarded,” said Poirier. “I just don’t think we did it very well. The ice changed as it warmed up and maybe we should have stayed on the offensive.”

Lesson learned.

Another good matchup on this day would see a battle of undefeated girls teams as the two-time defending champion Marymount Regals took on the up and coming Collège Notre-Dame Alouettes’ quartet.

After trading single point ends to start the contest, things opened up, with CND picking up a deuce in the third and Marymount countering with three of their own in the fourth end, leaving the score standing at 4-3. But the experience of the Regals paid off as skip Kameron Tellier and company added back to back steals of one and then one final two-point end to improve to a 4-0 thanks to an 8-3 win.

While vice Grace Schmidt and the front-end of Julia Hayden and Danielle Levasseur are back from the 2024-2025 rink, incoming high-school freshman Sara Levasseur is thrilled to tap into the curling knowledge in her midst.

“Today is the first time I learned about having just one person sweeping to make the rock curl more,” said the avid ringette standout, a member of the bronze medal winning Sudbury U14 A North Stars team last year. “I had not known about that before.”

Like Poirier, Levasseur first got her curling bearings very close to home, heading out with a friend to start throwing stones at the Coniston Curling Club. Now in her fourth year, she is still more than happy to tackle the front-end responsibilities and leave the strategy to others.

“I like lead or second,” she said. “I don’t know how to skip and if I am vice, then I have to be a skip at the end.”

Lead is also where she is most in her element, it seems, as she settles into the hack.

“I think I am better at draws – and I like to throw more draws. I am starting to get used to the weight – but all of the (sheets of) ice are different. It’s different everywhere you go.”

Though she is not about to give up her ringette passion any time soon, Levasseur did make note of at least one reality that offers a special appeal with curling. “It’s a much smaller team (than ringette), so you can get close to everybody pretty quickly. You make good friendships.”

Meanwhile, the Idylwylde Golf & Country Club foursome of Sophie Perreault, Vivienne Bolestridge, Gracie Schmidt and Caitlyn Connors came up just short of securing a berth at the Ontario Winter Games, beaten in the NOCA final by Team Brown.

The North Bay boys team of Riley Winters, Wesley Decary, Grayson Gribbon and Aidan Baxter captured the spot on the men’s side, stopping Team Wahl in the final.