Competitive field expected for provincial mixed playdowns

While their past accomplishments are quite impressive, Raymond Roy’s rink knows full well that you can throw all that out the window as they prepare for the provincial mixed curling playdowns here this weekend.
The team’s second, Wayne Beacham, was runner-up at the national mixed playdowns in 1988 while Roy has been to the provincials three times (1986, 1988, and 1990)–twice losing in the final.
Meanwhile, lead Stacy Beacham has curled to a fourth-place finish at the Scott Tournament of Hearts with Kathie Jackson while Kim Beaudry, also part of Jackson’s rink, is a two-time member of the national collegiate champions from Confederation College in Thunder Bay.
Impressive yes. But all that means nothing when the Fort Frances rink goes up against the top five mixed teams Northwestern Ontario has to offer starting tomorrow.
Still, it would be hard to ignore the fact Roy’s rink has gone undefeated en route to their provincial berth, including a perfect 5-0 at the district playdowns in Kenora.
It all comes down to who curls the best this weekend–and Roy can only hope its his rink that comes out on top.
“We have confidence, and it’s nice what we have done, but you have to understand we haven’t won anything yet,” said Roy, adding he feels the rink will benefit from playing at their home club.
Stacy Beacham agreed playing in front of a home crowd would be “nice” but she didn’t feel it would give them an advantage over the other teams of Paul Nason and Chris Buchan (both from Sault Ste. Marie), Dave MacInness (Timmins), James Mitchell (Moosonee), and Brian Burgess (Fort William).
All six teams should be very competitive, and it will come down to who makes the shots when it counts.
“These teams have all been there so often before playing at this level so you get familiar with how they curl,” noted Roy, adding he feels its his rink’s benefit to have played these teams before.
Roy said he will continue to play his defensive style of game, trying to take advantage of the other team’s mistakes. While he admitted rinks competing at this level make fewer mistakes, he said they will continue with that wait-and-see strategy.
But if his rink does get behind early, much like they did a couple of times in Kenora, Roy said they will have no problem opening up the game.
“With our [defensive] style, you have to have lots and lots of patience but if we get down, we are going to go right to the more [offensive style],” he stressed.