From L-R: Lisa Weagle, Allison Kreviazuk, Spiel Chair, Jim Dolan, Emma Miskew, Rachel Homan, OVCA rep John DiLabio.

By Joe Pavia

It’s crunch time for Rachel Homan.

The Ottawa skip’s Sunday win at the Royal Lepage OVCA Women’s Fall Classic in Kemptville added to the rink’s important Canada Team Ranking System points total — the system used to determine automatic entries for the 2013 Canadian Olympic curling trials next December in Winnipeg.

Homan is fifth in team rankings but only a few points separate the top contenders.

“We have two big weekends coming up,” explained Homan. “ We need to get the practice in and we need the points ... It pretty much comes down to Saskatoon and Brantford.”

Homan’s record in events where all the best teams compete is impressive — two second-place finishes, one against provincial rival Sherry Middaugh (ranked second) and one against Stefanie Lawton (ranked third).

“It was a good experience playing that many games,” Homan said. “Obviously we would have liked to win, but we played well.”

Homan’s two first-place finishes were against fields without the depth exhibited at the out-of-town tournaments. The next two events (The Colonial Square Ladies Curling Classic, Thursday through Monday in Saskatoon and Brantford’s Masters of Curling Nov. 15-19) feature strong rosters and big points.

The skip said the team’s journey has taken years.

“Last year we did a lot of technical stuff and put in a lot of hard work. We were on the ice a lot and now it’s starting to pay off,” Homan said.

The squad seems to be a shoo-in for the Pre-Trials tournament next November in Kitchener — an event Homan also competed in during the last Olympic cycle.

Homan went undefeated in Kemptville to become the first back-to-back winner of the event. Homan defeated New York’s Patti Lank in the quarter-finals, then beat a stubborn Julie Hastings rink in a semi. Homan beat Allison Nimik 6-1 in the final.

The other semi-finalist was Amy Wright of Minnesota. Other qualifiers were Russia’s Victoria Moiseeva, Mary-Anne Arsenault and Eve Belisle.

JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT: Out-of-town rinks ruled the JSI OVCA Junior Superspiel. Manitoba’s Selena Kaatz defeated Ontario’s Kendall Haymes 6-4. On the men’s side, Nova Scotia’s Stuart Thompson beat New Brunswick’s Josh Barry 5-4. Both winners took home $3,000 and the runners-up left with $1,600. The Cory Christensen rink from Duluth, Minn., exemplified courage by competing. Last May. third Elizabeth Busche died at 19 from ovarian cancer. Previously that year, the squad represented the U.S. at the world juniors, where Busche was in great pain but never told anyone. She shot the best of the squad. At the Superspiel, the back of the team’s jackets had a heart followed by the initials EB.

WINNER’S CIRCLE: Skip Glenn Howard, whose rink includes Ottawa’s Craig Savill, won Whitby’s Mount Lawn Gord Carroll Classic. Howard defeated Bryan Cochrane’s team (minus Cochrane) in the semis ... The winners of Navan’s JT Bradley spiel were Colin Dow, Brett Lyon-Hatcher, RJ Johnson and John Steski.

YOUR CHOICE: Fans can choose the players for the Dominion All-Star Curling Skins Game presented by Piny on TSN Jan. 19-20. There is a list of players by position listed at tsn.ca/curlingskins. Voting is open until Dec. 10. The 16 players with the most votes in each position will qualify. The four all-star teams will be chosen by random draw on TSN Jan. 17,

A new Getting Started league is starting at the RCMP beginning Nov. 16 at 9 p.m. For info, e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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by Joe Pavia

Curling takes up a lot of Richard Faguy’s time both on and off the ice.

The Buckingham curler just won his second Quebec Dominion Curling Club championship provincial title last weekend. Two years ago, he carried the fleur-de-lis colours to the nationals and now he is doing it again with the same team. (In 2010, Faguy made it to a tie-breaker with a 4-2 pool record).

When he isn’t curling, the federal public servant helps to organize events like last weekend’s Challenge Chateau Cartier de Gatineau. He missed that action because of his provincial play down commitment. Faguy is very happy for his teammates, Wayne Ruggles, Stephane Paquette and Martin Patry.

“The average club curler will never play in the Brier.” he said. “The Dominion is something my friends play for all year.”

This year’s experience “feels as good as the first time,” he said.

“The provincial field was stronger this year — more balanced,” Faguy said

Faguy defeated Michel Drapeau convincingly in the final, stealing three consecutive ends for an 8-1 win. That same rink beat the Buckingham foursome earlier, forcing them into a qualifying game that went to double extra ends.

“We played our best game of the weekend that game,” Faguy said.

If he does have a concern, it is the timing of the Dominion play downs. Every province except for Quebec and Ontario determines its representative prior to the summer. Because of how late the provincials are, there isn’t much time between winning and going to the national championship, which takes place in Scarborough Nov. 19-24.

“There’s lots of hustle and bustle getting ready,” Faguy said.

His best memory of his initial national was meeting all the provincial teams. But more so, “Just being together with three good friends is fantastic.”

In Ontario, the Dominion Curling Club women’s champion is Quinte’s Caroline Deans with Sheri-Lynn Collyer, Kendra Lafleur and Lynn Stapley. They defeated North Halton’s Stacey McCormack 5-4.

On the men’s side, Quinte’s Dave Collyer fell just short of capturing the men’s side — won by Jordan Keon of Richmond Hill

CHATEAU CARTIER CHALLENGE: Mark Dacey of Halifax captured the men’s title and earned $10,000 by defeating Newfoundland’s Brad Gushue in a tight 7-6 game. Ian MacAulay and Jean-Michel Menard fared the best among local curlers. MacAulay made it to the semi-final against Gushue for a $4,500 prize and Menard earned $3,500. Toronto’s Julie Reddick beat Mississauga’s Cathy Auld 8-4 in the women’s final.

Two major tournaments take place this weekend. The Royal Lepage OVCA Women’s Fall Classic, at the North Grenville Curling Club, begins Thursday. The final takes place Sunday at 3:30 p.m ... The JSI OVCA Junior Superspiel starts Friday at 9 a.m. The championship takes place on Sunday at Carleton Heights at 4 p.m. Draws for both events can be viewed at www.ottawavalleycurling.ca ... Ottawa’s Lee Merklinger is on her way to Yichun, China to compete with Sherry Middaugh in the 2012 Yichun International Ladies Curling Competition. This event features eight teams from around the world ... Sportsnet announced Tuesday that it will televise the Ontario women’s and men’s provincial championships beginning this January. It also will broadcast the Alberta, Manitoba and B.C. provincials ... The next event in the Colts, 5-and-under bonspiel series runs Jan. 4-6. For information, contact Denis Carter at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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Rachel Homan has high hopes for success this season. (OTTAWA SUN FILE PHOTO)

by Joe Pavia

The Russians are coming. And so are lots of juniors.

From Nov. 1-4, both Kemptville and Ottawa will enjoy some outstanding curling from seasoned champions and future stars.

First off, beginning Nov. 1, is the Royal Lepage OVCA Women’s Fall Classic at the North Grenville Curling Club. Heading the 24-rink field is Rachel Homan. Her Ottawa squad has battled to the finals recently in two major western Canada Grand Slams, where Homan defeated some of the best in the world. Both runner-up spots have earned the team just over $21,000, placing Homan second on this year’s money list.

Halifax’s Mary-Anne Arsenault, with Colleen Jones as third, leads another contending rink trying to get back to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Kingston in February.

A curiosity might just be the young Russian team skipped by Victoria Moiseeva. She and her fifth, Galina Arsenkina, played front end in last year’s world juniors, where they earned the bronze medal. Quebec’s Marie-France Larouche and Eve Belisle will vie for the championship as will veteran American skip Patti Lank.

Some opening-day games feature Moiseeva versus the Ottawa rink skipped by Rhonda Varnes (1 p.m.); Arsenault against Montreal’s Allison Ross (6:30 p.m.) and Homan playing Amy Wright of Minnesota (6:30 p.m.). The women are playing for a $15,000 purse with the winner earning $5,000. The final is Nov. 4 at 3:30 p.m.

The draw can be viewed at www.ottawavalleycurling.ca.

Meanwhile, by visiting any of six Ottawa curling clubs hosting the JSI OVCA Junior Superspiel (Nov. 2-4), youthful enthusiasm and parental agony will be in full view.

Where Moiseeva won bronze, Scotland’s Hannah Fleming got gold and is the reigning world junior champion. She heads the 16-team women’s side of the cashspiel. Last year’s men’s champion from Thunder Bay, Brennan Wark, is returning to defend his title against 15 other squads. Wark was runner-up at the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors last year as well.

With representation from every province from Manitoba east as well as Scotland, the U.S. and Switzerland, the event will test the teams. Almonte’s Lauren Horton is a real contender to come out on top this year. Her team is dominating the Ontario junior curling tour. On the men’s side, Manitoba’s Kyle Doering is a shot-maker. His triple takeout to score six at the 2011 Canada Winter Games was a highlight-reel shot for any age group.

The draws begin Nov. 2 at the Navy, Carleton Heights, City View and the Ottawa. The championships take place on Nov. 4 at Carleton Heights at 4 p.m. The winners will earn $3,000 each. The draw is available at www.ottawavalleycurling.ca.

OCA RESULTS: The zone winners from this area advancing to the Ontario Dominion Curling Club championships (this weekend in Toronto) are Cornwall’s Kevin Baker and Jennifer Harvey and Quinte’s Caroline Deans and Dave Collyer.

END NOTES: The Challenge Chateau Cartier de Gatineau begins Thursday. Admission is free. The draw is located at www.challengechateaucartier.com.

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