View from the Hack — Team Vachon proving it can curl with anyone

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This article was published 31/10/2019 (2379 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Janelle Vachon and her team are proving that they can compete at the men’s level.

The foursome of third Dori Vince, second Megan Huculak and lead Hayley Surovy are playing in the Taylor Jackson Financial Westman Super League of Curling that plays Wednesday nights at the Brandon Curling Club.

They are the only all-female team in the league and were undefeated at 3-0 entering Wednesday’s game against defending champion Graham Freeman, which was still in progress at press time.

According to league president Cale Dunbar, last time there was an all-female team in the league was in 2013: Before that it was 2008.

Vachon, the skip from Oak Lake is also curling with a brand-new team this year. In perhaps the most Manitoban way ever, Vachon said she was at a social in Minnedosa with Surovy, Vince and Huculak and after a few drinks, threw the idea of them curling together.

“We’re all really good friends,” Vachon said. “I’ve curled with all the girls at some point throughout the years but all four of us together is completely new.”

Huculak said this is the first year they’ve curled together seriously, having done just-for-fun bonspiels in the past. She said they have a great camaraderie.

“I’m having a lot of fun playing with the girls, we’ve got some really great chemistry, we all get along well,” she said. “It’s stress free, it’s fun, it’s great.”

Stepping out on the ice with a rink full of men can be a bit intimidating, but Vachon said the team is feeling “pretty settled in right now.”

“In the beginning I was like, ‘Wow what have we gotten ourselves into?’ but it’s actually a lot of fun,” Huculak said.

“Men definitely play the game a lot different than women, they’re stronger, they throw more weight, they can sweep harder but I feel like the playing field is pretty level. It’s just a matter of who’s on the right side of the shot.”

Added Vachon: “It’s been a men’s league traditionally for a really long time so going into it we just wanted to prove that we belonged.”

And prove themselves they have, three weeks into the season and Vachon and her team have registered wins against Kelly McMechan (9-7), Duane Lang (7-4) and Curtis McCannell (7-5).

“I feel like we’re on the right track,” Vachon said. “We’re definitely going to have some very hard games coming up so we’re just going to keep plugging away and stay on our toes and take it one game at a time but I’m really happy starting out with three wins. It kind of does feel like we have said, ‘Hey we’re here, we’re ready to play at your level, bring it on.’”

Playing in a men’s league allows Vachon’s team to get a higher level of competition they would have only got in Winnipeg. So when Dunbar sent Vachon a text asking if she was interested in playing this year, she jumped at the chance.

“I think they were looking to fill a couple spots to get the league full so he thought that we would be interested and I talked to the team, and it was just an amazing opportunity to get real high level games in our backyard,” she said.

Being an all women’s team can carry a bit of a stigma, and Vachon mentioned there might have been some doubters at the start.

“Maybe some people weren’t quite sure we could let a female team in,” Vachon said, adding they aren’t feeling any negativity.

“Everyone has been great. Everyone has been really encouraging and seems to be really happy that we joined the league this year.”

Team Vachon hopes to secure a spot in the Manitoba Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Rivers in January, but they need to get through regionals in mid-December. The process is tougher this year, as the field for the provincial women’s curling championship has dropped to 12 teams from 16.

“It’s going to be a bit tougher to get a spot,” Vachon said. “I know that the western region, in the past, has been separated into two regional play downs and now it sounds like it is one big regional. If we can’t make it and win regionals than I guess we don’t deserve to be competing at the provincial level.”

You have to beat the best, to be the best and Huculak said this team is ready for any challenge that comes their way.

“It being our first year together, we’ve got a lot to figure out, but we’re coming along great so far,” she said. “We just take it as it comes and we deal with it, we’re pretty flexible and we adapt to the situation that we’re put in.”

EXTRA ENDS: The 12th annual Dekalb Super Spiel runs this Thursday to Sunday at the Morris Curling Club and Morris Arena. There will be 32 men’s and women’s teams and $90,000 in prize money. For complete schedule, head to dekalbsuperspiel.com … The Dauphin Open Doubles Bonspiel is Nov. 8-10 at the Dauphin Curling Club. Entry is $100 per team or $80 if entered by Nov. 1. Contact Steven Michaleski at 204-803-1288 or michaleski_@hotmail.com … The Carberry Plains Community Centre is hosting a World Curling Tour event, the King Spud Classic Nov. 8-10. A berth to the Viterra Championship is on the line, as well as $6,500.

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