No northern team at Scotties for first time in decades

Team N.W.T.'s loss to Team Northern Ontario on Saturday means that for the first time in over 35 years, the North will not havea team on the ice during the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

In the late 1970's, the North gained the right to field a team in both the Scotties and the Brier. The top curlers from the Yukon and Northwest Territories played off for the right to represent the North in the country's most elite curling championships.

That changed this year when the Canadian Curling Association altered its competition structure. The governing body now allows for an entry from each province, the Yukon, N.W.T., the returning champions and this year, Northern Ontario.

That's a total of 14 teams, but TV coverage is geared for just12. Eleven teams were guaranteed a spot in round robin play and the three teams with the worse performance record from previous Scotties would have to fight for the remaining berth.

This year that was Team Yukon (Sarah Koltun), Team N.W.T. (Kerry Galusha) and Team Northern Ontario (Tracy Horgan).

Horgan won the qualifier, knocking the two northern teams out of the competition.That means both territories will have to go through another qualification playoff next year.

The Game

Galusha's Team N.W.T.lost 7-6in a qualifying match against Horgan's Team Northern Ontario on Saturday.

The day before, Galusha's teamnarrowly eliminated Koltun's Team Yukon after the latter made a strong late-game comeback and forcedan extra end.

Horgan's win is a tournament first because this is the first year Northen Ontariohas had a team in the competition. Horgan and her teammates are now part of the draw with 11 other teams made up of eachof the provincesas well asTeam Canada.

The Scotties runs until Feb. 22 in Moose Jaw, Sask.