Carmody rink hoping so at Canadian junior curling championships

SUMMERSIDE -- Erin Carmody is hoping her third consecutive trip to the M&M Meat Shops Canadian junior curling championships (20 and under) is a lucky one.
Carmody's rink from the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside will leave for Salmon Arm, B.C., today. Carmody, third stone Geri-Lynn Ramsay, second stone Jessica van Ouwerkerk and lead Darcee Birch begin play Sunday.
"The first time we went we kind of surprised ourselves," said Carmody, 20. "We got off to a real good start at 4-0 (won-lost) and then I don't know if we got tired or realized how well we were doing and felt the pressure a bit more, but we didn't play as well the latter part of the week.
"Then last year, we got off to a bad start and once you get off to a bad start it's hard to get caught up. This year, we're hoping to get off to a good start."
Carmody, who went 7-5 (won-lost) in 2007 and 5-7 last year, said one key to a fast start is adjusting to the ice.
"It's important to get the ice down in practice and to feel comfortable with it," said Carmody, a third-year biology student at UPEI. "Try to get draw weight down.
"Probably the most important thing in the early games is being able to read the ice better than the other teams. Everyone is a good thrower at nationals, and it's who can read the ice better and catch on quickly."
Carmody earned P.E.I.'s berth at the nationals by beating Anita Casey of Summerside 8-5 in the provincial final in Charlottetown.
"At provincials, we met some really good competition," said Carmody, who also won junior events in Moncton, N.B., and Summerside earlier this season. "Anita Casey curled really well and we had some good games against them.
"Also, Sarah Fullerton and the other teams in the tournament were awesome. That did help prepare us for nationals."
It's also a combination of in with the old and in with the new for Carmody.
While Birch and coach Al Ledgerwood are in their first year with the rink, Ramsay and van Ouwerkerk have attended the past two nationals with Carmody.
"I've been with Jess quite a while," said Carmody. "I've been curling with Geri-Lynn forever and she knows exactly how I'm feeling and I know exactly how she's feeling.
"It's kind of comforting to have a person like that on your team. Geri-Lynn's holding the broom as mate."
Due to work commitments, Ledgerwood is unable to attend nationals, where Kathie Gallant will handle the coaching.
"Al has been with us the whole year," said Carmody. "He's been out to a lot of practices with us and has been working a lot on our deliveries technically and trying to make them sound."

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