CHARLOTTETOWN - There is still a sense of some unfinished business for the
Brett Gallant rink after earning a silver medal at last year's world junior
men's curling championship.
The Charlottetown Curling Club rink, also consisting of third stone Adam
Casey of Seven Mile Bay, second stone Anson Carmody of Summerside and lead
Alex MacFadyen of Summerside, will begin defence of their Canadian junior
men's curling championship in Sorel-Tracy, Que., on Saturday. Gallant is 19
and his three teammates are 20.
"We're anxious to get there," said coach Peter Gallant, who is Brett's
father. "The whole plan was to get back to where we got to last year and
finish it off this year at worlds. It's just another step on the way."
There, however, has been one roster change. MacFadyen, who previously curled
with the Gallant foursome, returned to the rink for the 2009-10 season after
attending St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, N.S., last year.
Gallant, who's from Charlottetown, has skipped five straight provincial
junior winners and six of the last seven.
"The experience is big, especially when everybody is young like they are at
juniors," said Peter Gallant. "Having been there multiple times, I think it
certainly works to our advantage.
"You certainly have to go out and play and that's the key. But the guys will
be comfortable in their surroundings and all the hoopla, ceremonies and
those things that happen at national championships, they understand that
it's part of it."
Peter Gallant also acknowledges that the P.E.I. rink will be the one other
teams are gunning for.
"Even last year the team was one of the favourites at nationals after a
second- and third-place finish the previous two years," he said. "It won't
change the way we approach the game.
"The guys have to go out and understand that they have to play well
themselves and things will happen. . . The main thing is that we take care
of our own business and let the chips fall where they may."
Overall, coach Gallant is pleased with the rink's season to date.
"They've played very well and played pretty well the whole season on the
men's circuit," he said. "They played some good teams and got a chance to
play (Brad) Gushue, Shawn Adams and some of the top men's teams around
Atlantic Canada.
"They played very well against them. It was another step in their
development."
Tomorrow
Be sure to check out tomorrow's Journal Pioneer for a story on the P.E.I.
junior women's representative, the Sarah Fullerton rink from the Cornwall
Curling Club.
Gallant rink's trek back to worlds continues at nationals
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Published on
January 14, 2010
- Published on June 21, 2010
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Jason Simmonds
CHARLOTTETOWN - There is still a sense of some unfinished business for the
Brett Gallant rink after earning a silver medal at last year's world junior
men's curling championship.
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