Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions that delayed the start of the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association winter season, the Mohawk Mountaineers curling team is heading straight to the 2022 OCAA Championships this week in Sault Ste. Marie.
Despite a season that only included exhibition play that took place prior to the New Year, the Mountaineers men's curling team and mixed doubles team are both focused on a podium finish.
The men's team had a successful exhibition schedule going 9-2, including wins over both the McMaster University men's and women's curling team's – the women won the 2020 Ontario University Athletics championship.
Mountaineers head coach Betty Calic, who is entering her 10th year at the helm of the Mohawk curling program, said the sport is often called 'chess on ice'.
"Strategy is key, however if not executed fully, winning will not come easily," Calic said. "Good strategy without good execution could not necessarily lead to a desired outcome, but bad strategy even if executed well, will not win."
Calic highlighted second-year curler Jacob Jones (skip), who competed for Team Ontario in November at the 2021 New Holland World Juniors Qualifying Event.
"Jacob plays with a strategy beyond his years, he plays a mature game and is not afraid of keeping rocks in play," Calic said. "His own shot making percentage is among the highest of his peers."
Jones is joined with a team that features 2019/20 OCAA Second Team All-Star Jarrett Matthews (vice), Joel Matthews (second), Liam Little (lead) and Elias Whittington (fifth).
The Mountaineers men's curling team in exhibition had an 81.8 per cent shots called versus shots made rate.
Mohawk's mixed team of third-year Eric Just and first-year Ashley Verhees are a new partnership, but through exhibition they had a 80 per cent win average.
Just bring experience as a mix doubles curler, having won a silver medal at the 2019 Ontario Winter Games. Calic added that Verhees is "cool as a cucumber" and brings awesome draw weight to the team.
When asked about what both the men and mixed team have to do to improve at the OCAA Championships, Calic said it is about maintaining their athletic skills at a high competitive level, as well as team synergy and dynamics are key to success.
"All curlers have participated in a mental toughness program that will help them to remain focused in a competition that holds unique variables," Calic said. Those variables include ice conditions with each sheet of ice having its own 'personality', rocks possibly varying in weight and performance, and the competition.
"The team's have worked hard and of course our expectations are for them to perform at their best," Calic added. "Our goal is to make Mohawk College proud of their curling athletes."
The Mountaineers men's team will begin play on Feb. 18 at 9:30 a.m. versus the Confederation Thunder Hawks. They will play a total of five round robin matches going through Feb. 18 to 20.
Semi-finals will take place the evening of Feb. 20 with medal matches scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 21.
Mohawk's mixed doubles will get going on Feb. 18 at 1:30 p.m. versus the Humber Hawks second team. They'll play four matches in round robin.
The Mountaineers last won an OCAA men's medal in 2019/20, earning silver. Mohawk last won a mixed medal in 2008/09.
