By Darren Lum

An extra end loss to the Fenelon Falls Secondary School Falcons is still fresh in the minds of the Red Hawks girls’ curling team close to two weeks after their first test this season.
In the A final of the zone 5 GORE Curling Provincial Championships in the schoolgirl category on Jan. 3 at the Peterborough Curling Club the Red Hawks and the Falcons were tied 8-8 after eight ends forcing an extra end. The Falcons (with the hammer) won it before they threw their last rock.
Hawks’ skip Alyssa Denyer and vice Tori Hawley are hoping for redemption if they can play the Falcons in the next round of the championships on Feb. 12 at Leaside Curling Club.
Despite the A final loss the Hawks regrouped and earned its berth to the next round with a convincing B final 9-2 win over the I.E. Weldon Wildcats (conceded) in six ends.
They will be the second seed to the Falcons at the regional competition as region 2 zone 5 representatives.
Last year’s alternate Emily Parish has taken the place of graduate Mia Kolcot. Parish who is lead did play and practiced with the team of Denyer Hawley and the team’s second Alanna Casper who were together last year.
Hawley and Denyer have a solid rapport built from a strong friendship on and off the ice which makes it far easier to confer about game decisions.
She adds the established relationships are the intangibles of a strong team.
“Curling is one of those sports you spend so much time together. So if we didn’t get along then it would translate on to the ice and there would be tension” she said.