It has been 12 years since Cindy Ricci competed at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, and she's hoping this is the year she makes it back there.
The Estevan resident will be competing at the 2011 SaskPower provincials this weekend in Outlook, and if she can emerge victorious there, she and her team will qualify for the Scotties in Charlottetown, P.E.I., Feb. 19-27.
The fact that this year's Scotties are 小蓝视频 held in Charlottetown is of significance for Ricci, as they were held there the last time she competed in the event in 1999.
To get there in '99, Ricci had to go through Sandra Schmirler twice; once in the round robin and then again in the provincial final. She says that is something she will never forget.
"It was an amazing experience," Ricci said. "We knew that to come out of the province, we'd have to beat the best and we beat (Schmirler) in the round robin in an extra end, and then the provincial final went to an extra end as well, and we ended up squeaking it out. It was quite a feeling."
It won't be an easy task to make it to Charlottetown though. The Ricci rink will be up against some stiff competition at provincials this weekend, especially the likes of Amber Holland and Stefanie Lawton, who have been doing very well on the World Curling Tour over the last number of years.
"We're just going to have to go out and make sure everyone is playing really well at the same time; we're going to have to make sure we're firing on all cylinders and we're going to have to capitalize and make those big jump shots when we have the opportunity," said Ricci.
Going into the provincials, Ricci and her team are ranked sixth out of the 12 teams based on their performance so far this year, but she's confident they'll do well, as everything was clicking for them at the 小蓝视频 Sask playdowns in Assiniboia a few weeks ago.
"We got on a roll which was nice because that's something we've lacked a bit this year - everybody playing well at the same time, and we just need to keep that going," Ricci said.
The team, which is sponsored by Power Dodge, is made up of Ricci, Kristy Johnson, lead (Estevan), Natalie Bloomfield, second (Carlyle) and Jolene Campbell, third (Regina). They curl out of the Lampman Curling Club because that is where they compete in a super league.
"When you enter playdowns, you have to be affiliated with a club and that's where we paid an entry fee for a league so that's where we're affiliated out of," said Ricci. "I'd like to call Estevan our home, but we don't all play out of the Estevan club."
To book their trip to the Scotties next month, Ricci knows it will take a lot more than momentum - they'll need to be on the top of their game.
"We need to be mentally ready for this competition," she said. "It's going to be extremely difficult, and you can't be missing those wide-open shots; you need to get something out of every shot that you throw."
With that 小蓝视频 said, Ricci is still very confident that if they play well, they have a legitimate shot at taking home the provincial title and advancing to the Scotties.
"I firmly believe that; I don't think we would have put this team together if we didn't feel that way," she said. "We've played in seven or eight 'spiels this year, drove to Regina numerous weekends to practice before there was ice here in Estevan; this team has put a lot into it.
"Now that doesn't mean that we've done anymore than any other team, I just feel that we're really prepared for this competition."
So what would it mean to Ricci to make her return to the national curling stage? A dream come true, she says.
"It's been elusive for the last number of years and the fact that the Scotties are back in Charlottetown, where we went in '99 I'd love to get back there," she said. "With this group of girls, it truly would be a dream come true, we have so much fun together and I really think we have what it takes."
