Regina Cougars representing a rich history of women’s curling in Saskatchewan
REGINA, Saskatchewan — Curling is ingrained in the history of sports in Saskatchewan, little wonder it is one of the approved recreational activities at the University of Regina.
The University of Regina curling club has a male team and a women’s team, each making waves in the game of curling. However, women’s curling seems to be seeking dominance as they strive to bring glory to the university and the city of Regina as a whole. Currently, the team competes at both regional and national competitions under the U Sport umbrella.
They have been very active and have a great developmental system that enabled them to win the women’s U Sports championship in 2010.
Also, the women finished fifth place with a 2-3 record at the 2013 Canada West Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Curling Championships in Edmonton, Alberta.
The women’s team, composed of three out of five returnees, made it through the Canada West playdowns and into the 2017 USports Curling Canada University Curling Championships led by coaches Tom Hamon and Jamie Schneider. The team members came on board with their unique curling experiences as they competed with top national teams. Members of the Cougar women’s team were Kaitlin Corbin (alternate), Haylee Jameson (skip), Stasia Wisniewski (third), Hayley Unrau (second), and Sara England (lead).
The competition was tough as the women faced experienced players like Dalhousie University’s former World Junior Champion Kristin Clarke and 2017 Canadian Junior Champion Kristen Streifel from the University of Alberta. Although the team didn’t make it to the semifinals, they played very well and won two out of seven games. They had a 10-5 victory over Lakehead University and beat Ryerson University 7-6. The team finished with a 4-2 record to qualify for the national competition.
After playing at the regional competition in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, they qualified for and competed in the USport National Championships held in Thunder Bay, Ontario, in March 2017.
Before the pandemic halted curling activities, the University of Regina women’s curling team had a great weekend at the 2020 Canada West championships, where they won a silver medal. The team was made up of two rookies, who had also played at the junior level. Sarah Hoag, who played second at the championships, was one of the most experienced players on the team.
Having come from three generations of curlers, Sarah Hoag has curled since she was much younger. She played in the U18 International competition in 2016, the 2017 Curling Canada Nationals, and the 2019 under-21 competition. In addition, Hoag curled at Gravelbourg, Maryfield, and Bengough before moving to Saskatoon and now Regina. Since she aims to play in senior competitions soon, Hoag trains at the gym five to six days every week.
According to her, her training involves throwing rocks, practice games, cross-training, and technical work. Her love for curling is deep-rooted, and she has a lot of faith in the women’s curling team.
“We are really just looking to put our best foot forward at Nationals. I think we are just going to try and represent the University of Regina the best we can,” she said. “We will go out and play to our fullest potential.”
Players who currently make up the women’s curling team include Karla Friesen, Krystal Englot, Kyla Theis, Rayel Martin, Sarah Hoag, Shantel Englot, Stasia Wisniewski, Taylor Stremick, and Jade Goebel.
However, the University of Regina Curling Club will not be resuming for the 2021 season as the risk of COVID-19 is still quite high at the Highland and Callie Curling Clubs where they play. They have not been able to play since the pandemic took hold in 2020. The curling season is likely to resume in the winter of 2022 (January to March).
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