As the stone sweeps across the ice, the Humber Hawks women’s curling team gears up for this year’s OCAA championships happening in February. Players face their greatest challenge of integrating new athletes into the lineup while also striving for the championship glory.

The head coach, Sean Turriff, has been with the team for the last four seasons, where they dominated the ice and continue to bring home gold each year.

Transitioning into his fifth season has been a challenging one as many experienced players graduated from last year.

Despite losing most of the team, Turriff refused to give up on potential athletes at Humber.

On Oct. 7, 2024, he hosted a virtual information session about the varsity curling team, open to all Humber Polytechnic students, in an effort to recruit new members.

Turriff says this season’s been a challenge. “It’s been tough because we only had two returning players and we were in danger of not having a team, so we had to scramble to find some players and that’s never happened for us.”

The new team, made up of three new players, and two returning, played in their first bonspiel of the season on Jan. 11, 2025, at Dundas Curling Club.

During the tournament, the Humber Hawks went head-to-head against Fanshawe, McMaster, and Mohawk, where they faced defeat despite their best efforts.

Brittany Elson, the assistant coach for the Humber Hawks says, “we didn’t win every single game which was fine, it was their first outing with each other and like getting to know each other on the ice, they had a good time, got to work together and develop more skills so I would say it was pretty good.”

Elson, who has coached the team for the last three seasons, says a key part of coaching is fostering a strong rapport with the team, helping to create a positive dynamic among new members.

One of those new members is a lead player, Kathryn Campion, who says she has curled all her life but is still adjusting to being on the team.

Campion says, “we’re a pretty new team so our coach isn’t really focused on winning right now, but instead just kind of building relationships.”

With a bumpy start to the season, the team continues to practice diligently, even during off days.

Elson says, “I know the kids (student-athletes) like to take it upon themselves which is fantastic-they’ve been able to go out and practice with each other and communicate with each other.”

During these practices, a major focus for the Hawks is shot making, which requires them to hone their precision and technique.

Turriff says, “what we need to do is focus on making the shots. In curling you’ve got a variety of shots obviously, but there’s some that you just have to make. So, making sure you make those simple-I call them bread and butter-shots.”

Looking beyond the OCAA championships, Elson says that she would love to see the team reach even greater heights.

“I would love to see them at nationals-last year. They placed third so I would love to at least see them at that podium standing. I think they are long overdue for that win, and I think dynamic-wise this year, and skill, they can pull it off.”

With their coaches cheering them on, the Humber Hawks women’s curling team is more committed than ever to succeeding both on and off the ice.

With each practice, the team sets their sights on continuing to build a strong foundation, for the OCAA championships and beyond.

*Photo, SHVETS production, Pexels, Creative Commons Licence