Jill Mouzar is no longer calling the shots, but she’s more than happy to defer to Heather Smith-Dacey.
The Halifax resident joined forces with the experienced Smith-Dacey in the off-season, and the Mayflower rink will vie for a provincial women’s curling championship starting this afternoon at the Bridgewater Curling Club.
Mouzar, who was a Scotties-winning skip in 2007, still throws last rocks but is no longer calling the game.
“She’s had such a positive impact,” Mouzar said of Smith-Dacey. “She’s a really hard worker, and she inspires me to work harder. With the setup we have, we have to trust each other.
“I have to trust what she’s calling, so (I know) I’m going to have the shot that I want in the end. It’s all been good.”
Mouzar and lead Teri Lake are the only remaining members from the rink that won in 2007.
Blisse Comstock, who won a national junior title with Mouzar in 2004, is the rink’s second.
The 25-year-old Mouzar has benefited from Smith-Dacey’s wealth of experience. Smith-Dacey has been on a pair of provincial women’s winners, is a four-time provincial mixed champ, and won a national mixed crown in 2002.
She came on board after academic commitments forced Kristen MacDiarmid to drop down to the team’s fifth.
Since it’s a first-year team, Mouzar has an eye to the future, but is also eager to see what she can do this week.
“We’re really excited about coming out our strongest, playing our best and having a really good week together,” Mouzar said. “Hopefully that will allow us to come out on top.”
Mouzar, seeded fifth, faces No. 2 Margaret Cutcliffe of Mayflower at 1 p.m. The championship is Sunday at 3 p.m.
Other Mayflower rinks are Mary-Anne Arsenault (seeded first), Mary Mattatall (third) and Sarah Rhyno (eighth). Dartmouth’s Nancy McConnery (fourth) is also in the mix.
