N.W.T.'s Galusha out of the Scotties playoffs after Friday loss to New Brunswick
Team Galusha, defeated Friday afternoon, was the first exclusively N.W.T. team to make the playoffs
N.W.T. curler Kerry Galusha's first playoff run at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts women's curling championship ended Friday afternoon in a 8-6 loss to New Brunswick's Andrea Crawford.
Earlier Friday, Galusha's team made history as the first exclusively-N.W.T. team to ever make the playoffs. The last time the N.W.T. was represented at the playoffs was in 1983, when Skelly Bildfell represented both the N.W.T. and the Yukon.
In that pivotal morning game, Galusha won against Manitoba's Mackenzie Zacharias.
Galusha and Zacharias were tied 5-5 before Friday morning's game, but Zacharias' team conceded the game with the score 8-6 in Galusha's favour.
Galusha told reporters Friday that the earlier win was an exciting one for the North.
"We're just really proud to represent the N.W.T., and we've had so much support from home," she said.
"This has been a dream of mine ... I'm just really proud of my team."
As her group prepared to face New Brunswick, she acknowledged the strength of Crawford's team. She also praised Zacharias' team.
"That team is going to be really good. They're going to win a lot of Scotties if they stick together," she said.
The tournament is taking place in Thunder Bay. Galusha's team included Jo-Ann Rizzo, Margot Flemming, Sarah Koltun and Megan Koehler.
Galusha first represented the N.W.T. as a skip at the 2001 Tournament of Hearts, and has led her team to the national stage dozens of times since.
With files from The Canadian Press