Former Yorkton resident Steve Laycock and his curling team of Dallan Muyres (lead), Colton Flasch (second) and Kirk Muyres (third) might not have won the Brier this past weekend in Calgary but they did take the bronze game, downing their recent rival, Newfoundland and Labrador鈥檚 Brad Gushue 7-5, thanks to a steal of two in the 11th end to gain a measure of revenge on Gushue, who handed Laycock a 6-5 loss at the Canadian Open in Yorkton in December.
But initially Laycock and company weren鈥檛 exactly ecstatic about finishing third at the 2015 Brier, despite being one of the only teams to end the tournament with a win.
Yet a year ago they would have been.
Two years ago they鈥檇 have been happy to just compete at the Brier.
This year however, first place, the gold medal, THAT was what they were after.
But then they had some time to themselves. Some time to ponder about just how impressive bronze actually is. 鈥淎fter a little bit of time to reflect on it now, I think we鈥檙e pretty happy with where we placed,鈥� offered Laycock Monday evening. 鈥淢ore than that, our performance level was significantly better than last year.鈥�
That it was. In fact Team Laycock, who finished last year鈥檚 Brier round-robin out of playoff contention in fifth place, very nearly eliminated eventual 2015 Brier champion Team Canada in the 3 vs. 4 Page Playoff game and would have too, if not for Laycock鈥檚 final shot in the 10th end being just a little bit off. 鈥淚t was a couple of millimetres from being perfect and that would have been all the difference,鈥� said the Team Saskatchewan skip. 鈥淔or three quarters of the way down the sheet it looked perfect and when we called the sweep off at the second hog line it just needed to finish a little bit and it never did.鈥�
However the missed shot, which eventually led to an extra end loss, did not deter Laycock and company.
Instead, it once again proved to them something that they鈥檝e come to realize over the past year and a half.
They鈥檙e good. Darn good.
Good enough to not only compete with the best in the world, but good enough to beat the best in the world; even if it didn鈥檛 happen that particular time. 鈥淚 think last year we got the confidence that we could beat everyone,鈥� suggested the Saltcoats native and former Yorkton resident. 鈥淭here weren鈥檛 any of the top teams that we hadn鈥檛 beaten anymore, but the step forward this year has been that we鈥檙e consistently beating the top teams.鈥�
That gradual realization, the realization that they鈥檙e now one of the best in the world at their chosen profession, is something that not a lot of people can claim to have experienced, no matter what they do.
But Laycock can. 鈥淜nowing that gives us a lot of confidence,鈥� offered Laycock. 鈥淜nowing we鈥檙e beating the exact same people we鈥檒l have to play against for the 2018 Olympic run is a pretty good feeling.鈥�
It鈥檚 also the exact same people that Team Laycock would have to beat should they want to be 2016 Brier champions.
However they鈥檙e certainly not going to count their chickens before they hatch. 鈥淭here are no guarantees in life,鈥� offered Laycock. 鈥淎 lot of people don鈥檛 even get the chance to go back to a Brier, never mind to go back and finish two spots higher, so we鈥檙e going to work hard to get ourselves that opportunity again but obviously we can鈥檛 take for granted that we鈥檒l come out of the province every year because that in itself is a challenge as well.
鈥淎nd then the Brier, that might be the hardest one to win.鈥�
Then, as if to drive his point home, Laycock pointed out one currently great curler who has yet to win a Brier, despite making 12 appearances at the tournament. 鈥淏rad Gushue is a good example of a great player that hasn鈥檛 won a Brier,鈥� mentioned the Saskatchewan skip, before adding 鈥淏ut if we put ourselves in a position to perform our best in the closing weekend of the Brier in the future, then I think that we can win it.鈥�
And if their recent exponential improvement is any indication, the title of Brier Champions will be one that Team Laycock can boast about sooner rather than later.
