The Ryerson Rams women’s curling team doesn’t have enough players, coach Perry Marshall confirmed to The Ryersonian at the team’s second tryout Saturday morning.
(Jordan Mady/Ryersonian Staff)
Six student-athletes expressed interest in joining the team, but only three attended the tryout. Marshall said he’ll likely select the three players who showed up, and while he still needs one or two more curlers to round out the roster, he said he’s not concerned.
“We’ve been on an odyssey with the women’s team right from the outset,” the coach said. “We had strength with the men’s initiative. We knew that the women’s program would be one where we were trying to attract people into that program.”
Marshall said he’s still in contact with the other three prospective female curlers who didn’t come to the tryout. The two freshman and a sophomore are reportedly sorting out their academics.
Even if none of them join the team, the Rams will survive because they can borrow players from the University of Toronto’s club. The Varsity Blues have a full, six-woman squad with two players who won’t curl as frequently.
“We’d certainly welcome them curling with us,” Marshall said. “It’s a friendly rivalry but it’s going to be all about improving everyone’s skills and giving people the opportunity to curl.”
The coach also said he thinks there are potential curlers at Ryerson who aren’t aware of the program.
“I still think there’s people out there who don’t know that we’re actually doing this and that we’re serious about this … there maybe yet some athletes who haven’t identified themselves and we look forward to talking to them,” he said.
“I’m confident we’ll resolve what I don’t consider to be a huge problem.”
The final tryout is Sunday Sept. 27 at 9 a.m. at Leaside Curling Club. Both the Rams women’s and men’s teams will begin curling competitively at Leaside Curling Club this week.