Perth’s Holly Wilkie-Milne admits it's “completely surreal” to have booked a spot on the prime desk of junior curling.
Wilkie-Milne, alongside Laura Watt of Auchterarder, Fay Henderson and Robyn Munro, is reflecting on a profitable week on the World Junior B Championships within the Finnish metropolis of Lohja.
With Scotland proudly on their backs, the crew secured the silver medal and that additionally certified them for the World Junior Championships which start in Germany in February.
“We knew going out to the Bs that we meant to do our greatest to qualify Scotland for the World As and we had been constructing by means of the entire season within the run as much as this occasion,” former Perth Academy pupil Wilkie-Milne mentioned.
“So there was undoubtedly a sense within the crew that we had a job to get carried out right here in Finland.
“That is an occasion that none of us had performed in and so there was a way of uncertainty, nevertheless it was an important competitors.
“The opposition had been robust - particularly in these playoff video games - whereas the ice rink and different amenities had been nice and it was superb to have the success we had hoped for.
“It’s completely surreal to have the ability to say we're heading to the World Juniors, and I can’t wait to get on the market and signify Scotland once more.”
The crew had navigated by means of the spherical robin stage undefeated earlier than seeing off Czech Republic within the quarter-final after which Turkey within the semi-final.
Canada, additionally a curling powerhouse, awaited within the ultimate for what was all the time anticipated to be a close-fought encounter.
And so it proved, with the Canadians edging the match 5-4.
“The semi ultimate in opposition to Turkey was a really exhausting fought recreation and we rose to the event - we knew that profitable that recreation secured us a spot within the As,” Wilkie-Milne mentioned.
“It was an excellent recreation for us and we carried out to the excessive customary we are going to want in Germany.
“The ultimate in opposition to Canada was all the time going to be a good recreation. We each had an unbeaten file heading into the match.
“We didn’t begin that recreation as robust as we had began the others, however we actually turned it up a notch within the second half.
“Sadly Canada simply made some extra photographs than we did, and in the long run gained 5-4. We'll meet them once more in Germany, and hopefully can have a greater recreation.”
Forward of pulling on the Scotland jerseys once more subsequent yr, Group Henderson has a busy schedule packed stuffed with high-quality competitors. That can present the proper preparation.
Wilkie-Milne mentioned: “Between from time to time we even have a really packed schedule, with the Perth Masters proper after new yr.
“That's adopted immediately by the World College Video games which all 4 of us had been chosen for alongside former team-mate Lisa Davie, and eventually the Scottish Girls’s Championship earlier than the As.
“These occasions will give us the standard ice time and expertise we are going to want so as to carry out on the Worlds, alongside our continued on and off ice coaching.”