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Tim Hortons Brier: Losing makes for long week at Brier

EDMONTON -- Some teams travel to the Tim Hortons Brier knowing deep in their hearts their chances of winning are slim and none.

No one goes expecting not to win a game.

It's been a very long week for Paul Flemming's team from Nova Scotia. Heading into Thursday night's draw Flemming was 0-8 and the only team at the Brier without a victory.

It's an empty feeling going to the big show and having nothing to celebrate. It's like standing in the corner at the high school dance and watching everyone else have fun.

"It's very difficult," said the soft spoken Nova Scotia skip. "Sometimes you have to remind yourself there's a lot of teams back home that would love to be here."

For the teams on the bottom rung of the standing's ladder any hopes of making the playoffs have vanished like a keg of beer at a fraternity party. Besides Flemming, Eddie MacKenzie of P.E.I., is 1-8. B.C. skip Andrew Bilesky, a 29-year-old from New Westminster, B.C., collected his first Brier victory Thursday with an 8-7 win over Jamie Koe of NWT/Yukon.

"It's frustrating for sure," said MacKenzie. "There's not much more you can say. Nobody likes losing."

MacKenzie, 40, and Flemming, 44, both have been to the Brier before.

Flemming skipped Nova Scotia in 1998 and 1999, and played third in three other national championships. He was a member of the Shawn Adams' team at the 2005 Brier in Edmonton that finished the round robin 8-3 and lost 5-4 to Randy Ferbey in the final.

MacKenzie skipped P.E.I. in 2011 and played third in 1994. Coming into this year his Brier record was 3-19.

"It's hard enough to get here," said the Charlottetown resident. "It's harder when you get here."

Bilesky heaved a sigh of relief after his win.

"That's how we felt all week, that we had a monkey on our backs," he said. "We thought we were playing well, we just weren't getting the outcomes we wanted and were just missing shots.

"To win this one, this late in the week, it's a good feeling. We are looking forward to win a few more now."

The Brier has been a steep learning curve for the young B.C. rink.

"We are taking some positive things out of this," said Bilesky. "We were beating ourselves up a little bit the first couple of losses.

"When you step back and you look at being a rookie and the top teams we have played already, you can't beat yourself up too much."

Veteran Manitoba skip Jeff Stoughton appreciates the dissatisfaction some of also rans are feeling.

"There's no doubt they are struggling," said Stoughton. "They are not putting the rocks in the right place, missing too many shots.

"You feel bad for them. It's a sport and you are playing to win. We are going to take every little advantage we can get. It they are playing poorly, we're going to jump all over it."

After taking his lumps this week, Bilesky hopes to be back in the ring next year when the Brier is held in Kamloops, B.C.

"We want to stick together for a while and start to be the team in B.C. that would be the team to beat and hopefully get back to the Brier a few more times," he said.

Bilesky's Brier journey may just be beginning. Flemming, who dealt with back and knee problems this year, might be at the end of the road.

"You never know when you might get another trip back," he said.

"We'll see how the knee and back hold up. After a week like this you almost feel like taking a year off. I'm sure my attitude will change next week. Hopefully."