In two days Team Koltun will be on familiar ground at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, playing in the pre-qualification round for a one-in-four shot of making the main draw.

“There’s definitely a lot more pressure than normal,” said Sarah Koltun from Vancouver yesterday. “You have to hit the ground running.”

This is the final year teams will have to play in a pre-qualification at the Scotties and the Tim Hortons Brier.

Next year all territories and provinces represented at those competitions will play in the main draw.

There are four teams that will face each other for the last spot in the draw.

Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut and New Brunswick will play three games each to decide who will get the spot.

Team Koltun is back at the Scotties after taking a year’s break.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve been to a competition like this,” said Koltun.

“We’re all really excited to get back to it.”

The rink, with skip Koltun, third Chelsea Duncan, second Patty Wallingham and lead Jenna Duncan has been based out the Vancouver area.

In the fall, they competed in a league and played together at least once a week.

The new year has been more of a logistical challenge, with one member on Vancouver Island.

But the team will be heading into Scotties with some momentum. They won the consolation final at the 2017 King Cash Spiel in Maple Ridge, B.C.

Team Koltun’s first game will be at 6:30 p.m. Thursday against Kerry Galusha’s Northwest Territories rink.

The Scotties main draw begins Saturday in St. Catharines, Ont.