It won't be easy, but Team Scoffin is hoping to improve on its previous year's showing at the annual M&M Meat Shops Canadian Junior Men's Curling Championships.

In 2008, competing against the country's most talented 20-and-under curlers, the Yukon squad won an impressive three games, including a three-point victory over powerhouse Ontario.

Heading into its third junior nationals, members on the team are hoping their experience and familiarity with the tournament will help them surpass 2008's success.

"We just really want to improve from last year," said 17-year-old Will Mahoney, who throws third on the team. "We can't control how the other teams play, so we just want to play our best."

This year's junior curling nationals are being held in Salmon Arm, B.C. In addition to the Yukon and Northwest Territories, the competition will include teams from 10 provinces, plus northern Ontario. The junior Canadian championships will run from Feb. 1-8.

Teams play in a round robin format, which automatically qualifies the first place team to the final. The second and third ranked squads meet up in the semi-final.

The tournament's winners on both the male and female side go on to represent Canada at the world junior curling championships.

Thomas Scoffin, who at 12 years old was the youngest skip in Canadian juniors history, said the team has improved at everything since its first nationals in 2007.

"We are better shot makers now, stronger sweepers," he said.

Team Scoffin practises once a week as a team, but in addition to that they also play in two leagues, including on Tuesday and Thursday. In the Thursday league, Team Scoffin has a record of 9-1 and are in first place.

"It's pretty encouraging," said the team's lead Mitchell Young. "We are playing the best in Whitehorse, so a lot of good competition."

Team second Nicholas Koltun agrees with Young about the benefits of playing adult teams in Whitehorse.

He said they won't be intimidated when playing older teams at the junior nationals.

"They are all younger than people that we normally play."

Team Scoffin's success hasn't just been limited to playing in the Yukon.

At a recent juvenile competition in Calgary, featuring Alberta's best 17-and-under teams, the foursome more than held their own.

After losing the first game, Team Scoffin rebounded and won four straight. They placed second out of 16 teams.

"That is a really strong testament that the guys are really on par, certainly when you are looking at kids their own age." said Wade Scoffin, the team's coach.

"We are still going to be younger (at the Canadian championships), but we will be a team that has quite a bit of experience because this will be our third nationals. That will help a lot because the third time you have gone to these types of events there is a lot of the known things that happen and a lot less of the surprises."

Wade said its going to be an exciting week.

"I think the guys have some very reasonable expectations," he said. "We have done a lot of preparation, they have taken in a lot of the opportunities that have come their way over the season to be as prepared as they can be.

"The main thing now is that we've done the preparation. Now it's time to go out and enjoy it and really try to perform and apply all of the things that they have been hearing about and learning and practising."

Team Koltun will represent the Yukon on the women's side. Last year, the Koltun rink went 0-12 at the junior nationals.