FORT McMURRAY, Alta. Fort McMurray may be a long way from Watson Lake, but the Yukon junior male curling team is certainly starting to feel at home during the Arctic Winter Games.

The Watson Lake team of skip Toby Reams, third David Giesbrecht, second Jesse Reams and lead Tyson Cole won their first curling game on Tuesday and may have a shot at a bronze ulu.

For the Watson Lake foursome this is their first year in competitive curling and their first curling trip outside of the Yukon.

At 12 years old, Giesbrecht had never even been on an airplane before last Friday a trip which he made sure to photograph along the way.

So what's it like now that he's finally here?

'It's like being in Whitehorse,' Giesbrecht said. 'When you drive around the city it's the same size.'

Toby Reams, who's the eldest team member at 16, said playing in the Arctic Winter Games hasn't been too much of a shock to the system.

'The game experience is what we need,' he said, as Giesbrecht and Cole nodded in agreement.

And the experience has been pretty good so far.

'We lost our first two games, then won against Nunavut, then lost again,' said Giesbrecht.

In the game against Nunavut, the teams were tied 9-9 in the last end, with Toby Reams taking the final shot.

'We got it by an inch,' said Toby Reams, smiling.

'He threw it light but not too light,' added 10-year-old Cole.

All three curlers said they are proud of how they've been playing, and hope to return to the AWG in 2006 in Alaska, with a little more experience.

'That's what we're aiming for,' said Toby Reams.

Their goals at the 2004 AWG are pretty simple.

'We're just here to have fun,' Giesbrecht said. 'We're not here to win gold, although it would be nice.'

'It would be really nice if we were in one of the top three,' said Cole.

And after finishing fourth in the round robin, the Yukon rink does have a shot at attaining that goal even if some would consider it an outside shot. They have to play Nunavut again today in the first round of playoffs, with the winner of that game advancing to the next round against third-place N.W.T.

If the Yukoners defeat the N.W.T. they are guaranteed at least bronze ulus and will face the loser of the game between first place Alberta North and second place Alaska.

No matter what happens in playoffs though, the Watson Lakers have already enjoyed themselves in Alberta. They even went to a country concert, featuring Juno award-winning artist Aaron Lines.

'It was good,' Cole said about the concert.

'We listened to a couple of songs but then it got pretty late so we left,' added Giesbrecht.

The team is also trying to arrange a tour at an oil plant this weekend.

As for food and accommodations, Cole said the food is good and healthy, while all three agreed accommodations (the team is staying at a local elementary school set up with bunk beds) are fine minus the bothersome doorbell and interesting showers.

'The doorbell is really annoying,' said Toby Reams. 'It plays a really annoying tune and it goes off at three in the morning.'

And as for the showers, one has a door while one doesn't. And the knobs have to be pushed every minute in order to keep the water running water which is hot only.

'You press it once, maybe twice, or you'll burn yourself,' explained Cole.

That's not to say the team is complaining about the experience. When asked whether they were looking forward to going home, all three said yes and no.

'I do miss riding around in a car because we have to take buses all the time here,' admitted Giesbrecht.

The first round of junior male playdowns, featuring the Yukon vs. Nunavut, will get underway (Thursday) this afternoon.

The junior female team of Eliza and Priscilla Krauss, Joy Reams and Vanessa Rotundi finished the round robin in fifth place at 0-4.

They will also face off against Nunavut this afternoon in the first round of the playoffs.

A win over fourth-place Nunavut would set the Yukoners up against third-place Alaska.