RED DEER, Alta. — The alternate’s job on a curling team at the Canadian women’s championship is mostly unglamorous, fetching and carrying equipment for teammates and practising late at night when everyone else is back at the hotel.

Like the backup goaltender in hockey, the "fifth" as they are called, must be ready at all times to step cold from the fringe of the game into action in the event a regular in the lineup can’t play.

Jolene Campbell did that for defending champion Amber Holland at a key point in their schedule at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

She rotated into the lineup for Tuesday afternoon’s 9-4 win over Ontario. It was the first of four straight draws in the schedule for the Holland team.

Regular second Tammy Schneider left the previous night’s game in the second end when her left knee buckled while delivering a stone. Campbell climbed down from her stool at one end of the ice to play in a 7-3 win over Manitoba.

"You really have to be ready to play," Campbell said. "I have to make sure I’m getting the right rest and eating the right things and preparing just like the girls are.

"Sitting on those bar stools all day doesn’t really prepare you to play. Mentally that’s the hardest thing about being a fifth player. You have to be ready to go all the time. On the side, you have a lot of other duties and things you are trying to do to make sure the girls just get to focus on the ice."

Those wins over Manitoba and Ontario were crucial in allowing the defending champions from Kronau, Sask., to keep setting the pace for the rest of the field.

Holland was 5-1 with a game remaining Tuesday against Quebec. Manitoba’s Jennifer Jones won twice to finish the day 5-2. B.C.’s Kelly Scott, Saskatchewan’s Michelle Englot and New Brunswick’s Rebecca Atkinson all had four wins. Alberta’s Heather Nedohin and Quebec’s Marie-France Larouche were both 3-3.

The top four teams at the conclusion of the round robin Thursday advance to playoffs. Ties for fourth will be solved by tiebreaker games.

Schneider said she had a pulled muscle. She was back on the ice to start the evening game versus Larouche’s team.

"We’re definitely going to be cautious," Schneider said. "We’re not going to push it. I know Jolene can step in and play at any point.

"We know there’s lots of important games coming up at the end of the week and I’d rather be there ready to play than push it too early."

Schneider’s situation is an example of how important it is when choosing an alternate for a national championship.

Campbell skips her own team in Saskatchewan, but is also Holland’s alternate at a third straight Scotties Tournament of Hearts. She served in the same capacity at last year’s world championship, in which Holland won the silver medal.

Campbell, 30, delves into other positions in league play and joins Holland for a few games during the season to ensure a seamless transition when a situation arises like it has in Red Deer.

"It was nothing we really planned for, but we definitely had the discussions before coming that if that ever happened, we felt comfortable with Jolene and Jolene can play every position," Holland said.

"We had those discussions so everybody is comfortable knowing if you’re not quite 100 per cent and you’re not going to be 100 per cent on the ice, that Jolene can come out and perform."

Campbell by her own admission didn’t play well against Ontario’s Tracy Horgan, but her teammates performed well enough to get the win.

"I knew I was going to be playing. Tammy made that decision in a lot of time to give me a chance to prepare. I can’t blame that today, unfortunately," Campbell said. "We want to make sure Tammy is in there on the weekend. That’s the whole objective."