The Atlantic Under 18 Curling Championships wrapped up Sunday afternoon at the Montague Curling Club, with the Justine Comeau rink from New Brunswick winning the women’s title, and the Matthew Manuel foursome from Nova Scotia taking the men’s event. The all-PEI bronze medal games were won by the PEI men’s and women’s provincial champion teams, the Leslie Noye foursome from the Western Community Curling Club in Alberton, and Kaleigh Mackay rink from Crapaud, Charlottetown, and Montague, who beat the provincial runners-up, entered in the event as the PEI Host Teams.
Women’s Gold Medal Game
The Justine Comeau rink from Fredericton’s Capitol Winter Club scored three points in an extra end to double the Kristin Clarke rink from the Mayflower Curling Club in Halifax 6-3 in the women’s final. Comeau went undefeated in the event, finishing the round robin at 4-0, while Clarke was 3-1, losing only to Comeau.
Women’s champions (L-R) Team Comeau (NB): (Larry Richards, Montague Curling Club manager, skip Justine Comeau, Emma LeBlanc, Brigitte Comeau, Keira McLaughlin, coach Tim Comeau)
Women’s Silver Medalists
Women’s runners-up (L-R) – Team Clarke (NS): (Larry Richards, host club manager, skip Kristin Clarke, Emma Logan, Taylor Fulmore, Anna Bryant, coach Mary Mattatall)
Men’s Gold Medal match
The Matthew Manuel rink from the Mayflower also went undefeated in the event, beating the Liam Marin rink from the Thistle St. Andrews Curling Club in New Brunswick 9-3 in seven ends in the men’s championship game, stealing deuces in ends 4 and 7. Marin went 2-2 in the round robin, tied with the PEI and PEI host teams, but advanced to the final when tiebreaking rules were applied.
Men’s champions (L-R): – Team Manuel (NS): (Larry Richards representing the Montague Curling Club, coach Stu Cameron, Alec Cameron, Ryan Abraham, Nick Zachernuk, skip Matthew Manuel)
Men’s runners-up (L-R) – Team Marin (NB): (Larry Richards,Manager, host Montague club, coach Felipe D. Marin, Brendan Jones, Felipe K. Marin, Jack Smeltzer, skip Liam Marin)
Women’s Bronze Medal game:
The PEI team, skipped by Kaleigh Mackay, doubled the Lauren Lenentine rink from Cornwall 4-2 in the consolation final, with Mackay scoring singles in the second and eighth ends, and a deuce in the sixth, while Lenentine scored two points in the 5th end. Mackay went 2-2 in the round robin, while Lenentine had a 1-3 win-loss record. The Newfoundland and Labrador rink, skipped by Kayleigh Kasmey from the Carol Curling Club, did not pick up a win, and finished out of the playoffs.
Women’s bronze medal winners (L-R) – Team Mackay: (Larry Richards, Montague Curling Club manager, coach Kevin Smith, Kaleigh Peters, Alyssa Wright, Danielle Collings, skip Kaleigh Mackay)
Men’s Bronze Medal Game:
The PEI men’s team, skipped by Leslie Noye out of the Western Community Curling Club in Alberton, beat the PEI Host team, captained by Alex MacFadyen from the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside by an 8-2 score in the bronze medal game, which went six ends, with the Noye foursome taking a triple in the sixth to bring the game to an early conclusion. Noye and MacFadyen both finished round robin play with 2-2 win-loss records.
The other team in the men’s section, the Newfoundland and Labrador team from the Caribou and Corner Brook curling clubs, skipped by Ryan McNeil Lamswood, did not pick up a win in the event.
Men’s bronze medal winners (L-R) – Team Noye: (Larry Richards from the host club, coach Lori Robinson, Alex Gallant, Dylan Vincent, Jacob Wilkins, skip Leslie Noye)
Following the team awards, the male and female Sportsmanship awards, as voted on by all the players, and the Coaching awards, as voted on by the coaches, were presented.
Sportsmanship Awards:
Photo (L-R): Larry Richards – Manager, Montague Curling Club, Female Sportsmanship winner Emma Logan, third on the Kristin Clarke team from Nova Scotia
Photo (L-R): Larry Richards – Manager, Montague Curling Club, Male Sportsmanship winner, Brendan Jones, lead on the Liam Marin rink from New Brunswick
Coaching Awards
Coach of a Female Team award winner: Pat Quilty, host of the PEI Women’s Host Team, skipped by Lauren Lenentine
Coach of a male team award winner (L-R): Larry Richards from the host club, coach Dave MacFadyen, of the PEI Men’s Host Team, skipped by Alex MacFadyen
The Atlantic Under 18 Curling Championships are held annually, alternating between the four Atlantic provinces.
The organizers and the host Montague Curling Club would like to thank all the volunteers that made the 2015 event a big success, including: Amy Duncan, Bruce Rourke, Bruce Wilkie, Amanda Bulger and John Donahue, along with the timers, the ice crew, and the Montague Lions Club who catered the banquet. Thanks also to the sponsors, including O’Connor glass, Riverhouse Inn, and BellAliant Community One who provided livestreaming of two games in each draw.
