British Columbia’s Tyler Tardi kicked off his campaign to win a third straight national title as the 2019 New Holland Canadian Juniors got underway today in Prince Albert, Sask.

Tardi and third Sterling Middleton have two consecutive national and world championships behind them, and this year they’ve brought a new front end to help keep the streak alive. Matthew Hall, playing second, joins the team after relocating from Ontario – Hall skipped the Ontario team that lost to Tardi in the 2017 gold-medal game. Alex Horvath takes over the lead position, with Paul Tardi, Tyler’s dad, as coach.

Tyler Tardi (Curling Canada photo)

In the opening draw, the B.C. foursome had no problem overpowering Trygg Jensen of the Yukon, scoring four in the eighth to cruise to a 10-2 win.

Also in the win column in the opening draw was Northern Ontario’s Tanner Horgan, making his sixth consecutive appearance at the national Junior championships. Horgan, who lost the final to Tardi last year, needed a deuce in the final end to defeat Graeme Weagle of Chester, Nova Scotia, 7-6 in the opening draw. Weagle, the gold-medallist at the 2018 Under-18 Nationals, is taking his first crack at an Under-21 national title.

The 2018 bronze medallist, Manitoba’s J.T. Ryan, backed by third Jacques Gauthier and a new front end of Jordan Peters and Cole Chandler, also started the round robin with a win, defeating Quebec’s Vincent Roberge, 6-3.

In women’s action, the 2018 bronze medallist from New Brunswick, Justine Cormier, got off to a slow start in the opening draw with a 7-3 loss to Quebec’s Laurie St-Georges in a rematch of last year’s women’s semifinal. But Cormier and her Fredericton team of Emma Le Blanc, Brigitte Comeau, Keira McLaughlin, alternate Erica Cluff and coach Tim Comeau bounced back on Saturday afternoon with a 9-5 win over Prince Edward Island’s Lauren Ferguson.

Also in women’s Draw 2 action, British Columbia’s Sarah Daniels, hoping to improve on her 2016 silver medal, started strong by winning her first game 14-0 over Nunavut’s Sadie Pinksen. Selena Sturmay led Alberta to a 10-3 win over Northern Ontario’s Kira Brunton, the 2018 Under-18 champion. Saskatchewan’s Sarah England, daughter of famed Canadian curler Sandra Schmirler, skipped her Saskatchewan foursome to a 10-5 victory over Newfoundland and Labrador’s Mackenzie Glynn.

Action continued in men’s and women’s play on Saturday (9:30 p.m. AT) at both the Art Hauser Centre and the Prince Albert Golf & Curling Club.

For the first time, selected round-robin games from the New Holland Canadian Junior Championships will be streamed live at Curling Canada’s Facebook page, which you can access by CLICKING HERE.

Find all the scores and standings by linking to the scoreboard on the event website, here: www.curling.ca/2019juniors.

Click to read this story at Curling Canada.

Results from Draw 2:

Team MacDonald 8
Team Kennedy 3

MacDonald started fast again with a steal of 3 in the 1st. Kennedy answered back with 2 in the 2nd. MacDonald pulled away by scoring singles in the 5th, 6th and 7th before running Kennedy out of rocks in the 8th.

Team Arsenault 6
Team Gallant 2

Both teams traded singles with hammer in the first two ends. Arsenault pulled away with a steal of 2 in the 3rd and another 1 in the 4th. Gallant had several chances to get back in the game but couldn’t capitalize.

Draw 3 (Saturday, 2 pm) features Team MacDonald (2-0) vs Team Gallant (0-2) and Team Arsenault (1-1) vs Team Kennedy (1-1).

Photo (Team Arsenault vs Team Gallant game)
Rob Gallant (Team Gallant) calls a shot while Paul Arsenault (Team Arsenault) looks on.

Photo Team MacDonald vs Team Kennedy game)
Hans Wicki (Team Kennedy) delivers while Chris MacDougall and Angus Davies prepare to sweep.

Here are the results from draw 1 of our men’s single round robin Curling Club Championship competition:

Team MacDonald 7
Team Arsenault 6

Team MacDonald took 4 in the 1st end and raced out to a 7-1 lead after 4 ends. Team Arsenault clawed their way back in the second half, stealing 2 in the 7th to close within 1, but came up short in the 8th.

Team Kennedy 9
Team Gallant 6

Team Kennedy stole a big 4 in the 1st end and held a 7-4 lead after 4 ends. Team Gallant couldn’t get anything going and were run out of rocks in the 8th, losing 9-6.

Draw 2 on Saturday at 10 am features MacDonald vs Kennedy and Arsenault vs Gallant.
Draw 3 on Saturday at 2 pm wraps up the round robin with MacDonald vs Gallant and Arsenault vs Kennedy.

SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. – Two P.E.I. curling rinks will take different levels of experience onto the national stage in Saskatchewan.

Tyler Smith, 20, will skip a veteran and experienced men’s rink out of the Charlottetown Curling Complex, and the Lauren Ferguson-skipped women’s team from the Cornwall Curling Club will be making its debut in the New Holland Canadian junior championships, which begin Saturday and run through to Jan. 27, in Prince Albert.

From left: Robbie Doherty, Ryan Lowery, Alex MacFadyen, Ryan Abraham, Tyler Smith

“All of these guys on my team have been to at least one (national), if not two,” said Smith, who is attending his fifth Canadian juniors and third as a skip after playing third for New Brunswick in 2018. “We all have the knowledge of what it takes to be a top three, four, five team.”

“We understand how much training goes into it, how much work you have to put towards it and the amount of focus you need out there. You also need to have a good time, and you have to have that happy balance. 

Smith’s teammates are third Ryan Abraham, 19; second Alex MacFadyen, 20, and lead Ryan Lowery, 18. Smith does not hide the fact the Robbie Doherty-coached squad has high goals.

 “Our primary goal is to finish top five, and our secondary goal is to make the playoffs.”

First time

The Canadian juniors start a busy stretch for the Ferguson rink, which recently earned the right to represent P.E.I. in women’s curling at the 2019 Canada Games in February.

Left to right: Lauren Ferguson, Katie Shaw, Alexis Burris, Lexie Murray

Although this will be the Ferguson rink’s first time at the junior nationals, the team members have previous experience at a Canadian championship. They posted a respectable 3-3 record at the 2018 Canadian under-18 event in St. Andrews, N.B.

“We know there will be a lot of really good teams out there,” said Ferguson, a 16-year-old Grade 11 student at Kensington Intermediate-Senior High School.

Other members of the youthful Ferguson rink, which is in its second year playing together, are third Katie Shaw, 16; second Alexis Burris, 17, and lead Lexie Murray, 16.

Click for the full story in the Journal Pioneer

P.E.I. squad has busy few weeks before representing province at Canada Games in Alberta

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – The flight to Red Deer, Alta., is fast approaching for Team P.E.I.’s women’s curling team.

 

The Lauren Ferguson-skipped rink from Cornwall, Crapaud and Charlottetown will represent the Island at the 2019 Canada Games in Red Deer, Alta. Team members are, from left, Ferguson, third Katie Shaw, second Alexis Burris, lead Lexie Murray and coach David Murphy. – Contributed

With about five weeks before they hit the ice against the rest of the country, skip Lauren Ferguson and her teammates are prepping almost every day. Alexis Burris, Lexie Murray and Katie Shaw, along with Ferguson, went 2-1 in Moncton during the weekend in their latest installment of pre-Games action.

They also represented P.E.I. at the under-18 nationals in St. Andrews, N.B. in April. The tournament showcased several teams Team P.E.I. will see at the Games, which provided a level of confidence heading into the recent pre-Games tournament in Moncton.

Coach David Murphy is optimistic about the next several weeks, knowing all the hard work from the last two years will start to pay dividends.

While at the Games, the team’s clear goal is to qualify for the playoff round. If successful in achieving this feat, the group knows anything can happen. Murphy describes the team morale as a significant part of their optimistic chances at the Games.
“They are very upbeat, confident and supportive of each other. It’s a team sport, and they are very aware of that.”
He talked about how the parents have led by example, providing an immense amount of support to the team.
“We wouldn’t be here without the team (member’s) parents.”

Click for the full story in The Guardian

Click for an earlier story on Cornwall’s Men’s team at the Games

---

Jared Murphy is a sport co-ordinator with Sport P.E.I. and will be assistant chef de mission for Team P.E.I. during Week 2 of the 2019 Canada Games.

Longtime Club members will remember Joe Doyle, who was Club president in 1991-1992. Joe passed away recently. Here is the funeral announcement:

At his home Joseph Edward Doyle, Charlottetown, age 77 years. Proud father of Kent (Shawna), Kimberley Doyle (Andre Carelse) and Kelley Doyle (Jeff Milligan). Loving grandfather of Keisha, Kody, Nicholas, Jeffrey, Jenna, Madalyn, Katelyn and Blake. Brother of Franklin (Elaine), Sheila Griffin (Everett), Gail Kirchoeffell (Sigmond), Linda Lefebvre (Jacques), Stephanie Smith (David, deceased), Dale and Cathy Hughes (Paul). Predeceased by his wife Janie (Rogers), parents Stephen and Ada (Griffin) Doyle and brother Dean. Resting at Belvedere Funeral Home until Friday at 12:45 pm, then to St. Pius X Church for funeral mass at 1 pm. Interment later in the Roman Catholic Cemetery. Visitation Thursday 4-7 pm. Memorial donations may be made to the Diabetes Canada. www.belvederefh.com 

We’ll have a report later, but in the meantime, here’s a photo album from this past weekend’s Kenmac Energy bonspiel. Photos courtesy of Laurie Kelly. Click on a picture to enlarge, and use arrows or swipe to go ahead or back.

Three players will head to Prince Albert, Sask., with a chance to make history at the 2019 New Holland Canadian Junior Men’s and Women’s Curling Championships.

The Canadian Under-21 Championships kick off Saturday at the Art Hauser Centre and the Prince Albert Golf and Curling Club.

Tyler Tardi and Sterling Middleton of the B.C. men’s team, and Karlee Burgess of the Nova Scotia women’s team, can become the first players in the history of the championships to win three times, with Tardi and Middleton having the opportunity to win all three in succession, after winning in 2017 at Victoria, B.C., and last year in Shawinigan, Que., while Burgess’s victories came in 2016 at Stratford, Ont., and last year in Shawinigan.

All three players ended last season as world champions with their victories at the 2018 World Junior Curling Championships in Aberdeen, Scotland.

Tardi and Middleton, the skip and vice-skip respectively for the B.C. team representing the Langley and Victoria Curling Clubs, are joined by a new front end this season, with second Matthew Hall having moved from Ontario, and Alex Horvath taking over at lead (Paul Tardi, Tyler’s dad, remains at coach). Hall’s Ontario team lost to Tardi’s B.C. team in the 2017 gold-medal game in Victoria.

Burgess, meanwhile, is at her familiar second position on the Nova Scotia team from Halifax skipped by Kaitlyn Jones, with Burgess’s cousin Lindsey at lead. New vice-skip Lauren Lenentine replaces the aged-out Kristin Clarke. Karlee Burgess and coach Andrew Atherton are the hold-overs from the 2016 Nova Scotia team, skipped by Mary Fay, that won Canadian and world junior gold.

[Besides Cornwall Curling Club member Lenentine, PEI will be represented by the Lauren Ferguson team, also from Cornwall, and the Tyler Smith rink from the Charlottetown Curling Complex. Summerside’s Alex Gallant is on the New Brunswick junior men’s team, skipped by Jack Smeltzer out of the Capital Winter Club in Fredericton.]

There will be no shortage of championship experience in Prince Albert; Tanner Horgan’s Northern Ontario team (Sudbury), which lost to Tardi in the final last year, and to Manitoba’s Matt Dunstone in the 2016 final, with a 2017 bronze medal in between is back; his younger brother Jake, who throws third rocks, skipped Northern Ontario to the 2017 Canadian Under-18 title.

The gold-medallist at the 2018 Under-18 Nationals, Nova Scotia’s  Graeme Weagle (Chester), is taking his first crack at an Under-21 national title.

On the women’s side, 2017 Canadian U-18 winner Kira Brunton (Sudbury) is in the field representing Northern Ontario, as is 2018 U-18 runner-up Skyler Ackerman, who is skipping the Saskatchewan Host team from Moose Jaw.

B.C.’s Sarah Daniels will be back, looking to improve on the silver medal she won at the 2016 Canadian Juniors, where she lost the final to Nova Scotia’s Fay team.

And for good measure, the Saskatchewan champion women’s team skipped by Sara England (Regina; daughter of 1998 Olympic gold-medallist Sandra Schmirler) is coached by 1983 Canadian Junior Men’s champ Jamie Schneider.

For the first time, selected round-robin games from the New Holland Canadian Junior Championships will be streamed live at Curling Canada’s Facebook page, which you can access by CLICKING HERE.

Fourteen men’s and 14 women’s teams will compete for Canadian titles, separated into two seven-team pools per gender for an initial round robin, followed by a Championship Round (top four in each pool) leading to the playoffs. The top team advances to its respective final on Sunday, Jan. 27, while the second- and third-place teams meet in a semifinal on Saturday, Jan. 26, to determine the other finalist.

TSN/RDS2 will carry complete live coverage of the semifinals (women at 1 p.m. [all times CT], men at 7 p.m.) on Jan. 26 and finals (women at 10 a.m., men at 3 p.m.), held at the Art Hauser Centre.

The winning teams will then represent Canada on home ice at the 2019 World Junior  Championships, Feb. 16-23 in Liverpool N.S. Canada has won a leading 19 world junior men’s titles since 1975 and a leading 12 women’s crowns since 1988.

The 2019 New Holland Canadian Juniors also is notable for the number of past recipients of the Curling Canada Foundation For The Love of Curling Scholarships — 17 over the past three years:

2018 — Tanner Horgan (Northern Ontario), Kaitlyn Jones (Nova Scotia), Ryan Lamswood (Newfoundland/Labrador), Dustin Mikush (Alberta), Kate Sherry (Northern Ontario), Selena Sturmay (Alberta)

2017 — Kira Brunton (Northern Ontario), Sarah Daniels (British Columbia), Sara Guy (Northern Ontario), Sarah Hoag (Saskatchewan), Megan Smith (Northern Ontario), Mackenzie Zacharias (Manitoba)

2016 — Karlee Burgess (Nova Scotia), Jessica Humphries (B.C.), Sterling Middleton (B.C.), Tyler Tardi (B.C.), Maxime Blais (Northern Ontario)

Saskatchewan will have three teams in the field with the added Host team on the women’s side due to the Yukon not sending a team. On the men’s side, Saskatoon’s Rylan Kleiter team will be carrying the home-province hopes. Saskatchewan has won 14 Canadian junior men’s titles (behind only Alberta with 16), the latest by Braeden Moskowy in 2011 at Calgary. Saskatchewan women’s teams have won a leading 11 gold medals, the most recent by Trish Paulsen to complete a Saskatchewan sweep in 2011.

Teams that don’t qualify for the Championship Pool will compete in a Seeding Pool to determine rankings for the 2020 New Holland Canadian Juniors (dates, location, TBA). Curlers on all non-playoff teams will participate in a mixed doubles competition on the final weekend.

The Canadian Junior Men?s Championship has been contested annually since its inception in 1950 at Quebec City. The first Canadian Junior Women?s Championship was played in 1971 at Vancouver.

For event information, visit www.curling.ca/2019juniors.

Click to read this story at Curling Canada.

Registration is now open for the Vogue Optical 2019 PEI 55+ Winter Games being hosted by the City of Charlottetown, February 18 – 23, 2019. Curling, with 55+ Men’s and 55+ Mixed/Women’s divisions, will be held at the at the Charlottetown Curling Complex on Feb. 18-20, with Stick Curling, with Open and Women’s Open divisions, following on the 21st and 22nd. Registration for either is $15 per person per event.

Download and print the registration form (PDF) here:

Registration Form 2019 55+ Winter Games

The registration deadline is February 7. No late registrations will be accepted.

Over 450 past participants have been sent a copy in the mail. Other past participants with a valid e-mail are being sent an electronic copy this week. You can also pick up a copy at your local Vogue Optical. 

Organizers will also send copies to seniors groups, bowling alleys, and curling clubs. If you would like to pick some up for your group or have copies sent to your group, please contact the office at 902-368-6570.

Online registration is expected to be available shortly.

For more info on the Games, visit pei55plusgamessociety.ca/

ALBERTON — The year was 2003 when Suzanne (Gaudet) Birt first skipped a team to the P.E.I. Scotties provincial women’s curling championship title. On Sunday the veteran women’s skip, and 2001 world junior curling champion, skipped a team to the P.E.I. Scotties title for a tenth time.

Birt and her Mitchell O’Shea coached team of Marie Christianson, mate; Meaghan Hughes, second, and Michelle McQuaid, lead, from the Charlottetown Curling Complex downed the Veronica Smith rink from the Cornwall Curling Club 10-4 in a game conceded after eight ends.

Jane DiCarlo, Sabrina Smith and Whitney Jenkins round out the runner-up rink from the modified triple knock out championship event which got underway at the Western Community Curling Club Wednesday during a snowstorm.

On Sunday afternoon, Birt opened with a first-end single. After Smith tied it in the second, Birt responded with back-to-back deuces. She led 5-2 at the fifth-end break. She scored three in the sixth and stole two in the seventh to go up 10-2, and Smith conceded after scoring a pair in the eighth.

Birt said she couldn’t take the early lead for granted. “Every end, you have to keep on your game. With the five-rock rule, you know any team can score a big end and get right back into it.”

“It’s been a great week,” said Birt during the presentations. “A lot of good curling, a lot of great teams here.” She thanked her team for their hard work and for making it fun.

Birt said the Alberton ice with its limited curl proved challenging but she felt her team managed it well.

She’s optimistic as she prepares for the Scotties Tournament of Hearts where her team will represent P.E.I. in Sydney, NS from Feb. 16 to 24.

“You know what, if we play like I think we can play, we’ll have a very good week in Sydney and we should be there at the end of the week.”

Click for the full story in the Journal Pioneer.

The Suzanne Birt rink from the Charlottetown Curling Complex, which includes two members of her 2016 winning team, third Marie Christianson, and second Meaghan Hughes, along with lead Michelle McQuaid, captured the PEI Scotties Provincial Women’s Curling Championship Sunday afternoon at the Western Community Curling Club in Alberton, with a 10-4 win over Cornwall’s Veronica Smith foursome. This is Birt’s 10th provincial women’s championship — she won her first in 2003. Hughes and McQuaid were also on the 2017 and 2018 winning teams, skipped by Robyn MacPhee.

Winning team photo (L-R): Bill Smith, Curl PEI Treasurer, Suzanne Birt, Marie Christianson. Meaghan Hughes, Michelle McQuaid, coach Mitchell O’Shea.

Other members of the Veronica Smith finalist team are third Jane DiCarlo, second Sabrina Smith, and lead Whitney Jenkins, with coach Pat Aylward.

Finalist team photo (L-R): Veronica Smith, Jane DiCarlo, Sabrina Smith, Whitney Jenkins, coach Pat Aylward.

Smith won the “A” Qualifier of the modified triple knockout draw, with Sarah Fullerton winning the “B” and Birt capturing the “C”. Smith had a bye to the final by virtue of playing in all three section qualifiers, so Fullerton and Birt played off in the Sunday morning semi-final, with Birt, helped out by a three-point fifth end, winning 7-6.

In the final, Birt stole a single in the first end, and kept Smith to one point in the second. Birt scored a deuce in the third, and stole another pair in the fourth end for a 5-1 lead, with Smith taking a single in the fifth. Birt came out strong after the 5th end break, taking a triple in the sixth and stealing a deuce in the seventh end for a big 10-2 lead. Smith took a deuce in the eighth, but it was handshake time with a 10-4 final score.

The winning Suzanne Birt rink will now advance to the national Scotties in Sydney NS:

ALBERTON — Veronica Smith takes a 4-0 record into Friday evening’s ‘B’ qualifier of the P.E.I. Scotties provincial women’s curling championship at the Western Community Curling Club.

Smith moved to 4-0 Friday morning scoring a single with the hammer in the last end to break a 6-6 tie with the Suzanne Birt rink, putting the nine-time Scotties champion, Birt, on the brink of elimination in the seven-team modified triple-knockout championship.

Chloé McCloskey watches her rock during P.E.I. Scotties women’s curling action in Alberton. It’s her first time skipping at the Scotties. She kept her chances alive Friday morning, winning an elimination game 7-5 over Montague’s Tammy Dewar. – Eric McCarthy

Chloé McCloskey, a former teammate of Smith’s, kept her chances alive Friday morning scoring three with hammer in the ninth end for a 7-5 win over Tammy Dewar, who finished play 0-3. McCloskey is 1-2,  and faces Melissa Morrow (2-2) on Friday evening in a win-or-go-home match. Another win-or-go home match pits a pair of 1-2 rinks, Birt and Lisa Jackson, against each other.

Click for the full story in the Journal Pioneer.

Here are the opening draws for the Kenmac Energy Mixed Funspiel, which will begin here at the Cornwall Curling Club on Friday, January 11, 2019;  followed by the full schedule and team rosters as well as rules for the spiel. There are 22 teams playing this year.

Friday, January 11 5:30PM

Ice 1

 T Dunn, Linda, Frank, Lloyd  vs  D Kelly, L Kelly, G Younker, A MacIntosh 

Ice 2

Bryan S, E Reid, Elaine M, D Campbell  vs  R Biagé, S Woods, R Doiron, J Hannan 

Ice 3

P Durant, J Durant, E Murphy, J Anderson  vs  Gloria, Kimball, Ruth, Adrian

7:00 PM

Ice 1

A Kennedy, S Christian, S Christian, Donna Marie  vs  K Nicholson, A Acorn, D Howlett, M Proude

Ice 2

S Berry, B Gardiner, S O’Keefe, D MacSwain  vs  K Holland, A Kelly, D Godfrey, TBA

Ice 3

M MacDonald, Breanne, Kaitlyn, Garth  vs  B Irving, A Sanderson, J Oram, A Irving

Ice 4

L Davies, A Davies, A Mason, M Davies  vs  G Groves, J Sinclair, G O’Sullivan, D O’Hanley

8:30 PM

Ice 1

D Kneabone, S MacInnis, J Diamond, D Kneabone  vs   D Weeks, C MacDonald, J Gill, S MacLean

Ice 2

J Callaghan, L Gallant, George P, Gloria T  vs  H Kamphuis, P Ling, G Dykerman, P McInnis

Ice 3

R Gallant, Kellie-Lynn, H Wicki, Chris  vs  L Cudmore, K Nickerson, L Nickerson, M Cudmore

Ice 4

G Robertson, L Arsenault, J Arsenault, L Matthews  vs  K Currie, D Bernard, J Scales, D Bernard

Schedule

                            Ice 1      Ice 2      Ice 3       Ice 4 

Fri  5:30              10-14    4-8         2-3         X

Fri  7:00              12-16    5-22      1-9         17-18

Fri  8:30              19-21    7-11      6-13      15-20                                                       

Sat  8:30             1-22      12-14    16-18    X

Sat  10:00           8-13      10-15    5-19      4-11

Sat  11:30           3-6         9-21      17-20    2-7

Sat  12:00           Lunch   

Sat  1:00             Lunch (11:30 curlers) and  Ice maintenance .

Sat  1:30             9-15      13-19    11-14    X

Sat  3:00             4-5         2-17      10-12    1-21

Sat  4:30             7-20       3-18      8-22    6-16

Sat  6:30             Catered dinner upstairs.

TEAMS:

#1          Mark MacDonald, Breanne, Kaitlyn, Garth

#2          Paul Durant, Joanne Durant, Eugene Murphy, Jean Anderson

#3          Gloria, Kimball, Ruth, Adrian

#4          Bryan S, Etta Reid, Elaine M, Doug Campbell

#5          Shirley Berry, Brad Gardiner, Stephanie O’Keefe, David  MacSwain

#6          Rob Gallant, Kellie-Lynn, Hans Wicki, Chris

#7          Joe Callaghan, Lacey Gallant, George P, Gloria T

#8          Ray Biagé, Shelly Woods, R Doiron, J Hannan

#9          Brent Irving, Angela Sanderson, Jay Oram, Amanda Irving

#10        Tom Dunn, Linda, Frank, Lloyd

#11        Hank Kamphuis, Paula Ling, Gerald Dykerman, Pat McInnis

#12        Angus Kennedy, Shelly Christian, Scott Christian, Donna Marie

#13        Larry Cudmore, Kim Nickerson, Lee Nickerson, Maureen Cudmore

#14        Doug Kelly, Laurie Kelly, George Younker, Amanda MacIntosh

#15        Greg Robertson, Laura Arsenault, Jeff Arsenault, Linda Matthews

#16        Kim Nicholson, Alan Acorn, Darlene Howlett, Marlene Proude

#17        Lorianne Davies, Angus Davies, Alan Mason, Megan Davies

#18        Greg Groves, Jean Sinclair, Gary O’Sullivan, David O’Hanley

#19        Danny Kneabone, S MacInnis, Jamie Diamond, Darlene Kneabone

#20        Karen Currie, Danny Bernard, Julie Scales, Donna Bernard

#21        Donald Weeks, Coleen MacDonald, Joe Gill, Sara MacLean

#22        Kyle Holland, Annika Kelly, Donnie Godfrey, TBA

Bonspiel Rules

Scoring:       5 points for a win  (0 for a loss)   plus

                     1 point per end  (0 for blank end)   plus

                          Score differential (maximum 5 points)

Ties must be broken by Skips draw to the button (with sweepers)

Cumulative totals for all 3 games will be used to determine winners

Scores will be recorded but only used in the event of a tie in points (sum of 3 game scores for each team)

2018 national Curling Club Championships PEI Women’s Team, skipped by Debbie Rhodenhizer (left).  (Curling Canada/Jordan Pinder photo)

CURL PEI – 2018/19 Curling Club Championships Eligibility Requirements

We trust that all participants will respect the intent of this championship for curling clubs to engage their members to participate and represent their curling club at a regional competition which leads to the provincial / territorial championship and ultimately the national curling club championships.
The event was created for true club-based teams. The objective is to support the development of grassroots curling across Canada.

With this objective in mind, here are the eligibility requirements for events leading to the November 2019 national curling club championships. Curling Canada reserves the right to exclude any team that violates the spirit and intent of this event as it pertains to the rules below:

1) The curling club represented by each team, must be affiliated with Curl PEI, must be in good standing with all applicable dues paid in full.
2) Players of any club team must be members in good standing of the affiliated curling club.
3) Any competitor is not required to be a Canadian citizen.
4) All four (4) members and any alternates must be bona fide residents within PEI unless granted an exception by Curl PEI.
5) Any player can be a member of more than one affiliated curling club, but must declare one “home club” for this competition.
6) Curl PEI is limiting the number of teams qualifying from each club to one per gender.
7) Teams must qualify under one of the following conditions:
   (a) Regular league players, or;
   (b) A club championship process, or;
   (c) A designated Curling Club Championship event within the club;
   (d) In each of Rule 7) (a)(b)(c), teams must have three (3) or more players who have played together in a sanctioned club league during the current curling season.
   (e) Clubs that only have mixed or open leagues (i.e., no men’s and / or women’s set team leagues) may be granted an exemption to Rule (6)(d) by written request to Curl PEI.
8) The use of the delivery stick by any or all four players (and any alternate) IS acceptable subject to the Curling Canada rules under Rule 19. Curling With A Delivery Stick.
9) Once a four-person team enters the club championships playdowns, a maximum of one (1) replacement player from the club is allowed.
10) The replacement player must play the lead position (throwing & sweeping) and must be an active member in good standing of the affiliated curling club.
11) Teams who play exclusively in a major / super league – where teams from more than one club compete – are ineligible for the Curling Club Championships unless the team competes in another eligible league in an affiliated club.
12) Each four-person team is allowed one (1) player:
   (a) Who has played in any named Curling Canada event* in any season (regardless of finish) or,
   (b) Who has played in a Tier 1 Grand Slam event in any season (regardless of finish).
For example: Craig Savill plays in a Wednesday night league with three friends but he also represented Ontario last season at the Brier with his elite team. Craig and his Wednesday night team of friends would be eligible for the Curling Club Championships;
However, the other three (3) team members of Craig’s Wednesday team cannot
have played in the following:
(i) Any Tier 1 Grand Slam event in the current season and the past two (2) seasons.
(ii) Any Canada event* in the current season and the previous two (2) seasons.
* Curling Canada events include: Canada Cup, Juniors, Tournament of Hearts, Brier, Seniors.
*NOTE* In 2019/2020 Curling Canada events will include: Mixed, Canada Cup, Juniors,
Tournament of Hearts, Brier, Seniors, Mixed Doubles, University, College, and Under 18.
13) Alternate players at the Brier, Tournament of Hearts or any Curling Canada event are considered
as having not to have played in those events.
14) Players who won the 2018 Curl PEI Curling Club Championships are ineligible to compete this
season at any level.
15) Each team is comprised of a minimum of three (3) players that are a minimum of 19 years of
age or over as of June 30th the year prior to the national championship. For example, a player
must be 19 years of age on June 30th, 2019 for the November 2019 National Curling Club
Championship.
16) Any team is allowed one (1) player under 19 years of age whom shall be considered a “minor” and must be accompanied by a legal guardian (or a chaperone identified by the legal guardian) for the duration of the event including departure from home and return to their home. A legal guardian can be a parent on the team. The team is responsible to cover all costs associated with legal guardian who is not a team member.
17) Curling Canada has the sole authority to grant exceptions to these rules in extraordinary circumstances. Any request must be submitted by Curl PEI. Curling Canada will consult with Curl PEI and will notify them within five (5) business in writing of any decision. The Curling Canada
decision may not be appealed.

The best deal in curling is on again, on Saturday, January 12 at the Montague Curling Rink, and they are looking for more teams. The George’s Deck and Recovery Funspiel for curlers under age 13 has no entry fee, guarantees three games, and includes lunch, plus free coffee for the parents! Entry is open to the first 16 PEI teams entered by the January 8th deadline.  To enter, email Larry Richards at montaguecurlingclub@pei.aibn.com.

This event was started around 15 years ago by George Branton, owner of George’s Deck and Recovery, when his grandson, who had recently taken up the sport at age 11, told him that more events were needed for younger curlers. 

The Scotties Tournament of Hearts Provincial Women’s Curling Championship, and the PEI Tankard Provincial Men’s Curling Championship get underway on Wednesday January 9 and wrap up on Sunday the 13th at the three-sheet Western Community Curling Club in Alberton, with seven women’s and six men’s teams competing. Defending women’s champion skip Robyn MacPhee is not in this year’s event, but Meaghan Hughes and Michelle McQuaid from her team are on the Suzanne Birt rink, with third Marie Christianson, while Sarah Fullerton is skipping her own foursome. Other women’s entries include teams skipped by Montague’s Tammy Dewar, 2015 Canadian Travelers Curling Club Champion Lisa Jackson, 3-time PEI Junior Champion Veronica Smith, Chloé McCloskey, a former member of Smith’s rink. and Melissa Morrow, a member of the 2015 Canadian Travelers Championship team, who skipped the PEI Travelers runner-up rink last season.

On the men’s side, both 2-time defending Tankard champion Eddie MacKenzie, who has won the event in 5 out of the past 8 years, and last year’s runner-up John Likely, who won the event back in 2002 as skip and 1985 as second, are back, along with reigning PEI Travelers and Mixed champion Jamie Newson, PEI Pepsi Junior champion Tyler Smith, and two rinks from the Silver Fox in Summerside skipped by Tim Hockin and Steve vanOuwerkerk.

The women’s and men’s teams will each play modified triple-knockout draws with the winners of each section dropping down to compete in subsequent sections. The section winners will then advance to a two-game championship round on Sunday January 13, unless a team wins all three section, in which case those games won’t be needed. A team winning two sections will play in both championship games and win the event if they take either game, while their opponent would have to win both games.

The winning women’s team will advance to the national Scotties in Sydney NS:

Live results from the PEI events are available at PEICurling.com

Click for Live Results

PEI Scotties and Tankard Draw and schedule

(Will not be updated during event – refer to Live Scoring for draw progression)

Qualifier games have yellow game number background.

Note: Four teams have been seeded in both the men’s and women’s draws based on cashspiel earnings, while the other 2 men’s and 3 women’s teams were placed in position based on a draw from a hat.

Men’s Seedings: 1. vanOuwerkerk 2. T.Smith 3. MacKenzie 4. Higgins

Women’s Seedings: 1. Birt 2. V.Smith 3. Fullerton 4. Morrow

Click for previous women’s ch’ship websites and winners

Four Curl PEI Provincial Curling Championships have entry deadlines in the month of January. 

(1) The Provincial Masters curling championships, with men’s and women’s events for curlers age 60 and over, take place at the Crapaud Community Curling Club from Jan 25-29. Entry deadline is January 4, and entry fee is $185 per four-person team. The winning and runner-up men’s and women’s teams earn the right to advance to the Maritime Masters Curling Championships, at the Riverside Country Club in Rothesay NB from March 15-17, 2019. The winning teams also earn the right to advance to the 2019 College Clean Restoration Canadian Masters Curling Championships, April 1-7 at the Nutana Curling Club in Saskatoon SK.

(2) The PEI Mixed Doubles Curling Championship, for two-person teams comprised of one male and one female curler, also takes place at the Crapaud Community Curling Club, from Feb. 1-4. Entry deadline is Jan. 11, and entry fee is $90 per two-person team.

(3) The Curl PEI/Stick Curling PEI Provincial Stick curling championships, with male and female divisions and two-person teams, will be held at the Montague Curling Rink from Feb. 5-7. Entry deadline is January 15. Entry fee is $85 per two-person team.

(4) The Provincial Seniors Curling Championships, with male and female events for curlers age 50 and over, will be held at the Silver Fox in Summerside from Feb 8-12. Entry deadline is Jan 18. Entry fee per four-person team is $190 plus competitor fees.

Enter all events online at PEICurling.com.
Note that event start and end dates may vary slightly depending on number of entries and other factors.

Pick up today’s Journal Pioneer paper or e-edition for coverage of the Pepsi Provincial Junior Curling Championships, which wrapped up Sunday morning in Charlottetown.

 

Link to online story: https://www.journalpioneer.com/sports/curling/updated-ferguson-smith-win-pei-junior-curling-titles-271947/

The holiday season is almost over and it’s time for the Wednesday evening ladder league to start again. Of course, our league’s junior teams were busy over the holiday season. Congrats to the Lauren Ferguson rink for going undefeated to win the Pepsi Junior Women’s Championship (and earlier, the Canada Games berth), to the Rachel MacLean rink who made it to both the A and B finals at the Pepsi Juniors, and to the Emily Sanderson rink who picked up two wins in the event.

Here is the draw and schedule for round two, which starts this week, with the A pool sponsored by D.P. Murphy Inc. (Wendys) and the B pool sponsored by Lowther’s Snow Removal.

Round Two Draw/Schedule

A Pool Teams

A1-Shelley Ebbett
A2-Kim Nicholson
A3-Paul Neima
A4-Lauren Ferguson
A5-Josh McInnis
A6-Emily Sanderson
A7-Rob Gallant
A8-Greg Robertson

B Pool Teams
B1-Mark MacDonald
B2-Rachel MacLean
B3-Greg Groves
B4-David Younker
B5-Kelly Watts
B6-Ray Biagé
B7-Hank Kamphuis
B8-Peter Joostema

Here is the Round Two draw:

Jan. 2 (Week 1)
6:30 pm Wendy’s “A” Pool
Ice 1: A4-Lauren Ferguson vs A7-Rob Gallant
Ice 2: A6-Emily Sanderson vs A3-Paul Neima
Ice 3: A8-Greg Robertson vs A1-Shelley Ebbett
Ice 4: A2-Kim Nicholson vs A5-Josh McInnis

8:30 pm Lowther’s Snow Removal “B” Pool
Ice 1: B4-David Younker vs B7-Hank Kamphuis
Ice 2: B6-Ray Biagé vs B3-Greg Groves
Ice 3: B8-Peter Joostema vs B1-Mark MacDonald
Ice 4: B2-Rachel MacLean vs B5-Kelly Watts

Jan. 9 (Week 2)
6:30 pm Lowther’s Snow Removal “B” Pool
Ice 1: B6-Ray Biagé vs B1-Mark MacDonald
Ice 2: B4-David Younker vs B5-Kelly Watts
Ice 3: B2-Rachel MacLean vs B7-Hank Kamphuis
Ice 4: B8-Peter Joostema vs B3-Greg Groves

8:30 pm Wendy’s “A” Pool
Ice 1: A6-Emily Sanderson vs A1-Shelley Ebbett
Ice 2: A4-Lauren Ferguson vs A5-Josh McInnis
Ice 3: A2-Kim Nicholson vs A7-Rob Gallant
Ice 4: A8-Greg Robertson vs A3-Paul Neima

Jan. 16 (Week 3)
6:30 pm Wendy’s “A” Pool
Ice 1: A2-Kim Nicholson vs A8-Greg Robertson
Ice 2: A7-Rob Gallant vs A1-Shelley Ebbett
Ice 3: A5-Josh McInnis vs A3-Paul Neima
Ice 4: A4-Lauren Ferguson vs A6-Emily Sanderson

8:30 pm Lowther’s Snow Removal “B” Pool
Ice 1: B2-Rachel MacLean vs B8-Peter Joostema
Ice 2: B7-Hank Kamphuis vs B1-Mark MacDonald
Ice 3: B5-Kelly Watts vs B3-Greg Groves
Ice 4: B4-David Younker vs B6-Ray Biagé

Jan. 23 (Week 4)
6:30 pm Lowther’s Snow Removal “B” Pool
Ice 1: B1-Mark MacDonald vs B3-Greg Groves
Ice 2: B2-Rachel MacLean vs B4-David Younker
Ice 3: B6-Ray Biagé vs B8-Peter Joostema
Ice 4: B5-Kelly Watts vs B7-Hank Kamphuis

8:30 pm Wendy’s “A” Pool
Ice 1: A1-Shelley Ebbett vs A3-Paul Neima
Ice 2: A2-Kim Nicholson vs A4-Lauren Ferguson
Ice 3: A6-Emily Sanderson vs A8-Greg Robertson
Ice 4: A5-Josh McInnis vs A7-Rob Gallant

Jan. 30 (Week 5)
6:30 pm Lowther’s Snow Removal “A” Pool
Ice 1: A8-Greg Robertson vs A4-Lauren Ferguson
Ice 2: A3-Paul Neima vs A7-Rob Gallant
Ice 3: A1-Shelley Ebbett vs A5-Josh McInnis
Ice 4: A2-Kim Nicholson vs A6-Emily Sanderson

8:30 pm Lowther’s Snow Removal “B” Pool
Ice 1: B8-Peter Joostema vs B4-David Younker
Ice 2: B3-Greg Groves vs B7-Hank Kamphuis
Ice 3: B1-Mark MacDonald vs B5-Kelly Watts
Ice 4: B2-Rachel MacLean vs B6-Ray Biagé

Feb. 6 (Week 6)
6:30 pm Lowther’s Snow Removal “B” Pool
Ice 1: B2-Rachel MacLean vs B3-Greg Groves
Ice 2: B5-Kelly Watts vs B8-Peter Joostema
Ice 3: B6-Ray Biagé vs B7-Hank Kamphuis
Ice 4: B1-Mark MacDonald vs B4-David Younker

8:30 pm Lowther’s Snow Removal “A” Pool
Ice 1: A2-Kim Nicholson vs A3-Paul Neima
Ice 2: A5-Josh McInnis vs A8-Greg Robertson
Ice 3: A6-Emily Sanderson vs A7-Rob Gallant
Ice 4: A1-Shelley Ebbett vs A4-Lauren Ferguson

Feb. 13 (Week 7)
6:30 pm Wendy’s “A” Pool
Ice 1: A5-Josh McInnis vs A6-Emily Sanderson
Ice 2: A1-Shelley Ebbett vs A2-Kim Nicholson
Ice 3: A3-Paul Neima vs A4-Lauren Ferguson
Ice 4: A7-Rob Gallant vs A8-Greg Robertson

8:30 pm Lowther’s Snow Removal “B” Pool
Ice 1: B5-Kelly Watts vs B6-Ray Biagé
Ice 2: B1-Mark MacDonald vs B2-Rachel MacLean
Ice 3: B3-Greg Groves vs B4-David Younker
Ice 4: B7-Hank Kamphuis vs B8-Peter Joostema

The Lauren Ferguson junior women’s rink from the Cornwall Curling Club, and the Tyler Smith junior men’s team from the host Charlottetown Curling Complex remain undefeated following Saturday play at the Pepsi Provincial Junior (U21) curling championships, and can win their respective championships with a win in any one of their three games on Sunday – the  9 am “C” final and the playoff round games at 2 and 7 pm. Their opponents, the  Annika Kelly rink from Cornwall and the Chase MacMillan foursome from Charlottetown, would have to win all three to be declared champions.