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<h2 class="entry-title" style="text-align: center;"><a href="#nine">Click to advance to semi-final and final results</a></h2> <h1 class="entry-title" style="text-align: center;">Eddie MacKenzie rink steals extra end to win PEI Tankard</h1> <h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="../../2013/02/12/photo-gallery-from-tonights-tankard-final-2/">Click to view a photo gallery from tonight's final</a></h2> <div>(Feb. 12) After 11 ends of closely contested curling, and a championhip round delayed by two days due to a weekend storm. it all came down to one shot. Eddie MacKenzie and his rink didn’t have the benefit of last rock advantage in the extra end of tonight’s PEI Tankard final at the Crapaud Community Curling Club, but, after their final stone, they were lying two in the eight foot, with a rock from the opposing team, skipped by Charlottetown Curling Complex clubmate Rod MacDonald, to the right, partially blocking the way to the four foot circle and a possible winning point for MacDonald. <p>The MacDonald rink looked at two possibilities – play a double hit on the two red rocks (they didn’t have to save the shooter, as they had another rock biting the rings and they only needed one to win), or draw the four foot between the MacKenzie stones and the MacDonald guard just outside the rings. They called a timeout, discussing the situation with coach Peter MacDonald.</p> <img class="ngg-singlepic ngg-center" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="../../wp-content/gallery/pei-tankard-final-2013/20130212_209.jpg" alt="20130212_209" /></div> <div>MacDonald elected to try the hit. He removed one of the two opposing rocks, and attempted to roll the shooter in for shot, but the rock didn’t make it to the four foot, and MacKenzie stole the end, for a 7-6 final score and the trip to the Tim Hortons Brier, March 2-10 in Edmonton.</div> <div>, <p><img class="ngg-singlepic ngg-center" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="../../wp-content/gallery/pei-tankard-final-2013/20130212_216.jpg" alt="20130212_216" /></p> <p> </p> <p>MacKenzie, who has won two Tankards before, will be joined this time by third Anson Carmody, second Alex MacFadyen, and lead Sean Ledgerwood. Other members of the Rod MacDonald foursome are third Kevin Champion, second Mark O’Rourke, and lead Andrew Robinson.</p> <p>Tonight’s game was low-scoring and close from start to finish, with MacKenzie stealing the first end, MacDonald taking a single in the second, MacKenzie blanking the third but allowing MacDonald a steal of one in the fourth when, facing three, with last rock, MacKenzie rolls too far on a hit on a MacDonald stone. The fifth was blanked, with MacKenzie having the chance for at least a deuce in the sixth, but put his last rock through the house, settling for a single point. MacDonald then drew or a deuce in the seventh, to tie the game at 4-all. The teams then trade deuces in nine and ten to bring the game to the extra end.</p> <p>MacKenzie went through the event undefeated, beating MacDonald 6-5 in an extra end in the A qualifier of the triple knockout draw. MacDonald won the B qualifier, 11-8 over defending champion Mike Gaudet. MacKenzie and MacDonald met again in the Page 1-2 game, with MacKenzie winning 7-2 and earning a bye to the final. MacDonald defeated clubmate Jamie Newson 8-2 in semi-final to advance to the final, and his third encounter with MacKenzie. Ten teams took part in this year’s PEI Tankard.</p> <p> </p> </div> <div style="text-align: center;"><a class="fancybox" rel="fancybox" href="../../wp-content/uploads/2013/02/mackenzietankard1.png"><img src="../../wp-content/uploads/2013/02/mackenzietankard1.png" alt="mackenzietankard1" /></a><em> </em></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><em>Photo (L-R): PEI Tankard winners - Eddie MacKenzie, Anson Carmody, Alex MacFadyen, Sean Ledgerwood</em></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><br /> <div style="text-align: center;"><img id="fancybox-img" src="../../wp-content/gallery/pei-tankard-final-2013/20130212_235.jpg" alt="20130212_235" /></div> <div style="text-align: center;">Photo (L-R): PEI Tankard runners-up Andrew Robinson, Mark O’Rourke, Kevin Champion, Rod MacDonald</div> </div> <h1 class="entry-title" style="text-align: center;">MacKenzie advances to PEI Tankard final – <br />Newson steals his way to semi-final vs MacDonald</h1> <p>(Feb. 11) It’s down to two games at the PEI Tankard provincial men’s curling championship, which wraps up with the semi-final at 11 am and the final at 4 pm Tuesday at the Crapaud Community Curling Club.</p> <p>The Eddie MacKenzie rink beat the Rod MacDonald foursome by a 7-2 score in the Page 1-2 game this evening to earn a bye to tomorrow’s final. Single steals in ends five and eight, and a stolen deuce in nine gave MacKenzie the upper hand in today’s game. It’s not over for MacDonald, though – he gets a second chance in the semi-final tomorrow.</p> <p>MacDonald’s opponent in the semi will be Jamie Newson, who fought back from a 7-3 deficit against defending champion Mike Gaudet to win the Page 3-4 game by a 9-7 score. The game, which began with three blank ends, was tied at 3-3 after seven, when Gaudet scored a four-ender to pull ahead. Newson then took a deuce in the ninth, and stole another pair in the tenth to tie the game. He stole another deuce in the extra end for the win.</p> <p>The winner of the 11 am  MacDonald/Newson semi will advance to the 4 pm final against MacKenzie, with the winner of the final advancing to the Tim Hortons Brier, March 2-10 in Edmonton Alberta. 10 teams took part in this year’s PEI men's championship. All the teams in the Page championship round curl out of the Charlottetown Curling Complex.</p> <h1 class="entry-title" style="text-align: center;">Gaudet and Newson advance to PEI Tankard Page 3-4 game at 4 pm</h1> <p>(Feb. 11) Defending champion Mike Gaudet and his rink broke a six-all tie with deuces in the last two ends to beat the Robert Campbell foursome 10-6, while Jamie Newson scored a deuce in the final end to get by Blair Weeks by a 9-8 score today  to grab the final two qualifying slots for the championship round at the PEI Tankard, being played at the Crapaud Community Curling Club.</p> <p>Gaudet and Newson now play in the Page 3-4 game at 4 pm, with the winner advancing to the semi-final at 11 am Tuesday. Also at 4 pm, the first two qualifiers, Eddie MacKenzie and Rod MacDonald, will face off in the Page 1-2 game, with the winner advancing to the 4 pm Tuesday final, and the loser playing in the semi-final, with the semi-final winner going to the final.</p> <p>The winning team from this year’s Tankard will advance to the Tim Hortons Brier, March 2-10 in Edmonton Alberta.</p> <h1 class="entry-title" style="text-align: center;">Remaining PEI Tankard draw times set</h1> <p>(Feb. 10)-The PEI Tankard provincial men's curling championship draw times are now set for Draw 7 - which includes the selection of the last two of the four qualifiers, and Draw 8 - the Page round where the first two qualifiers play in the Page 1 - 2 game with the winner advancing directly to the final and the loser facing the winner of the Page 3 - 4 match between the two qualifiers chosen in draw 7 in the semi-final.</p> <p>Draw 7 goes Monday at 11 am, with Draw 8 following at 4 pm. These draws were originally scheduled for Saturday and then Sunday, but were postponed due to weather and road conditions.</p> <p>The semi-final is set for 11 am on Tuesday, with the final following at 4 pm.</p> <h1 class="entry-title" style="text-align: center;">MacKenzie and MacDonald advance to PEI Tankard championship round</h1> <p>(Feb. 8) The first two of the four teams to advance to the championship round at the PEI Tankard provincial men’s curling championship were decided today at the Crapaud Community Curling Club.</p> <p>The Eddie MacKenzie rink qualified first with a 6-5 extra-end victory over the Rod MacDonald foursome in the A section qualifier of the triple knockout draw. MacDonald then took on defending champion Mike Gaudet in the B section qualifier, scoring three points in the fifth end to lead 6-3 at the half. Gaudet narrowed the gap with a deuce in six, while MacDonald took a single in the seventh. Gaudet then pulled ahead, scoring a triple in the eighth to lead by an 8-7 score. MacDonald then scored a four-ender to lead 11-8 coming home, and ran Gaudet out of rocks in the final end to grab qualifier number two. MacDonald was seeded first going into the event, with MacKenzie second, and Gaudet fourth.</p> <p>The participants in the third and fourth qualifiers, scheduled for Saturday morning at 11 (weather permitting) are set, with Gaudet taking on Robert Campbell for the third qualifying position in the championship round, and number three seed Jamie Newson playing Blair Weeks. All the teams in all four qualifier games are from the Charlottetown Curling Complex.</p> <p>Campbell edged Charlottetown clubmate Robert Shaw 8-7 in an extra end this afternoon, while Newson shaded the Mel Bernard rink from Summerside’s Silver Fox Curling & Yacht Club 7-6. Weeks lost to Gaudet 5-2 this morning in the “B” semi-final this morning, and dropped down to the fourth qualifier slot.</p> <p>MacKenzie and MacDonald now compete in the Page 1 vs 2 game, scheduled for Saturday at 4 pm, with the winner advancing directly to the 4 pm Sunday final, and the loser competing in the 11 am Sunday semi-final against the winner of the Page 3 vs 4 between  the third and fourth qualifiers, with the winner going to the final.</p> <p>Ten teams took part in the event. The winning team from this year’s Tankard will advance to the Tim Hortons Brier, March 2-10 in Edmonton Alberta. Admission fee to watch the PEI Tankard live is just $2 per draw. End-by-end results, and any rescheduling notices due to the forecast weather conditions will be available at <a href="../../tankard">peicurling.com/tankard</a></p>