New PEICurling.com News System
Posted Sunday, September 14, 2008 by derekm
The PEICurling.com news system, which has been using a program dating from the 1990's (with some updates over the years), is being replaced with a more modern system, built on the WordPress blog framework.
A subscription notice has been sent to all email subscribers. Please click on the link in the email to confirm your subscription to begin receiving emailed news via the new system. No more news will be posted through the old system.
You can also subscribe by adding your email address on the News page at PEICurling.com.
Archival access to news from the old system is available on the bottom right of the revised News page.
The new system will provide better quality RSS feeds, better formatting, the ability to comment on posts, and the ability to easily share news items with others.
- Derek MacEwen
Webmaster, PEICurling.com
Curler Jerry Muzika among PEI Sports Hall of Fame Inductees
Posted Saturday, September 13, 2008 by derekm
Jerry Muzika of Charlottetown is among four upcoming inductees into the PEI Sports Hall of Fame.
Charlottetown’s Jerry Muzika has had a distinguished career in curling, one which has seen him become a member of the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame, to which he was inducted in 1989 in the builder category.
A fine player in his own right, Jerry had three trips to nationals, including a trip to the Brier with Bob Dillon in 1974, and two Senior Championships in 1990 and 1993. It was as an administrator however that he has made the most contribution - starting with positions at the Charlottetown Curling Club, he worked his way up to become provincial president, before taking on important roles with the national body.
From 1982 to 1988 Jerry held most of the key positions in Canadian curling, including that of President from 1986/87. He also served on many organizing committees on major events, and in addition he has played an important role with the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame and Museum, serving three terms as president.
Muzika’s passion for the history of the sport has seen him chronicle the story of curling in the province, and he achieved his ambition of setting up the P.E.I Curling Hall of Fame, with the first inductions taking place in 2007.
A life member of both the Charlottetown Club and the Canadian Curling Association, Muzika received one of the sport’s highest honours in 2003 when he was inducted into the Governor General’s Curling Club, recognizing those who have contributed to the growth and promotion of curling in Canada and elsewhere.
The induction ceremony is scheduled for the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside on Sept. 20. beginning at 7 pm. Tickets at $10 each are available from both the Silver Fox in Summerside, and Sport P.E.I. in Charlottetown (phone 368-4547).
Other inductees will include legendary Mi'kmaq distance runner John Paul, who raced for almost three decades, hockey builder and coach John (Jake) Milford, the only Island born member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, and Earl Ross, the only Canadian to win a NASCAR Winston Cup race.
CurlTV ready to roll for season 4. Events include Sobeys Slam
Posted Saturday, September 13, 2008 by derekm
CurlTV are in the process of planning their schedule for the year. Here is a sneak peek:
Our journey will begin at the world renowned Saville Sports Centre in Edmonton, Alberta for the Boston Pizza Shootout that will start September 18th and finish on the 29th.
Later on in October, our top notch road crew will be broadcasting live from the Cactus Pheasant Classic in Brooks, AB which was named the Men's Event of the Year last year at the 2007-08 World Curling Tour Players' Awards Banquet.
We will also have women's grand slam action live this November from last year's Women's Event of the Year; The Sobeys Slam in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia.
CurlTV.com is also pleased to announce our NEW MEMBERSHIP RATES for the upcoming season that will provide you with exclusive curling coverage from over 150 games at 20+ planned events. Our Annual Membership is $59.95 CDN and Trial Membership (2 months) is $32.95 CDN. Not a member? Click here to sign up now!
CurlTV.com's Broadcast schedule
September 18-21 - Boston Pizza Shootout - Edmonton, AB
September 26-29 - CUETS Schmirler Curling Classic - Regina, SK
October 10-13 - Trail Appliances Curling Classic - Calgary, AB
October 24-27 - Flint Energy Curling Classic - Bonnyville, AB
October 30 - November 2 - Cactus Pheasant Classic - Brooks, AB
November 27-30 - Sobeys Slam - New Glasgow, NS
December 11-15 - Canada Cup Qualifier - Edmonton, AB
- Schedule is subject to change without notice
- Schedule will be updated shortly as more events are added to the lineup
2011 Canada Games Selection Process
Posted Thursday, September 11, 2008 by derekm
The 2011 Canada Winter Games will be held in Halifax NS Feb. 11-17, 2011. Curlers born after January 1, 1993 and prior to December 31, 1998 are eligible to try out for the Games.
Identification camps will be held in Summerside on October 13, 2008 and Charlottetown on December 21, 2008. The cost is $10 per curler and the camps are open to all Canada Games age-eligible curlers.
There will be an open competition in Cornwall on March 22, 2009 for all age-eligible Canada Games teams.
In November 2009, an open "Qualifier" competition will be held to determine 8 Qualifiers; 4 mens and 4 womens teams.
These 8 Qualifiers will compete in the Final Selection Trial in December 2009. The winners of the mens and womens Trials will represent PEI at the Canada Games in 2011.
The 2010-11 curling season will be the training and rehearsal year for the two teams representing PEI.
COACHES NOTE: Coaches of teams playing in the Qualifier (Nov. 2009) and the Final Selection Trial (Dec. 2009) must have completed their Level 2 Certification.
Coaches of the winning teams from the Final Selection Trial must complete their Level 3 certification by three months prior to the start of the Games.
Selection Committee members are Nancy Yeo, Marilyn Sutherland and Don Vickerson.
Brett Gallant sweeps up Canada Games grant
Posted Tuesday, September 9, 2008 by derekm
Ottawa – Brett Gallant is the only Islander on the list of those receiving 2008 Canada Games Fast Track athlete grants.
Click to read this story in the Journal-Pioneer
Annual Junior Cashspiel set for Cornwall
Posted Wednesday, August 20, 2008 by derekm
The annual Pizza Delight/Subway/Howard Johnson Dutch Inn Junior Men's and Women's Curling Cashspiel takes place November 21-23 at the Cornwall Curling Club. Defending champions are Erin Carmody and Brett Gallant of PEI. Entry fee is $150 per team.
Entry deadline is Oct. 31. Mail entry and fee to BRENDA MACMILLAN, P.O. BOX 191, CORNWALL, P.E.I. COA 1HO.
For more info phone (902) 566-2620 or email [email protected].
Click for: poster, entry form.
Event website: cornwallcurling.com/bonspiel04.html
Junior High Performance Camp
Posted Wednesday, August 20, 2008 by derekm
Curl Atlantic and the PEI Curling Association are holding a Junior High Performance Curling Camp on Oct. 4 and 5, for competitive junior teams (primarily ages 20 and under, and 17 and under). The camp will be held at the Charlottetown Curling Club. Cost is $250 per team and entry is limited to the first 10 paid teams, with entry deadline of Sept. 24.
For more information or to register, contact Gayle Johnton at 368-1071 or [email protected]. Mail entries to Box 3, Site 10, Charlottetown PE C1E 1N6.
Click for Entry Form and Poster
Canadian Curling Breaks New Ice!
Posted Monday, August 4, 2008 by derekm
TORONTO, Ontario, Canada, August 2008 – The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company (The Dominion) is taking Canadian curling to another level with the launch of a national curling event, “The Dominion Curling Club Championship”, set to benefit Canadian club curlers and charities.
“The Dominion Curling Club Championship, funded by The Dominion, will be an annual event for men’s and women’s curling teams who have won their respective local club championships,” says Leigh Armstrong of The Dominion. “The Championship provides the first ever opportunity for winning club teams to represent their club at the zone, provincial or territory level, and ultimately offers them the opportunity to rank nationally. Teams from all 10 provinces and 3 territories, plus a separate entry for Northern Ontario, will compete at the National Championships.” The premier event will bring this season’s club champs together to compete at St. George’s Golf and Country Club, Etobicoke, Ontario in late November of 2009. The national championship will move to other clubs across Canada in future years.
“The Dominion is a proud supporter of Canadian curling and of Canadian athletes,” states George Cooke, President and CEO of The Dominion. “We look forward to working with curlers and curling organizations across Canada.” “This is a fantastic opportunity for all Canadian curlers,” adds Greg Stremlaw, CEO of the Canadian Curling Association, “a unique partnering of sport and business that supports charity and strengthens local communities across the country; it is a winning situation for everyone.”
Any profit generated from The Dominion Curling Club Championship will be directed to charities including the Canadian Paraplegic Association (CPA), as well as developmental curling initiatives in communities across Canada. “Having The Dominion as CPA’s first National Sponsor means that we are always involved in unique opportunities like this championship,” adds Bill Adair, Executive Director, CPA Ontario. “We thank The Dominion for their vision, leadership and continued commitment.”
About The Dominion
Canadian owned and operated, The Dominion has been insuring the cars, homes and businesses of Canadians since 1887. Today, The Dominion is one of the country’s largest property and casualty insurers, distributing its insurance products solely through independent insurance brokers. The Dominion’s priority is earning and maintaining the trust and loyalty of policyholders, employees and business partners. Visit www.thedominion.ca.
About The Dominion and Curling
Along with being the official insurer of the Canadian Curling Association, the CCA Season of Champions events and Ontario Curling Association, The Dominion is the title sponsor of over a dozen curling championships and fundraisers including the Northern Ontario Men’s Provincials, Ontario Senior Men’s and Women’s Provincials and a bonspiel which has raised more than $800,000 in the last 7 years, with 100% of proceeds going to the CPA. The Dominion recently committed to the title sponsorship of the Toronto Curling Association Junior Bonspiel (TCA).
Sobeys Slam entries reveal new Gaudet lineup
Posted Friday, August 1, 2008 by derekm
Reigning PEI women's champion Suzanne Gaudet, recently married to Trevor Birt, will be bringing a new team into the 2008-2009 season. Gone are Robyn MacPhee and Carol Webb, with veterans Shelly Bradley joining the rink at third, and Leslie MacDougall playing second. Stefanie Clark remains on the team in the lead position.
Gaudet's new team is entered in the Sobeys Slam, November 27-30 in New Glasgow NS. Other entries in this star-studded event include Jennifer Jones, Shannon Kleibrink, Kelly Scott, Stefanie Lawton, Sherry Middaugh, Cheryl Bernard, Cathy King, Mary Anne Arsenault, two US teams, and the silver medallists in last year`s World championship, Team China (Bingyu Wang), Event website: www.sobeysslam.ca/
Curler Jerry Muzika among PEI Sports Hall of Fame Inductees
Posted Thursday, July 31, 2008 by derekm
Canadian Curling Hall of Fame member and former Canadian Curling Association President Jerry Muzika of Charlottetown is among four upcoming inductees into the PEI Sports Hall of Fame.
The induction ceremony is scheduled for the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside on Sept. 20. Tickets will be available shortly from both the Hall of Fame in Summerside, and Sport P.E.I. in Charlottetown.
Click to read this story at The Journal Pioneer.
PEI Sports Hall of Fame website
Coaching Conference introduces new award and sponsor
Posted Thursday, July 24, 2008 by derekm
The 2008 Atlantic Curling Coaching Conference, set for August 8-10 at the Mayflower Curling Club in Halifax, welcomes the Investors Group as its new sponsor. Part of this sponsorship is the awarding of the "Investors Group Volunteer Sport Administrator Award", which will recognize the contribution to community sport programs made by a dedicated volunteer who demonstrates outstanding commitment and service in an administrative capacity for a club, organization, or event, resulting in a strong impact on the community for coaches and athletes. The coaching conference organizing committee will select the award recipient. The 2008 Atlantic Coaching Conference Organizing Committee is comprised of Jean Blackie - Chair, Helen Radford - Technical Advisor, Leslie Ann Walsh - Volunteer Coordinator and Karen Ouellette - Staff Liaison.
Nominators must provide the following information:
- name, address and phone number of the nominee and the nominator
- the history of service to community sport programs reflecting the commitment and service of the nominee
- list of other awards or recognition received
- description of any outstanding qualities or contributions that the nominator feels would be of interest to the selection committee.
The presentation to the award recipient will be made at the 2008 Atlantic Coaching Conference. The recipient will automatically become eligible for the Investors Group National Volunteer Sport Administrator Award, which is presented at the annual Sport Leadership Awards Dinner.
All nominations are due by 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 31, 2008. Nominations can be emailed to karen@curlatlantic or fax to the Curl Atlantic office at (902) 864-3187. Entry deadline for the conference itself has been extended to August 1st.
Visit www.curlatlantic.com for more information on the conference.
John Likely foursome looking to defend at Hub City Shootout
Posted Tuesday, July 15, 2008 by derekm
The 2nd Annual Hub City Shootout takes place at the Beaver Curling Club in Moncton from November 20-23, 2008. Charlottetown's John Likely rink are defending champs, and are already entered for this year's event. Likely's team includes Phil Gorveatt, Mark Butler, and Mike Dillon. Also in the entry stack for this year is the PEI team of Kevin Champion, Andrew Robinson, Mark O'Rourke, Rod MacDonald, and Peter MacDonald. For complete info, visit the event website at:
curling.monctonut.com/
World and Olympic champions headline 2008 Continental Cup
Posted Tuesday, July 15, 2008 by derekm
Source: Canadian Curling Association
CAMROSE, ALBERTA…The rosters for the 2008 Continental Cup of Curling, presented by Monsanto, are now confirmed.
Now in its sixth edition, the Continental Cup, featuring Team World (formerly Team Europe) versus Team North America, will be staged December 18-21 at the 2,300-seat EnCana Arena in the Edgeworth Centre in Camrose, Alberta. Among the skips slated to compete are the reigning world champions, Canada’s Kevin Martin and Jennifer Jones, and 2006 Olympic gold medallist Anette Norberg of Sweden.
North America holds a 3-2 edge over the ‘World’, after winning last year’s Continental Cup in Medicine Hat, Alberta. The unique event, patterned somewhat after golf’s Ryder Cup, will offer a purse of $88,400, with each member of the winning team receiving $2,000, while each losing team member gets $1,400.
Team North America consists of four teams from Canada and two teams from the United States. The Canadian contingent comprises teams skipped by Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg, Stefanie Lawton of Saskatoon, Edmonton’s Kevin Martin and Kevin Koe. The American teams will be skipped by current national champions Debbie McCormick and Craig Brown of Madison, Wisconsin.
Jones and Martin earned Cup berths by winning the 2008 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Regina and 2008 Tim Hortons Brier in Winnipeg, respectively. Both then went on to claim world titles, as Jones captured the Ford world women’s in Vernon, British Columbia, while Martin took the world men’s crown in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Jones, a two-time Canadian champion, was a member of the winning North America side at the 2007 Cup, while Martin, a three-time Brier winner and 2002 Olympic silver medallist, played in the inaugural Continental Cup in Regina in 2002, when North America scored a dramatic, last rock victory over the World in the final men’s skins game between Martin and Sweden’s Peja Lindholm.
Lawton and Koe earned their first Continental Cup berths by winning the 2008 Strauss Canada Cup in Kamloops, British Columbia.
McCormick, the 2003 world champion, will be making her fourth Cup appearance for North America, after competing in 2003, 2006 and 2007, while Brown will be playing in his first Cup.
Russ Howard, the 2006 Olympic gold medallist and two-time (1987, 1993) world champion, will be the captain for North America while Jim Waite will be the coach.
Team World is headlined by reigning Le Gruyère European champions Anette Norberg of Sweden and David Murdoch of Scotland.
In addition to her Olympic gold medal in Turin (Pinerolo), Italy, Norberg won back-to-back world titles in 2005 and 2006. She’s also competed in three previous Cups, winning in 2003 in Thunder Bay, Ontario and 2006 in Chilliwack, British Columbia. Murdoch, who won the 2006 world men’s title in Lowell, Massachusetts and was runner-up in 2005 and 2008, will also be making his fourth Cup appearance, winning in 2006.
Coming on the heels of remarkable international success in 2008, two teams from China will join Team World….skipped by Bingyu Wang, who earned a silver medal at the Ford world women’s and Fengchun Wang, who finished fourth at the 2008 world men’s, while making his country’s debut in the championship.
The other World skips are Switzerland’s 2002 and 2006 Olympic silver medallist and 2008 world bronze medallist Mirjam Ott, who was also a member of Team Europe when winning the 2006 Continental Cup, and Norway’s Thomas Ulsrud, bronze medallist at the 2006 and 2008 world men’s and runner-up to Murdoch at the 2007 European championship.
The coach will be Sweden’s three-time (1997, 2001, 2004) world champion Peja Lindholm, while 2002 Olympic gold medallist Pål Trulsen of Norway will be the World captain. Lindholm played in the first three Cups, winning in 2003, while Trulsen also participated in three Cups, winning in 2003 and 2006.
The Continental Cup is a four-day competition involving Team games (72 points), Mixed Doubles (36 points), Singles (32 points) and Skins (Men’s, Women’s and Mixed, worth a total of 260 points). The first side to score 201 points is declared the winner.
In 2002, Team North America edged Team World at the inaugural Continental Cup in Regina, Saskatchewan, 207-193, but Europe evened the score in 2003, winning 208-179 in Thunder Bay. In 2004, North America recaptured the title with a 228-172 tally in Medicine Hat, before a record four-day crowd of 42,317.
In 2006 in Chilliwack, Europe emerged victorious, 229-171, as all of the curling medallists from the 2006 Olympic Winter Games participated. Last year in Medicine Hat, North America wound up with a 290-110 advantage, clinching the competition, for the first time ever, on Saturday night, before the women’s and men’s final Skins games were played on Sunday.
This year, TSN will provide extensive national coverage (28 hours) of the competition, similar to what The Sports Network did for the first three Continental Cups from 2002-2004.
The Continental Divide, the event’s entertainment centre, will be located in the adjacent Border Paving Arena.
The world’s best curlers have competed in the Continental Cup. In addition to this year’s line-up, previous participants include teams skipped by Canada’s Brad Gushue, Randy Ferbey, Glenn Howard, Kelly Scott, Kelley Law and Colleen Jones, Norway’s Dordi Nordby, Sweden’s Elisabet Gustafson, Scotland’s Rhona Martin, Jackie Lockhart and Hammy McMillan, Germany’s Andrea Schöpp and Andy Kapp and Finland’s Markku Uusipaavalniemi.
Full event passes (includes all draws) are on sale through Ticketmaster (780-451-8000 or Ticketmaster.ca). For more event information, visit Seasonofchampions.ca.
The Continental Cup is a joint venture of the Canadian Curling Association, the United States Curling Association and the World Curling Federation.
PEI Curling Life Memberships given out at ADL Awards (version with picture)
Posted Friday, June 13, 2008 by derekm
Three life memberships were awarded by the PEI Curling Association at the ADL Awards Night, this evening at the Charlottetown Curling Club. Recipients were Barb Currie from the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club, Kaye MacFadyen from the Charlottetown Curling Club, and Brenda MacMillan from the Cornwall Curling Club.
Photo L-R: Ray McCourt - President PEICA, Brenda MacMIllan, Wendy Reid - President, Sport PEI, Kaye MacFadyen, Barbara Currie, Dave Murphy - PEICA Past President and Master of Ceremonies
Biographies:
Barbara Currie
Barb began her volunteer work in the curling community in 1974 serving as the secretary of the Summerside Curling Club Ladies Branch and continued in that capacity until 1977. She became President of the Summerside Curling Club Ladies Branch for the 1977-78 season and the following year she co-chaired the games committee.
Barb was the Curl Canada Coordinator for the PEI Ladies Curling Association from 1987 to 1990. After the Ladies’ and Men’s Curling Associations amalgamated in 1990, she became the PEI Technical Director of the Prince Edward Island Curling Association. She held this position for seven years. During this time she also served as the Summerside Curling Club delegate to the PEI Curling Association in 1991-92 and 1993-94.
During the 1987 Canadian Mixed Curling Championship, Barb was an on-ice official, a statistician at the Karcher Canadian Juniors Championship in 2002, and an on-ice official at the Canadian Seniors Championship in 2006. All events took place in Summerside.
She organized the opening reception for the Maritime Masters Championship held in Summerside in 2008 and she started the Quality Inn /Brothers Two Ladies Cashspiel in 1987. This annual event is now called the Foxy Lady.
Barb received the Scott Appreciation Award in 2000.
Currently, she is a valuable founding member of the PEI Curling Hall of Fame and Museum, which inducted the first curlers into the Hall in October 2007.
Kaye MacFadyen
Kaye MacFadyen has been involved in the business of curling since 1983 when she co-chaired the First PEI Junior Elite Curling Camp at Belvedere Curling Club.
Since then she has held a long list of positions within the curling community, beginning as Treasurer of the Fund Raising Committee for the Scott Tournament of Hearts held in Charlottetown in 1984.
In 1987-88 she was Secretary-Treasurer of the PEI Ladies Curling Association. She also served as the Second Vice President in 1989-90, and as Third Vice President in 1990-91.
Kaye was the Charlottetown Curling Club’s delegate to the PEI Curling Association in 1995-96 and she served as Treasurer of the PEI Curling Association in 2004-06.
In 1995-96, she chaired the Hosting Committee for the Canadian Mixed Curling Championship held at the Charlottetown Curling Club in March 1996.
In 1996-97 she became Vice-President of the Charlottetown Curling Club, serving as the President in 1997-98 and Past-President in 1998-99.
She is a long-standing Committee member of the Annual Curl for Cancer Fund Raiser, participating from 1998 to 2004.
From 2001 to 2004 Kaye was the General Manager at the Charlottetown Curling Club.
Kaye has a Level I Ice Technician Course and has completed Phase One of the Cancurl Business of Curling Club Marketing and Management Program.
Brenda MacMillan
Brenda MacMillan has given 13 years as a dedicated volunteer to curling on Prince Edward Island –as a certified Level III Curling Coach, a junior coordinator and a founder and organizer of events that promote junior curling.
She coached the 2003 Canada Games Junior Women’s PEI Champions (the Meaghan Hughes team) during the provincial playoffs and as they went on to represent our province in Bathurst, New Brunswick at the Canada Winter Games.
Also in 2003, she coached the Meaghan Hughes team during the Prince Edward Island Junior Women’s Championship and at the Canadian Junior Women’s Championship in Ottawa. She continued to coach the girls in 2004 as they represented PEI in Victoria at the Canadian Juniors; again in 2005 in Fredericton, and in Thunder Bay in 2006.
She has coached other junior teams at the club level as well as coaching and chaperoning juniors to ensure they had the opportunity to play in events in other clubs.
Brenda has also assisted course conductor Marilyn Sutherland instructing Level I Technical courses at PEI curling clubs and, during the 1996-1997 season, she shared Junior Club Coordinator duties with Marilyn at the Belvedere Curling Club.
From 1997 to 2004, Brenda served as the PEI Junior Coordinator for the Prince Edward Island Curling Association, and represented the Association at National Championship meetings.
In 1999, in Kelowna, she was one of the four Atlantic Provincial Junior Coordinators instrumental in initiating the Atlantic Junior 17 and Under Curling Championships. Subsequently, and with the approval of the four Atlantic Provinces’ curling associations, the Championship was formed. The goal was to expose junior curlers to a competitive format similar to national events and use the experience in their preparations towards participating in provincial championships and possibly at a Canadian Junior Curling Championship. This program continues to be successful today.
Brenda implemented the first Skills Award Program on PEI in 1999 under the auspices of the PEI Curling Association. All clubs were provided with training manuals and guidelines from the Association. The junior curlers were tested and depending on their skill levels received badges. This program was well received in all the clubs and the curlers enjoyed the process.
In 1994, Brenda founded and chaired the first Cornwall Junior Cashspiel. Her vision was to give PEI junior teams the opportunity to play against competitive teams from other provinces and gain valuable experience prior to provincial playdowns. She also organized the first junior funspiel sponsored by McCains. In its tenth year, it is now hosted at the Charlottetown Curling Club with many young teams participating.
In 2001 she organized the Tim Horton’s Little Rock program in the PEI curling clubs. She was successful in securing Tim Horton’s sponsorship, supplying vests and curling brooms to the teams so that when they went to other clubs for Little Rock spiels that they would be dressed as teams.
Brenda served as the Junior Club Coordinator at the Cornwall Curling Club from 1998 to 2003 and was the Cornwall Curling Club’s delegate to the PEI Curling Association in 1995-96. She also served on the board of the PEI Coaches Association from 1999 to 2003.
Curlers honoured at 2nd annual ADL Awards Night (new version with pictures)
Posted Friday, June 13, 2008 by derekm
The second annual 2nd Amalgamated Dairies Limited/PEI Curling Association Curling Awards were held Thursday night at the Charlottetown Curling Club, with PEICA Past President Dave Murphy as Master of Ceremonies.
Dave started the evening by congratulating all the provincial winners from the past season, along with the clubs and volunteers who helped make the provincial championships a success.
He thanked sponsor ADL, Sport PEI and the PEI Government's Community, Cultural Affairs and Labour department for their support throughout the year.
The following are the categories, nominees and winners, along with a brief description of each winner's accomplishments over the past season:
Junior Male:
Tim Cullen, Spencer Pitre, Sam Ramsay. Winner: Spencer Pitre
Spencer Pitre skipped a his team to the runner up position at the 2008 Pepsi Juniors, losing to 3 time champion Brett Gallant Rink. Spencer then went on to win the A final at the Sylvan Learning 17 and Under Championships where he finished second to hot Sam Ramsay rink. Coached by Roger Gavin, Spencer has been the ultimate leader on and off the ice and is one of the more competitive junior curlers we have today. Out of the Western Community Curling Club, your 2008 Junior Curler of the Year, Spencer Pitre.
Junior Female
Sarah Fullerton, Sara MacRae, Michelle McQuaid. Winner: MIchelle McQuaid
Michelle McQuaid has been mate on a very good Sarah Fullerton team for the past few years and deserves all recognition coming her way.
Michelle was on the winning team for the 17 & Under Provincial Championships this year and then went on to win the Under 18 Atlantic Championships in Truro, NS. Michelle with the team were in the running in all their events this year as well .
Very well respected in the curling clubs and community, out of the Cornwall Curling Club your 2008 Junior Female of the Year, Michelle McQuaid.
Adult Male
Bill Hope, Ted MacFadyen, Bob MacWilliams. Winner: Ted MacFadyen
Ted MacFadyen had a busy year competing in PEICA events.
He first skipped his team to a final 8 berth at the 2008 Labatt Tankard Playdowns. He then led his team to his 6th title at the PEI Credit Union Senior Championships, where he lost his second game in the draw and then won out the remainder to win the title. Out of the Ch'town Curling Club, the 2008 Adult Male of the year winner is Ted MacFadyen.
Adult Female
Stefanie Clark, Barb Currie, Sandy Hope. Winner: Barb Currie
Barb Currie out of the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club had another good year on the Senior's circuit, Being on the Senior Mixed winning team abd then winning her 3rd Credit Union Senior Championships in 4 years and 4th overall by winning an exciting 7-6 game in the final over 2-time champion Shirley Berry. Currie went to finish with a 5-6 record at the National Seniors Curling Championships, finishing 8th overall.
Coach
Robbie Doherty, Roger Gavin, Al Ledgerwood
Al Ledgerwood has been very active over the years coaching at all levels; however 2008 Al really stood out with some great results. First he coached the Shelley Bradley rink to a runner up finish at the 2008 Provincial Scotties, and then coached the Ted MacFadyen rink that made the final 8 Men's Play downs at the Provincial Labatt Tankard. He then coached that same team to winning their 6th provincial title at the Credit Union Senior Championships. Not only did he do that but also coached the Barb Currie rink to her 4th title at the same event. With these results Al is well deserved of the award.
Official
Helen Robbins, Marilyn Sutherland, Gloria Wood
Gloria Wood has had a busy year officiating for the Prince Edward Island Curling Association. She started the season off in Summerside where she officiated at the Credit union Provincial Seniors. Gloria then was the head official at the Intermediate Provincial Championships in O'leary, and finally finished up with officiating at the 15 and under event in Crapaud. Gloria very dedicated to helping out as much as she can and is very deserving of this award. You're 2008 Official of the year, Gloria Wood.
Volunteer
Audrey Callaghan, Barry Pineau, Ron Matters
The Crapaud Curling club has benefited greatly from the work of Ron Matters, ably assisted by his family. Ron was a tremendous help in running the Labatt Tankard, our premiere men's event of the PEICA. He also was a huge influence on the success of the 15 and 12 and under events. Ron contributes his time and support in every area required for the club, and was a source of sound advice when asked. Your 2008 Volunteer of the year is Ron Matters.
Team
Sarah Fullerton, Michelle McQuaid, Madeline Campbell/Whitney Young, Sara MacRae, Rebecca Jean MacPhee (coach)
Bob MacWilliams, Al MacCormac, Roy Coffin, Jim Farquharson
Sam Ramsay, Neil Gallant, Eric Pidgeon/Brett Gallant, Justin Richard, Peter Pidgeon (coach)
The co-winners of the year, Sam Ramsay and Sarah Fullerton rinks, both had outstanding seasons. The Ramsay rink, coached by Peter Pidgeon, showed a lot of hard work and dedication this season, winning back-to-back provincial 17 & under titles and going to Truro to win the Atlantic event. The Fullerton team had the same kind of season, winning their second 17 & Under Provincial title in 3 years, and along with coach Rebecca Jean MacPhee went on to win at the Atlantic event n Truro, to complete the sweep for the PEI rinks.
Photo L-R: Dave Murphy - PEICA Past-President and Master of Ceremonies, Michelle McQuaid - Junior Female winner, Ted MacFadyen, Adult Male Winner, Barb Currie, Adult Female Winner, Barrie MacWilliams - ADL
Photo L-R: Dave Murphy - PEICA Past President and Master of Ceremonies, Sam Ramsay, Eric Pidgeon, Peter Pidgeon, Barrie MacWilliams - ADL
Dave Murphy, PEICA Past-President and Master of Ceremonies, Sarah Fullerton, Michelle McQuaid, Sara MacRae, Barrie MacWilliams
Sounds Fantastic Early Bird Challenge
Posted Saturday, May 31, 2008 by derekm
Early Bird Challenge
September 19-21, 2008
Open to: Men’s, Ladies’, Mixed, Junior and Senior Teams
This is an invitation to the Fourth annual Sounds Fantastic Early Bird Challenge Prize Spiel, which will run from Sept. 19-21, 2008 at Curling Beausejour in Moncton, N.B. Teams which participated in the event last year will have a spot held for them until July 15TH. After this date entries will be accepted on a first received basis. This event is open to Men’s, Ladies’, Mixed, Junior, and Senior teams. We are accepting 20 teams, and will guarantee a minimum of 5 games each.
The format will be a 4 division round-robin to qualify 8 teams (top two teams in each division). The entry fee is $535 (ACT fees) for all Men’s and Jr. Men’s teams & $500 for all other teams. Based on a full 20 team field we will be playing for a total value of $12,500 in electronic prizes, with the winner of the Sounds Fantastic Early Bird Challenge receiving $4000.00 in electronic prizes, qualifier’s guaranteed to receive $720 in electronic prizes.
For team entries please make a cheque payable to: Curling Beausejour Inc. A postdated (full entry fee) cheque dated Aug. 20th, 2008 must accompany entry.
Please send team entries with postdated cheque to: Grant Odishaw
55 Kenmore Drive
Moncton, N.B. E1A 4J7
_____ Team Entry Fee of $535 or $500 Enclosed H: 383-1501 W: 858-5949
Email: [email protected]
Team Profile
Skip:_______________________ Third:__________________________
Second:_____________________ Lead:__________________________
Team Contact: ___________________________
Phone:(h)_______________(w)______________
Email: __________________________________
Curling Beausejour, 22 Essex St. , Moncton NB , E1C 3B8 (506)857-4285
CCA President Al Forsythe welcomes Ray McCourt as incoming PEICA Pres.
Posted Saturday, May 31, 2008 by derekm
Photo L-R: Al Forsythe, President, Canadian Curling Association, Ray McCourt, incoming President, PEI Curling Association
Ray McCourt of Summerside was elected President of the PEI Curling Association at its Annual General Meeting, held this week in Crapaud. McCourt is a former president of the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club, and chaired the fundraising committee for the 2006 Canadian Seniors Curling Championships in Summerside. Canadian Curling Association President Al Forsythe was on hand to congratulate McCourt on his new post. In his remarks, McCourt told the attendees that, as President, he will not try to reinvent the wheel, but will do his best to ensure a smooth operation next year.
Forsythe, from Moncton, was an invited guest for the meeting, and remarked that there was a lot going on in the Maritimes. He mentioned that a past-president of the PEI Curling Association, Shirley Lank, is running for membership on the Canadian Curling Association Board of Directors at their Annual General Meeting in mid-June, that he is personally involved with the organization of the World Men's Curling Championships in Moncton in 2009, and that the Scotties Tournament of Hearts will be held "somewhere in the Maritimes" within the next few years (Charlottetown is putting in a bid to host the 2011 Scotties). He also mentioned the 2009 Canadian Seniors in Summerside, and remarked that curling is doing well at the local level, with he and members of his family having recently participated in the successful "Meltdown" bonspiel at the Crapaud Community Curling Club.
On the national front, Forsythe said that the CCA, which had financial difficulties last season, is hard at work with its new governance model, under the financial helm of new CEO Greg Stremlaw, and have had a "really good year" financially, with a projected $2.6 million turnaround over last season, with over $1.5 million realized by selling the TV rights to the Olympic pre-trials and trials. In the upcoming season they are also hosting the first national sporting championship north of the Arctic Circle, the Canadian Mixed in Nunavut, and, thanks to sponsors, will be able to do it for less cost there than elsewhere. Forsythe's term as CCA president ends on June 22nd.
Other PEICA officers for the 2008-2009 season are: 1st Vice-President Melody Beck from the Cornwall Curling Club, 2nd Vice-President Audrey Callaghan from the Western Community Curling Club in Alberton, Secretary Derek MacEwen from the Cornwall Curling Club, and Past President David Murphy, from the Charlottetown and Cornwall clubs. The Treasurer position is an appointment, to be approved at the next PEICA meeting. Bev McCormick of Cornwall is the incumbent. Greg Lucas is Executive Director of the Association.
PEI Curling Association sets Ch'ship dates and locations for 2008-2009 Season
Posted Saturday, May 31, 2008 by derekm
At its Annual General Meeting this week in Crapaud, the PEI Curling Association announced the following provincial championships venues and dates for the 2008-2009 season:
Event Location Dates
Senior Mixed (50 & Over): Western Community Curling Club in Alberton, Dec 11-14
Junior Mixed (20 & Under): Silver Fox Curling & Yacht Club in Summerside, Dec. 27-30
Pepsi Junior (20 & Under): Charlottetown Curling Club, Jan 2-6
PEI Credit Unions Seniors (50 and over): Cornwall Curling Club, Jan 15-19
Scotties Tournament of Hearts (women's) : Silver Fox Curling & Yacht Club in Summerside, Jan 22-26
Masters (60 & Over): Maple Leaf Curling Club in O’Leary , Jan 26-29
Labatt Tankard Men’s Open: Western Community Curling Club in Alberton, Jan 29-Feb 3
Labatt Tankard Men's Final 8: Montague, Feb 10-15
Sylvan Learning 17 & Under: Western Community Curling Club in Alberton, Feb 19-23
M&M Meat Shops 15 & Under: Montague Curling Club, Feb. 26-Mar 1
M&M Meat Shops Mixed: Maple Leaf Curling Club in O’Leary, Feb 26-Mar 1
Stick Curling: Cornwall Curling Club, Mar 2-4
KFC 12 & Under: Montague Curling Club, Mar 5-8
Intermediate: Crapaud Community Curling Club, Mar 13-15|
Note that start and end dates may vary by a day or two, depending on number of teams participating.
The Junior Mixed, for mixed teams age 20 and under, is a new event, subject to sufficient signup and to obtaining a sponsor.
In recent round table discussions held in Summerside and Charlottetown, a new playoff format, which combines a triple knockout draw with a Page playdown, was discussed. It is planned to pilot this format at the Senior Mixed in December. If it is successful, it may be used in other events.
Other changes for the upcoming season will include the addition of an online signup and payment option for events. Entry fees will remain the same, with the exception of the Pepsi Juniors, which will increase from $30 to $35 per player to ensure that the event covers expenses. Fees for the new Junior Mixed were set at $25 per player.
Jennifer Jones to play men's rinks at TSN Skins
Posted Wednesday, May 28, 2008 by derekm
(tsn.ca) Toronto, ON - TSN has announced its star-studded lineup for the second annual Casino Rama Curling Skins Game, in which reigning women's World champion, Jennifer Jones, will compete against reigning men's World champion Kevin Martin, and former World champs Glenn Howard and Randy Ferbey.
The Casino Rama Curling Skins Game takes place January 10 and 11, 2009 and will air live on TSN and TSN HD.
This marks the first time a woman's rink will compete against men's rinks in a TSN Skins game.
"Jennifer Jones captivated an entire nation this year with her outstanding performances at the Canadian and World championships. She is an extremely competitive curler and her talents and accomplishments could not be overlooked as an invitee for this year's Skins game," said Phil King, President, TSN. "Along with Martin, Howard and Ferbey, this year's competition is stronger than ever."
The four competing skips boast an impressive list of achievements consisting of a combined eight World championships and 12 Canadian titles.
The Casino Rama Curling Skins Game is coming off a highly successful inaugural season in 2007, whereby Martin defeated Wayne Middaugh to win the title and $61,000, bringing Martin's career TSN Skins winnings to $346,350 (all figures Cdn). The made-for-TV original TSN production is an annual all-Canadian event featuring four Canadian rinks competing for a total cash purse of $100,000 (Cdn). The event consists of two semifinals on Saturday, Jan. 10, with the winners advancing to the final on Sunday, Jan. 11.
"The Skins game format rewards aggressive play and great execution. The four teams participating this year all utilize the perfect game plan for Skins and have made big shots en route to winning World titles. The only question now is which team can remain confident and perform these skills under immense pressure as the cash grows," said Linda Moore, TSN curling analyst for 19 years.
The Casino Rama Curling Skins Game uses a single-elimination format whereby anything can happen, as the winner is decided by total prize money and not total points.
Beginning in 2008/09, TSN will be the exclusive Canadian home of all Season of Champions curling events. The deal between the network and the Canadian Curling Association runs through the 2013/14 season, and includes the semifinals and finals, as well as morning, afternoon and evening draws.
PEI Curling Association ADL Awards
Posted Thursday, May 15, 2008 by derekm
The PEICA is accepting award nominations for its upcoming ADL awards for the following categories: Jr male/female, Sr male/female, Volunteer, Coach, Official and Team of the year. Please pass on all nominations with 2-3 reasons why you nominated them to [email protected] or call Greg Lucas at 902-368-4986 for more information. Deadline for nominations is Friday, May 23rd.
Silver Fox preparing for national Senior curling ch'ships
Posted Wednesday, May 14, 2008 by derekm
The Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside is preparing to host its fourth Canadian Curling Association championship.
The 2009 Canadian senior curling championships will be held March 21-29 and marks the second time this event will be staged at The Fox and the third time on PEI.
Click to view this story in today's Journal-Pioneer.
Curl in August at the Summer Spud
Posted Tuesday, April 29, 2008 by derekm
The 19th Annual Summer Spud Fun Mixed Curling Bonspiel takes place August 7-10 at the Crapaud Community Curling Club, and includes four days of summer “fun” curling, a lobster extravaganza, a companion 18-hole golf tournament, and many other off-ice activities, including:
- Pool party, Thursday afternoon
- Barbeque Reception and Golf Awards, Thursday evening
- Entertainment, Friday and Saturday evenings
- Mussel Bake, Sunday
The bonspiel will consist of 56 local and off-Island teams. All teams are guaranteed at least three games, with prizes awarded to the winner and runner-up in the championship and other divisions. The golf tournament is scheduled for Thursday, August 7th. Curling will begin on Friday, August 8th.
Entry fee is $320 per team, plus $40 per non-curling guest, $35 per person for golf, and $25 per golf cart (first come, first served).
For more information, contact Andrew Robinson at (902)367-5778 (h). (902)437-6666 (w) or email [email protected].
Entry form and complete details available at www.summerspud.com.
Links: Website Entry form
Silver Fox to host 2009 Canadian Seniors.
Posted Monday, April 21, 2008 by derekm
OTTAWA, April 21, 2008…The Canadian Curling Association today announced the dates and sites for the 2009 Canadian Seniors, 2009 Canadian Wheelchair and the 2010 Canadian Mixed curling championships.
The 2009 Canadian senior men’s and women’s championships will be held, once again, at the Silver Fox Curling & Yacht Club in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, March 22-29.
Prince Edward Island previously hosted the 1976 Canadian senior women’s and 1982 Canadian senior men’s, both in Charlottetown, before Summerside staged the 2006 Canadian Seniors, won that year by Ontario’s Anne Dunn and Northern Ontario’s Al Hackner, who then represented Canada at the 2007 world seniors in Edmonton, where both finished second.
Manitoba has won a leading 10 Canadian senior men’s crowns since the event began in 1965 in Port Arthur, Ontario. Prince Edward Island has three victories, all by skip Dr. Wen MacDonald. Ontario has won a leading 10 women’s titles since the inaugural championship in 1973 in Ottawa, while ‘The Island’ has yet to win one, though. The men’s and women’s events were held separately until being combined in 1985 in Yorkton, Saskatchewan.
The 2009 winners will then represent Canada at the 2010 world seniors, at a site and date to be announced. This year’s Canadian Seniors winners, Saskatchewan’s Eugene Hritzuk and British Columbia’s Pat Sanders, who earned their titles in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan in March, will carry Canada’s colours at the 2009 world seniors, scheduled for April 24-May 3, 2009 in Dunedin, New Zealand.
The 2007 Canadian senior champions, Alberta’s Pat Ryan and Diane Foster, both won gold medals at the 2008 world seniors in March in Vierumäki, Finland.
The 2009 Canadian Wheelchair championship will be held March 23-28 at the Lakeshore Curling Club in Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia. Last month, British Columbia, skipped by Jim Armstrong, retained its national crown by edging Ontario, 8-6 in the final, held at the West Kildonan Curling Club in Winnipeg, where eight teams competed for the Canadian title.
The 2010 Canadian Mixed will be hosted by the Burlington Golf & Country Club in Burlington, Ontario, November 15-22, 2009. Beginning with the 2004-05 season, The Mixed was no longer part of curling’s televised Season of Champions. As such, its annual championship was moved to November of the previous year.
The 2008 Canadian Mixed was held in Calgary last November and won by Alberta’s Dean Ross, a leading ninth time for the province since the championship began in 1964 in Toronto. Ontario has won the Mixed twice, in 1986 by skip Dave Van Dine in Kamloops and by skip John Epping at the 2006 renewal in Whitehorse.
The 2009 Canadian Mixed will be played this November in Iqaluit, Nunavut, marking the first time a national sport championship has been staged in the Territory.
The 2008-09 Canadian and world curling championship calendar is now as follows:
2009 Canadian Mixed - November 9-16, 2008, Iqaluit, Nunavut
2008 Continental Cup - December 18-21, 2008, Camrose, Alberta
2009 M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors - January 31-February 8, Salmon Arm, British Columbia
2009 World Wheelchair - February 21-28, Vancouver, British Columbia
2009 Scotties Tournament of Hearts - February 21-March 1, Victoria, British Columbia
2009 World Juniors - March 5-15, Vancouver, British Columbia
2009 Tim Hortons Brier - March 7-15, Calgary, Alberta
2009 Canada Cup - March 18-22, Yorkton, Saskatchewan
2009 World Women’s - March 21-29, Gangneung, Korea
2009 Canadian Seniors - March 22-29, Summerside, Prince Edward Island
2009 Canadian Wheelchair - March 23-28, Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia
2009 Ford World Men’s - April 4-12, Moncton, New Brunswick
2009 World Mixed Doubles - April 18-26, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
2009 World Seniors - April 24-May 3, Dunedin, New Zealand
Brett Gallant rink wins Team of the Year at Sport PEI awards
Posted Thursday, April 17, 2008 by derekm
The Brett Gallant rink were named as the Island Petroleum Team of the Year at the 34th annual Sport PEI awards banquet last night at the Rodd Royalty Inn in Charlottetown.
L-R: Brett Gallant, Adam Casey, Anson Carmody, Alex MacFadyen, Kathie Gallant
The team, which includes third Adam Casey, second Anson Carmody, and lead Alex MacFadyen, and is coached by Kathie Gallant, won two national medals in 2007.
Click to read more coverage of the awards banquet from The Guardian.
Canada golden at world men�s
Posted Sunday, April 13, 2008 by derekm
Sunday, April 13, 2008 | Source: Canadian Curling Association
GRAND FORKS, North Dakota, April 13…Canada’s Kevin Martin finally won his first world title, defeating Scotland’s David Murdoch, 6-3 in the gold medal final of the world men’s curling championship, Sunday at Ralph Engelstad Arena.
It was the 41-year-old Martin’s first world crown, after years of disappointment, while settling for silver at the 1986 world juniors, 1991 worlds and 2002 Olympic Winter Games.
“It feels great,” said Martin, a three-time Canadian men’s champion, about now being called a ‘world champion’. “We felt we had to come up in the low 90’s (shooting percentage) to have a chance against those guys. It was a good effort by everybody. It certainly does (lift a weight off my shoulders). No question about that. It feels good. I sure appreciated the emails, all the letters, the phone calls from all the people around Canada the last week. We felt, if we just kept our emotions in check, we thought we’d have a good chance and we did.”
It’s the 31st world men’s title for Canada since the championship began in 1959. The victory also gave Canada a sweep of the women’s and men’s crowns this year, following Jennifer Jones’s triumph in Vernon, British Columbia on March 30. Last year, Canada swept the world titles as well, with Kelly Scott winning the women’s in Aomori, Japan and Glenn Howard taking the men’s in Edmonton.
In addition, the win gave Martin’s team an automatic berth into the 2009 Tim Hortons Canadian Curling Trials, which will be held in Edmonton, December 6-13, to determine Canada’s representatives for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The world men’s was the third qualifying event he’s won, after taking last year’s Players’ Championship and this year’s Brier.
Martin’s Edmonton team of third John Morris, second Marc Kennedy and lead Ben Hebert took control early in the match, even without hammer, courtesy of a couple of Murdoch misses.
After a blanked first end, Murdoch missed a runback double, allowing Martin to steal one. In the third, the 29-year-old Scottish skip hit and rolled too far with his last, counting only one instead of a possible deuce.
Martin then blanked the fourth end, before taking a pair in the fifth with a nifty angle raise, chipping out a Murdoch counter, for a 3-1 lead at the break. The sixth end was blanked before another Martin steal in the seventh made it 4-1. In the eighth end, Murdoch was able to score a deuce to tighten the contest, 4-3.
But in the ninth, Martin made a nose hit double to count two, after a measure, for a commanding 6-3 lead coming home, before running Murdoch out of rocks in the 10th.
Today’s final was a far cry from the Page 1-2 game on Friday night, when Murdoch stole singles in the seventh, ninth and 10th ends to stun Canada, 7-6. In fact, it was only Martin doing the stealing today, swiping singles in the second and seventh ends.
Shooting percentages also told the story, as once again, Canada was on fire. Martin held an 89%-78% edge over Murdoch, Morris and Kennedy both recorded 95% while Hebert registered 85% for a team average of 91%, six points better than Scotland’s 85%.
It was a bit disappointed the way we played, actually,” said Murdoch, who won the 2006 world men’s title in Lowell, Massachusetts and has now added another silver to his résume, after finishing the runner-up to Canada’s Randy Ferbey in 2005 as well. “We had a lot of chances, especially early on. A bit of hard luck and some tough breaks. But those guys (Canada) played well all week so they deserved it.”
Martin wound up with a 12-2 overall record, losing only to China during the round robin, then to Scotland in the Page 1-2 game, before winning the semi-final on Saturday over Norway, prior to today’s triumph.
An attendance record for a United States city hosting a world curling championship was also set, with a final tally of 48,699 fans.
Norway wins bronze at world men�s
Posted Sunday, April 13, 2008 by derekm
Saturday, April 12, 2008 | Source: Canadian Curling Association
GRAND FORKS, North Dakota, April 12…Norway won a bronze medal at the world men’s curling championship Saturday evening at Ralph Engelstad Arena, defeating China, 8-3.
Skipped by Oslo’s Thomas Ulsrud, Norway, coming off a 5-4 loss to Canada’s Kevin Martin in the semi-final Saturday afternoon, rebounded to defeat Fengchun Wang’s Harbin team for the second consecutive time.
Tied 2-2 after five ends, Ulsrud counted three in the sixth, then put the game away with a steal of a deuce in the seventh.
It was the second bronze medal for Ulsrud at the world men’s championship. In 2006, at Lowell, Massachusetts, he also won bronze after losing the semi-final to eventual gold medallist, Scotland’s David Murdoch.
“It's a big deal for Norway,” said Ulsrud. “I think people are happy back home. We had a new team and a good week. Maybe we can get some good funding (with the bronze). Third place? I would take that, if you asked me before the week.”
Despite the loss, China enjoyed a tremendous week itself, in its world men’s curling championship debut. It finished third after the round robin, with a 7-4 mark, before losing the Page 3-4 game to Norway 7-5 Friday afternoon and tonight’s bronze medal affair.
But the week’s highlights included a 6-5 extra end win over Canada on Wednesday, handing skip Kevin Martin his only loss during the round robin, as China strung together a five-game win streak to make the playoffs.
Coming on the heels of China’s Bingyu Wang’s silver medal at the Ford world women’s last month in Vernon, British Columbia, it’s been quite a ride for the country in the curling world in the past three weeks.
Its fourth place finish here was also worth nine Olympic qualifying points, likely more than enough to earn China a berth in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.
On Sunday, Scotland’s David Murdoch of Lockerbie faces Canada’s Kevin Martin of Edmonton for the gold medal, live at 2:30 pm on CBC-TV and cbcsports.ca.
Canada has won 30 world men’s championships since 1959 while Scotland has captured four. Murdoch won the 2006 world men’s in Lowell while Martin is still seeking his first world title.
Canada earns rematch with Scotland in world men�s final
Posted Saturday, April 12, 2008 by derekm
Saturday, April 12, 2008 | Source: Canadian Curling Association
GRAND FORKS, North Dakota, April 12…Canada’s Kevin Martin will get a chance to settle the score with Scotland’s David Murdoch, when the top two teams of the week clash Sunday in the world men’s curling championship final at Ralph Engelstad Arena (live on CBC-TV and cbcsports.ca at 3:30 pm AT).
Saturday afternoon, Martin advanced to the final by defeating Norway’s Thomas Ulsrud, 5-4 in the semi-final, when the Oslo skip was only able to steal a meaningless single in the 10th end after Martin hit and stayed with his last, eliminating another Norwegian counter.
There wasn’t a whole lot of action in the semi-final after Martin took his second deuce in the third end for a 4-1 lead. The next three ends were blanked until Ulsrud was forced to take one in the seventh.
Martin responded with a single in the eighth, before Ulsrud was forced to make a draw to the button for one in the ninth.
Now, Martin will get another chance to win a world title, after earning silver medals at the 1986 world juniors (losing to Scotland), 1991 worlds (losing to Scotland) and 2002 Olympic Winter Games (losing to Norway’s Pål Trulsen).
He also finished fourth in his last appearance at the worlds in 1997 in Berne, losing one of the semi-finals to eventual winner, Sweden’s Peja Lindholm, before dropping the bronze medal game to Scotland’s Hammy McMillan. It’s the only hole in a spectacular résume for the three-time Canadian men’s champion.
“We just wanted to get back on the horse (after last night’s loss),” said Martin. “The boys responded well. That’s what it’s all about…trying to get experience here with this new team and be ready for 2010. We’re in the final again and hopefully we can finish one off. But I don’t look in the rear view mirror very often. We’ll give her a go tomorrow.”
The entire Martin team shot the light outs today. Lead Ben Hebert was 92%, second Marc Kennedy, 95%, third John Morris, 91% and Martin 94% for a 93% team average.
Martin’s Edmonton team finished the round robin in first place with a 10-1 record, including a victory over Scotland, 6-5. But in Friday night’s Page 1-2 game, it was Murdoch’s time to turn the tables, as the Scots literally stole the victory, 7-6, with single thefts in the seventh, ninth and 10th ends, to advance to the final.
Thus, Martin had to play in today’s semi-final and win in order to get another crack at Scotland in the gold medal rubber-match.
Since Martin lost the Page 1-2 game, Scotland had choice of hammer or colour for the final and chose hammer. Martin selected red rocks, which he won with today.
“The red rocks are definitely superior in the building, so it will be good to have them,” Martin continued. “We played well all week, just stumbled on one shot yesterday and bounced back good today. We’ll go right after them (Scotland). We outplayed them for two hours and 45 minutes yesterday.”
With the loss, Ulsrud must now regroup and get ready for the bronze medal game tonight at 8:00 pm ET against China’s Fengchun Wang of Harbin (live on CBC’s digital channel, bold). Norway beat China, 7-5 in yesterday’s Page 3-4 game.
“In the first end, we had a pretty good chance, but I was a bit heavy with my shot and gave Kevin quite an easy shot for a deuce,” explained Ulsrud. “In the third, I was a bit heavy again, touching the guard. From there on, we were struggling. For sure, I think they showed today why they are the number one team in the world. If you get down to them, like we did today, you’ve got to be really lucky to get back.”
Canada has won a leading 30 world men’s titles since 1959, including last year’s victory by Glenn Howard at the Ford world men's in Edmonton. Sweden is next with five titles.
Murdoch, who defeated Canada’s Jean-Michel Ménard in 2006 in Lowell, Massachusetts to win his first world men’s championship, will be seeking a fifth title for Scotland.
Scotland rallies to defeat Canada and advances to world men�s final
Posted Saturday, April 12, 2008 by derekm
Friday, April 11, 2008 | Source: Canadian Curling Association
GRAND FORKS, North Dakota, April 11…Scotland’s David Murdoch fashioned a tremendous second half rally to edge Canada’s Kevin Martin, 7-6 in the Page Playoff 1 vs 2 game Friday evening at Ralph Engelstad Arena and advance to Sunday’s final of the world men’s curling championship.
Murdoch, who won the 2006 world men’s title in Lowell, Massachusetts, was down 6-2 at the fifth end break, after coughing up a pair of three’s to Martin’s Edmonton squad in the second and fourth ends.
But things tightened up after that, as Lockerbie’s Murdoch took a deuce in the sixth, then stole one in the seventh to narrow the gap to 6-5.
After a blanked eighth end, Martin tried to chip out a Murdoch stone biting the button to count three in the ninth, but was a little heavy, giving up another steal to the Scots, as the game was now tied at 6 heading to the 10th end.
Canada was able to keep the house clean for most of the final frame. Then, it all came down to a Martin staple, drawing the full four while staring at a couple of Murdoch counters.
However, inexplicably, this time he failed to make it, as his last stone didn’t curl enough, just nudging the Murdoch counter biting the four-foot, before sliding by. Thus, another steal for Scotland and a surprising 7-6 win.
“I thought it was perfect, really,” said a perplexed Martin, about his final draw. “Wasn’t worried at all, I thought it was bang on.”
While Canada held an 88%-85% team shooting percentage advantage, Murdoch actually outcurled Martin, 80%-74%.
"That showed the true character of our team," said the 29-year-old Murdoch, who is also the reigning European champion. "We're Scots, and we don't give up. We just hung in there. We knew they were going to go defensive on us... and it just worked out for us."
Martin must now play Norway’s Thomas Ulsrud in Saturday’s semi-final at 3:30 pm AT (live on CBC-TV), with the winner facing Scotland for all the marbles on Sunday, also live on CBC-TV at 3:30 pm AT.
Earlier on Friday, Ulsrud defeated China’s Fengchun Wang, 7-5 in the Page 3-4 game to advance to the semi-final. China goes to Saturday evening’s bronze medal game at 9:00 pm AT (live on CBC’s digital channel, bold), to await the loser of the semi-final.
Canada’s games are also being webstreamed at cbcsports.ca.
Martin, a three-time Canadian men’s champion who is still looking for his first world title after settling for silver at the 1986 world juniors, 1991 worlds and 2002 Olympic Winter Games, finished the round robin with a sterling 10-1 mark, losing only to China. He also had defeated Scotland, 6-5 last Monday in Draw 8.
Now, he faces the prospect of having to win two games in a row in order to claim that elusive first world crown and a leading 31st title for Canada since 1959.
Murdoch’s record at the world men’s is pretty impressive. In his 2005 debut, he finished second to Canada’s Randy Ferbey in Victoria, British Columbia. In 2006, he defeated Canada’s Jean-Michel Ménard in the final in Lowell.
Now, after an 8-3 round robin record and a win in the Page 1-2 game, he awaits either another Canadian foe, Martin, or Norway’s Ulsrud, whom he defeated in the 2006 semi-final, in seeking a fifth world title for Scotland.
Playoff pairings set at world men�s
Posted Friday, April 11, 2008 by derekm
Thursday, April 10, 2008 | Source: Canadian Curling Association
GRAND FORKS, North Dakota, April 10…The playoff pairings have been established at the world men’s curling championship, after Draw 17 concluded in dramatic fashion Thursday evening at Ralph Engelstad Arena.
It appeared at one point that there would be two tiebreakers needed to determine the fourth place finisher, after Australia, skipped by Hugh Millikin of Sydney, suddenly rallied to go in front of Norway’s Thomas Ulsrud of Oslo, 7-5, heading into the 10th end.
But Ulsrud not only counted a deuce to tie the game, he eventually won it, 9-7, by stealing a pair in the 11th, crushing any tiebreaker hopes of not only Australia, but also France.
Thus, with no tiebreakers required, the top four teams are set for the Page Playoffs.
Canada, skipped by Kevin Martin of Edmonton, finished in top spot with a 10-1 record after humbling the United States, 10-4 in its final game. Scotland (David Murdoch of Lockerbie) wound up second with an 8-3 mark, after beating Denmark, 7-4.
China (Fengchun Wang of Harbin), which had a bye, and Norway finished tied for third with 7-4 records, but since China had defeated Norway, 8-7 Thursday afternoon, it was placed third, Norway fourth.
In the other Draw 17 game, Sweden counted three in the 10th end to defeat Czech Republic, 8-6.
Thus, Canada will face Scotland in the Page Playoff 1 vs 2 game, Friday at 9:00 pm AT. The game will be webstreamed at cbcsports.ca. Canada defeated Scotland, 6-5 in Draw 8 on Monday night.
The winner will advance directly to Sunday’s final at 3:30 pm AT,while the loser goes to Saturday’s semi-final at 3:30 pm AT.. Both the semi-final and final will be televised live in Canada on CBC-TV.
China, making its world men’s debut, will once again meet Norway in the Page 3 vs 4 game Friday afternoon at 4:00 pm AT. The winner will also advance to Saturday afternoon’s semi-final. The loser will go to the bronze medal game, scheduled for 8:00 pm AT on Saturday, to await the loser of the semi-final.
Behind the top four came France (Thomas Dufour of Chamonix) at 6-5, followed by Australia (Hugh Millikin of Sydney), United States (Craig Brown of Madison, Wisconsin) and Germany (Andy Kapp of Füssen), all at 5-6.
Denmark (Johnny Frederiksen of Hvidovre) and Sweden (Anders Kraupp of Danderyd) were next at 4-7, with Switzerland (Claudio Pescia of Zurich) at 3-8 and Czech Republic (Jiri Snitil of Prague), 2-9. After starting 2-0 in their world men’s debut, the Czechs lost nine straight.
In addition to world honours, the 12 competing countries are also battling for qualifying points for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.
Canada has won a leading 30 world men’s titles since 1959, including last year’s victory by Glenn Howard. Sweden is next with five titles, followed by Scotland and United States with four wins apiece.
Playoff picture taking shape at world men�s
Posted Thursday, April 10, 2008 by derekm
Wednesday, April 09, 2008 | Source: Canadian Curling Association
GRAND FORKS, North Dakota, April 9…With three draws remaining in the round robin of the world men’s curling championship, the playoff picture is coming more into focus.
Canada, skipped by Kevin Martin of Edmonton, has clinched first place, even though it still has to play Switzerland and the United States on Thursday at Ralph Engelstad Arena.
Currently 8-1, with its only loss coming, shockingly, at the hands of China on Wednesday morning, Canada could finish 8-3 at worst. Only Scotland and/or Norway, presently at 6-3, could tie that mark, but since Canada has beaten them both, it would be awarded top spot anyway.
That means Canada will play in the Page Playoff 1 vs 2 game Friday afternoon, live at 3:00 pm ET on CBC-TV’s digital channel, bold. All Canadian games are also being webstreamed at cbcsports.ca.
Norway and Scotland are now tied for second with 6-3 records. Norway, skipped by Thomas Ulsrud of Oslo, won a huge battle against France (Thomas Dufour of Chamonix), 6-4 in Draw 14 Wednesday evening, breaking open a tight affair with three in the seventh end. Norway finishes up with two tough games against China and Australia.
Meanwhile, Scotland’s David Murdoch of Lockerbie took care of Switzerland’s Claudio Pescia, 6-4 but faces Germany and Denmark on Thursday.
Australia (Hugh Millikin of Sydney), China, France and United States are deadlocked at 5-4. China (Fengchun Wang of Harbin), coming off a startling upset of Canada, 6-5 in Draw 12, whipped Czech Republic (2-7), 7-3, while United States (Craig Brown of Madison, Wisconsin) proved an 8-5 winner over Germany’s Andy Kapp, last year’s world silver medallist, who suffered his fifth consecutive defeat to fall to 4-5.
Thursday’s final round robin draws are at 11:00 am, 4:00 pm and 9:00 pm Atlantic. At the conclusion of the round robin, the top four teams advance to the playoffs. Under the Page Playoff system, the first and second place teams meet in one game, with the winner advancing to Sunday’s gold medal final, the loser to Saturday’s semi-final. Both the semi-final and final can be seen live in Canada on CBC-TV.
The third and fourth place teams clash in the other game, with the winner also advancing to the semi-final. Resurrected this year is the bronze medal game on Saturday evening, which will pair the loser of the semi-final against the loser of the Page 3-4 game.
Twelve countries are battling for world honours in Grand Forks, in addition to earning qualifying points for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.
Canada has won a leading 30 world men’s titles since 1959, including last year’s victory by Glenn Howard. Sweden is next with five titles, followed by Scotland and United States with four wins apiece.
Canada widens margin at world men�s
Posted Wednesday, April 9, 2008 by derekm
Tuesday, April 08, 2008 | Source: Canadian Curling Association
GRAND FORKS, North Dakota, April 8….There just seems to be no stopping the Martin Express, at least so far, through 11 draws of the 50th edition of the world men’s curling championship at Ralph Engelstad Arena.
Tuesday evening, Canada’s Kevin Martin dismantled Germany’s Andy Kapp, 9-4 to improve his unblemished record to 7-0 and widen the lead to three games over a pack of pursuers.
Martin came out guns ablazing, counting three in the first end, before taking a deuce in the third and a quick 5-1 lead over the Füssen veteran, who won a silver medal at last year’s Ford world men’s in Edmonton.
It was 7-2 after six ends and after another Martin deuce in the ninth, Kapp called it quits. It was the second loss of the day for Germany, which dropped to 4-3 and into a monstrous six-way tie for second with Australia, Denmark, France, Norway and Scotland.
Seeing some brief action again tonight was the alternate for Canada, Adam Enright, who replaced lead Ben Hebert for a few ends, similar to what he did in Draw 5, while playing alongside Saville Sports Centre teammates Marc Kennedy at second and John Morris at third.
Martin is not only seeking his first world title in a storied curling career to date, but he also has a chance to become the first Canadian skip to go unbeaten at a Brier and worlds in the same year. His team was a perfect 13-0 at the Tim Hortons Brier Canadian men’s curling championship in Winnipeg last month.
In other games, China’s Fengchun Wang thumped Sweden’s Anders Kraupp, 8-2, its third win of the week in its world men’s debut. China is now tied with the United States (Craig Brown) for eighth spot, each with 3-4 records, while Sweden falls to 1-6.
Denmark’s Johnny Frederiksen continued his hot play of late with a 7-4 victory over Switzerland’s Claudio Pescia to join the logjam for second, while the Swiss, after a two-game win streak, are now 2-5, the same record as idle Czech Republic (Jiri Snitil).
In the other game, France’s Thomas Dufour of Chamonix stole a deuce in the ninth end and a single in the 10th to best Australia’s Hugh Millikin of Sydney, 6-4. The result also catapulted the French into the six-way tie for second.
Round robin play continues through Thursday, with draws at 11:00 am, 4:00 pm and 9:00 pm AT.
All of Canada’s games are being webstreamed at cbcsports.ca. CBC’s digital channel, bold, will also show Wednesday afternoon’s clash with the Czech Republic. Canada faces China in the morning.
Twelve countries are battling for world honours in Grand Forks, in addition to country qualifying points for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. At the conclusion of the round robin on Thursday, the top four teams advance to the playoffs.
Under the Page Playoff system, the first and second place teams meet in one game, with the winner advancing to Sunday’s gold medal final, the loser to Saturday’s semi-final. The third and fourth place teams clash in the other game, with the winner also advancing to the semi-final.
Resurrected this year is the bronze medal game on Saturday evening, which will pair the loser of the semi-final against the loser of the Page 3-4 game,
Canada has won a leading 30 world men’s titles since 1959, including last year’s victory by Glenn Howard. Sweden is next with five titles, followed by Scotland and United States with four wins apiece.
Increased TV Coverage and Free Access to CBC-bold during world mens
Posted Wednesday, April 9, 2008 by derekm
In response to the demand for more coverage, CBC-bold has increased their coverage of the 2008 World Men's Curling Championship and CBC-Bold is available for free to Digital Cable and Satellite subscribers until April 29th.
� Television and Webcast Schedule � CBC-bold Channels
Canada now 5-0 at world men�s
Posted Tuesday, April 8, 2008 by derekm
Monday, April 07, 2008 | Source: Canadian Curling Association
GRAND FORKS, North Dakota, April 7�Canada�s Kevin Martin continues to roll at the 2008 world men�s curling championship.
Monday evening, in a much-anticipated battle with Scotland�s David Murdoch, Martin emerged victorious, but just barely, 6-5, to remain perfect at 5-0 and alone in first place after three days of competition.
The marquee matchup was a defensive struggle between the 2002 Olympic silver medallist and the 2006 world champion, as the teams were tied 3-3 after five ends. After a blanked sixth, Martin managed to steal singles in the seventh and eighth ends to go up 5-3.
However, Lockerbie�s Murdoch responded with a deuce in the ninth to tie it at five, before Martin was able to count one in the 10th for the hard-fought decision. With the loss, Scotland fell to 2-3, tied for sixth place with four other countries.
Edmonton�s Martin was undefeated at the Alberta provincial championship in February, then went 13-0 at the Tim Hortons Brier in Winnipeg in March and now has yet to taste defeat at Ralph Engelstad Arena. No Canadian team has ever gone unbeaten at the Brier and the worlds in the same year.
Meanwhile, the United States, skipped by Craig Brown of Madison, Wisconsin, missed a golden opportunity to move into a tie for second with Germany�s idle Andy Kapp, losing 7-6 to Denmark�s Johnny Frederiksen of Hvidovre. Brown was up 6-5 with the hammer playing nine, but gave up steals in the ninth and 10th ends for the bitter defeat, which dropped the United States to 3-2, a game behind Germany (4-1) and now tied with Australia and Norway. With the win, Denmark improved to 2-3.
In other Draw 8 games, Norway�s Thomas Ulsrud of Oslo improved to 3-2 by edging rival Sweden (Anders Kraupp of Danderyd), 7-5 in an extra end. The Swedes dropped to 1-4, the same record as idle Switzerland (Claudio Pescia of Zurich).
Australia (Hugh Millikin of Sydney) also went to 3-2 by defeating Czech Republic (Jiri Snitil of Prague), 8-5. For the Czechs, it was their third consecutive loss, dropping them to 2-3, the same record as Denmark and Scotland, as well as China and France, who enjoyed evening byes.
Round robin play continues Tuesday through Thursday, with draws at 11:00 am, 4:00 pm and 9:00 pm Atlantic.
On Tuesday, Canada faces Norway in the morning and Germany in the evening.
All of Canada�s games are being webstreamed at cbcsports.ca. In addition, CBC�s digital channel, bold, has added two Canadian games to its schedule - Tuesday evening�s match against Germany and Wednesday afternoon�s clash with the Czech Republic.
Canada has won a leading 30 world men�s titles since 1959, including last year�s victory by Glenn Howard at the Ford world men�s in Edmonton. Sweden is next with five titles, followed by Scotland and United States with four wins apiece.
It's never too early to sign up! Junior Cashspiels at the Fox next season
Posted Monday, April 7, 2008 by derekm
While you are sitting around watching the curling ice melt and waiting for the golf courses to open, it's time to plan for next curling season.
The following Junior (age 20 and under) cashspiels are set for next season at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club. A number of entries have already been received for the Fall Fling. Sign up now and avoid the last-minute rush!
The 3rd Fall Fling Junior Cashspiel takes place Nov. 14-16, 2008 at the Silver Fox. Entry fee is $100 per team. The 24 teams accepted are each guaranteed five games. Please post-date cheques to the entry deadline of November 1st.
Poster and Entry Form
The 7th annual Jingle Bell Junior Cashspiel takes place Dec. 12-14, 2008, at the Silver Fox. Entry fee is $100 per team. The 24 teams accepted are each guaranteed five games. Please post-date cheques to the entry deadline of December 1st.
Poster and Entry Form
The 3rd annual Spring Thaw Junior Cashspiel takes place Feb. 20-22, 2009 at the Silver Fox. Entry fee is $100 per team. The 24 teams accepted are each guaranteed five games. Please post-date cheques to the entry deadline of February 1st.
Poster and Entry Form
To enter any of these events, send your entry and payment to:
SHEILA COMPTON, 268 ALL WEATHER HIGHWAY, SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I., C1N4V4 phone 902-436-5629
e-mail [email protected]
Canada, Germany share lead at world men�s. CBC bold channel adds 2 games.
Posted Monday, April 7, 2008 by derekm
Sunday, April 06, 2008 | Source: Canadian Curling Association
GRAND FORKS, North Dakota, April 6� Canada�s Kevin Martin has climbed into a tie with Germany�s Andy Kapp for top spot at the world men�s curling championship, after five draws at Ralph Engelstad Arena.
Sunday evening, Martin disposed of Australia, skipped by North Vancouver native Hugh Millikin, 9-3, to improve to 3-0 in the 12-nation competition. Martin held a slim 4-2 margin after five ends, but counted three in the sixth, then stole a deuce in the seventh for a 9-2 lead. Millikin came back with a single in the eighth before calling it quits.
Representing the Saville Sports Centre in Edmonton, Martin has been on quite a roll on the Canadian and international stage this year. His team went unbeaten at the Tim Hortons Brier in Winnipeg last month, finishing with a 13-0 mark. Now, the 41-year-old renowned skip, whose only hole in a brilliant curling resume is a world title, remains unbeaten at the world men�s. No Canadian team has gone undefeated in both in the same year.
The Cinderella Czechs, 2-0 entering the evening contest, were brought back to earth with an 8-4 loss to Norway�s previously winless Thomas Ulsrud. This one got out of hand early for Jiri Snitil�s Prague foursome, as Ulsrud counted three in the first end, then stole one in the second for a commanding 4-0 lead.
In other games, host United States, skipped by Craig Brown of Madison, Wisconsin, rallied with a single in the ninth end and a steal of two in the 10th to shock Scotland�s 2006 world champion David Murdoch, 7-6, while Denmark�s Johnny Frederiksen also notched his first win, a 9-5 victory of Sweden�s Anders Kraupp.
The results left Canada and idle Germany at 3-0, Czech Republic, France and United States at 2-1, Australia, China (Fengchun Wang), Denmark, Norway, Scotland and Sweden all at 1-2, with Switzerland (Claudio Pescia) the only winless squad at 0-3.
Round robin play continues Monday through Thursday, with draw times at 11:00 am, 4:00 pm and 9:00 pm Atlantic time.
Canada plays France (Thomas Dufour of Chamonix) on Monday afternoon before facing Scotland in the evening.
All of Canada�s games are being webstreamed at cbcsports.ca. In Canada, CBC-TV will televise Saturday�s semi-final and Sunday�s gold medal final, while CBC�s digital channel, bold, has added several Canadian games to its schedule - Tuesday evening�s match against Germany and Wednesday afternoon�s clash with the Czech Republic.
Canada has won a leading 30 world men�s titles since 1959, including last year�s victory by Glenn Howard at the Ford world men�s in Edmonton. Sweden is next with five titles, followed by Scotland and United States with four wins apiece.
Martin opens World Championships with win
Posted Sunday, April 6, 2008 by derekm
total team effort got Canada off to a winning start at the Men's World Curling Championship.
Kevin Martin was quick to praise his front-end sweepers in Canada's 9-3 win over Johnny Frederiksen's Denmark rink in nine ends, with lead Ben Hebert, second Marc Kennedy, and third John Morris all making key contributions in the win.
Click to read this story at CBC Sports.
Czech Republic shocks Scotland in opener at world men�s
Posted Sunday, April 6, 2008 by derekm
Saturday, April 05, 2008 | Source: Canadian Curling Association
GRAND FORKS, North Dakota, April 5�.The 2008 world men�s curling championship got underway Saturday afternoon at the opulent Ralph Engelstad Arena with one of the biggest upsets in curling history.
Czech Republic, making its world men�s debut under skip Jiri Snitil of Prague, shocked Scotland�s David Murdoch, the 2006 world and reigning European champion, 7-5.
The Czechs counted two in the third end, then stole a crucial pair in the fourth to go up 5-1 over Murdoch�s Lockerbie foursome. Murdoch took a deuce in the ninth end to close the gap to 7-5, but that was as close as he could get in the opening draw stunner.
In other games, host United States, with skip Craig Brown of Madison, Wisconsin, got off to a good start, upending Norway�s Thomas Ulsrud of Oslo, 8-6. Brown�s only previous appearance at the world men�s came in 2000 in Glasgow when finishing fourth to Canada�s Greg McAulay, while Ulsrud earned a bronze medal at the 2006 world men�s in Lowell.
France, skipped by Thomas Dufour of Chamonix, scored a pair of three�s in the sixth and eighth ends en route to a 7-2 victory over China (Fengchun Wang of Harbin), which was making its world men�s debut as well.
Germany�s Andy Kapp of F�ssen outlasted Switzerland�s Claudio Pescia of Zurich, 9-8. Kapp is a two-time world silver medallist, having finished the runner-up in 1997 in Berne to Sweden�s Peja Lindholm, then second again last year to Canada�s Glenn Howard at the Ford world men�s in Edmonton.
World Men's starts today. Martin, Murdoch headline the event
Posted Saturday, April 5, 2008 by derekm
Source: Canadian Curling Association
The 2008 world men�s curling championship gets underway today at the luxurious Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Twelve countries, led by Canada�s Kevin Martin and Scotland�s David Murdoch, are set to battle for the world title from April 5-13 in the 50th edition of this historic championship.
Australia, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States will compete in a round robin format, leading to the Page Playoffs, whereby the first and second place teams meet in one game, with the winner advancing directly to the gold medal final on Sunday, April 13, while the loser goes to the semi-final on April 12. The third and fourth place teams will also meet, with the winner advancing to the semi-final as well.
Similar to the recently-concluded Ford world women�s in Vernon, British Columbia, a bronze medal game has been re-introduced this year and will feature the loser of the semi-final against the loser of the Page 3-4 game.
Canada�s Kevin Martin, the undefeated winner of the Tim Hortons Brier last month in Winnipeg, once again will attempt to win his first world title, after finishing second to Scotland�s David Smith in 1991 in Winnipeg and fourth to Sweden�s Peja Lindholm in 1997 in Berne. The 41-year-old Martin was also an Olympic silver medallist in 2002, losing the final to Norway�s P�l Trulsen and was runner-up at the 1986 world juniors.
Martin and his Saville Sports Centre team from Edmonton will be seeking a leading 31st title for Canada since the championship began in 1959. He�ll also be trying to give Canada a second consecutive sweep of the men�s and women�s events, joining Manitoba�s Jennifer Jones, who won the 2008 world women�s title last Sunday. Last year, British Columbia�s Kelly Scott won the world women�s crown in Aomori, Japan while Ontario�s Glenn Howard took the Ford world men�s title in Edmonton.
A Martin victory would also give his team a berth directly into the 2009 Tim Hortons Canadian Curling Trials, December 6-13 in Edmonton, as it would be his third win in qualifying events, after taking the 2007 Players� Championship and 2008 Canadian men�s curling championship.
Scotland skip David Murdoch of Lockerbie makes only his third appearance at the world men�s. In 2006, he won gold in Lowell, Massachusetts, defeating Canada�s Jean-Michel M�nard in the final, after finishing second to Canada�s Randy Ferbey in 2005 in Victoria, British Columbia. Murdoch is also a two-time European champion, having won in 2003 and 2007.
Germany�s Andy Kapp of F�ssen, a two-time European champion (1992, 1997), two-time silver medallist (1997, 2007) and three-time bronze medallist (1994, 1995, 2005) at the worlds, returns for a 10th time as skip, while Norway will be represented by Thomas Ulsrud of Oslo, who finished third at the 2006 world men�s, losing to Murdoch in the semi-final. He also lost to Murdoch in the final of the 2007 Le Gruy�re European championship last December in F�ssen.
Completing the field are Australia, skipped by Hugh Millikin, a North Vancouver native who will be making his 11th worlds appearance, China (Fengchun Wang), Czech Republic (Jiri Snitil), Denmark (Johnny Frederiksen), France (Thomas Dufour), Sweden (Anders Kraupp), Switzerland (Claudio Pescia) and United States (Craig Brown).
China will be making its world men�s debut, following on the heels of a very successful performance by China at the 2008 Ford world women�s, when skip Bingyu Wang won a silver medal, losing the final to Canada�s Jennifer Jones. Czech Republic is also making its world men�s debut.
In Canada, CBC-TV will provide live coverage of the semi-final, Saturday April 12, beginning with a special half-hour pre-game show at 2:00 pm ET prior to the game at 2:30 pm, and the gold medal final on Sunday, April 13 at 2:30 pm ET.
CBC�s digital channel bold (formerly Country Canada) will also carry several games�Canada�s opener against Denmark at 8:00 pm ET on Saturday, April 5, a Page playoff game on Friday, April 11 at 3:00 pm ET and the bronze medal match on April 12 at 8:00 pm ET. In addition, all of Canada�s round robin games and all playoff games will be web-streamed, live at www.cbcsports.ca.
WCTV, the television arm of the World Curling Federation, is providing daily game feeds and highlight packages for Eurosport and other international networks, while CurlTV (www.curltv.com <http://www.curltv.com> ) is offering extensive event coverage to its subscribers as well.
Draw results will be instantly available on the World Curling Federation (www.worldcurling.org <http://www.worldcurling.org> ) and Canadian Curling Association (www.curling.ca) websites. The event website is www.worldmenscurling2008.com.
In addition to a world title, Olympic qualifying points are on the line, on a 14-12-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis, as nations continue to build up points over a three-year period (2007-2009) in order to qualify for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, when 10 countries, including host Canada, will compete.
This marks the third time this decade that the United States has hosted the world men�s championship. In 2002, the Ford world men�s and women�s championships were staged in Bismarck, North Dakota and won by Canada�s Randy Ferbey and Scotland�s Jackie Lockhart, respectively. In 2006, Scotland�s David Murdoch won the world men�s in Lowell, Massachusetts.
It�s also the fourth consecutive year that the men�s and women�s championships have been conducted separately, after being held jointly from 1989-2004.
Behind Canada�s leading 30 men�s titles come Sweden, with five, then Scotland and the United States, with four victories each. Host USA�s last win, however, was back in 1978 by Bob Nichols, when the championship was played in Winnipeg.
For additional media information throughout the championship, contact Jayson Hajdu, Host Committee media chair or George Karrys, World Curling Federation Media Relations Officer, in the Arena media room at 701-777-6765, as of Friday, April 4.
Here are the team rosters for the 2008 world men�s curling championship.
2008 WORLD MEN�S CURLING CHAMPIONSHIP
April 5-13, Ralph Engelstad Arena
Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA
Roster (listed in order of skip, third, second, lead, alternate and coach)
AUSTRALIA
Sydney Harbour Curling Club, Sydney
Hugh Millikin (third stones)
Ian Palangio (fourth stones)
Sean Hall
Steve Johns
Steve Hewitt
Earle Morris
CANADA
Saville Sports Centre, Edmonton, Alberta
Kevin Martin
John Morris
Marc Kennedy
Ben Hebert
Adam Enright
Jules Owchar
CHINA
Harbin Curling Club, Harbin
Fengchun Wang
Rui Liu
Xiaoming Xu
Jialiang Zang
Dongyan Li
Daniel Rafael
CZECH REPUBLIC
CK Brno, Prague
Jiri Snitil
Martin Snitil
Jindrich Kitzberger
Marek Vydra
Milos Hoferka
Sune Frederiksen
DENMARK
Hvidovre Curling Club, Hvidovre
Johnny Frederiksen
Lars Vilandt
Bo Jensen
Ulrik Schmidt
Mikkel Poulsen
John Helston
FRANCE
Chamonix Curling Club, Chamonix
Thomas Dufour
Tony Angiboust
Jan Ducroz
Richard Ducroz
Raphael Mathieu
Andre Ferland
GERMANY
CC F�ssen, F�ssen
Andy Kapp
Andreas Lang
Holger H�hne
Andreas Kempf
Felix Schulze
Oliver Axnick
NORWAY
Snaroya CC, Oslo
Thomas Ulsrud
Torger Nerg�rd
Christoffer Svae
H�vard Vad Petersson
Thomas Due
Ole Ingvaldsen
SCOTLAND
Lockerbie Curling Club, Lockerbie
David Murdoch
Graeme Connal
Peter Smith
Euan Byers
Peter Loudon
David Hay
SWEDEN
CK Stocksunds, Danderyd
Anders Kraupp
Peder Folke
Bj�rn Brandberg
Anton Sandstr�m
Mats Nyberg
Stefan Hasselborg
SWITZERLAND
CC St. Galler B�r, Zurich
Claudio Pescia
Patrick H�rlimann
Pascal Sieber
Marco Battilana
Toni M�ller
Heinz Schmid
UNITED STATES
Madison Curling Club, Madison, Wisconsin
Craig Brown
Rich Ruohonen
John Dunlop
Peter Annis
Kevin Kakela
Steve Brown
KFC 12 and Under website - now with pictures
Posted Thursday, April 3, 2008 by derekm
The KFC Provincial 12 and Under Curling Championships website has now been updated with photos of the winners and runners-up, along with a photo album from the event.
Visit: http://peicurling.com/12andunder
World Men's starts on Saturday
Posted Tuesday, April 1, 2008 by derekm
The 2008 World Men's Curling Championship takes place in Grand Forks North Dakota April 5-13.
Round robin games featuring Canada will be available on the Internet at CBCSports.ca. The opening game will also be shown on CBC bold (formerly Country Canada).
The semi-final and final will be on the main CBC network, while the bronze medal game will be available on bold and on the Internet only.
Here is the broadcast schedule:
Saturday, April 5
On bold & CBCSports.ca
8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT Canada vs. Denmark
Round Robin Draws on CBCSports.ca
Sunday, April 6
3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT Canada vs. Sweden
8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT Canada vs. Australia
3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT Canada vs. France
8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT Canada vs. Scotland
10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT Canada vs. Norway
8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT Canada vs. Germany
10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT Canada vs. China
3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT Canada vs. Czech Republic
10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT Canada vs. Switzerland
8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT Canada vs. USA
3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT Playoff: TBD
Saturday, April 12
On CBC Television & CBCSports.ca
2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT Semifinal
8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT Bronze medal game
2:30 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m. PT Final
CBC attracts record audience for curling final
Posted Tuesday, April 1, 2008 by derekm
A record audience of 1.118 million viewers tuned in to CBC on Sunday to watch Canada's Jennifer Jones win her first world women's curling championship.
Click to read this story at CBC Sports
Cornwall's Smith, Fullerton, Schut win 12 and Under Ch'ships
Posted Sunday, March 30, 2008 by derekm
The KFC Provincial 12 and Under Curling Championships wrapped up today at the Crapaud Community Curling Club, with teams from the Cornwall Curling Club sweeping all three divisions.
In the four team boys division, Tyler Smith of Cornwall edged Charlottetown's Kyle Hughes by a 5-4 score in the sudden-death final. Hughes had lead the round robin with a 5-1 record, while Smith, and Montague's Evan O'Brien were 3-3. Smith beat O'Brien 7-3 in the tiebreaker game, taking five points in the fourth end, to advance to the final. Other members of the winning Smith foursome are Parker O'Connor, Noah O'Connor and Tyson Smith, with coach Kevin Smith. The runner-up Hughes rink includes Tony Nabuurs, Keith Nabuurs, Kip Ready, and coach Robbie Doherty. Johnathan MacDonald, Chandler Matheson, Mark Morrison and coach Barry MacDonald round out the third place O'Brien foursome.
In the five team girls division, the Katie Fullerton rink from the Cornwall Curling Club went undefeated, winning all four round robin games, and winning the best of three final round against Heather Drake (3-1 win-loss) of Montague by 5-2 and 9-3 scores, making the third game unnecessary. A triple, followed by a steal of five and another steal of a single point in the second through fourth ends brought the second game to a quick close. Other members of the Fullerton foursome are Sabrina Smith, Chloe McCloskey, and Rachel O'Connor. Paul Smith is coach. Amy Purchase, Emma Nabuurs, Shana Morrison, and coach David Nabuurs complete the runner-up Drake rink. Three members of the Fullerton rink were on last year's winning Veronica Smith team, with O'Connor joining the rink at lead, and the other three members advancing one position.
Both the boys and girls divisions played six-end games throughout the event, while the seven-team third division, which included both boys and girls rinks, was for the younger, less experienced teams, and featured four end games.
The winner of that division was Cornwall's Jonathan Schut foursome, who finished round robin play with a perfect 6-0 record. The Chandos Ross girls rink from Charlottetown finished second at 5-1, and played the Schut team in the best of three final round. Ross took the first game 5-4, with Schutt winning the next two by 6-1 and 5-4 scores. Other members of the winning Jonathan Schut team are Owen Newson, Devin Schut and Cameron MacKay, with coaches Sarah Fullerton, Whitney Young and Sara MacRae. Playing on the runner-up Chandos Ross team were Alanna MacDonald, Desiree MacDonald and Hannah Koughan, with coach Victoria Evans.
Hritzuk and Sanders win Seniors
Posted Sunday, March 30, 2008 by derekm
Saskatchewan's Eugene Hritzuk and British Columbia's 's Pat Sanders were winners in Sunday's finals at the Canadian Senior Curling Championships in Prince Albert Sask.
Hritzuk beat Moncton's Russ Howard 7-5 in 10 ends. Howard had the hammer, but couldn't close the gap in the final end.
On the women's side, Sanders only needed nine ends to beat Ontario's Ann Pearson 7-5.
Canada Crowned World Womens Champions
Posted Sunday, March 30, 2008 by derekm
Sunday, March 30, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
VERNON, B.C. -- Three times was the charm here for Canada�s Jennifer Jones Sunday afternoon as she defeated China�s Bingyu Wang 7-4 to capture the 2008 Ford World Womens Curling Championship.
It was the third time in a week that Canada had played China -- they also played in the round-robin and the Page Playoff 1 vs 2 game -- but the only time that Canada managed to beat the feisty Chinese squad.
But when your only victory comes in the world final, it�s the only one that counts and the Canadian women were delerious with what was the first world title for all four members of the Winnipeg team -- Jones, third Cathy Overton-Clapham, second Jill Officer and lead Dawn Askin.
"We felt we played great from start to finish, something we hadn't done all week," Jones said afterward.
"I'm so thrilled, it's crazy...It's unbelievable. I'm speechless really."
It was a disappointing finish to the week for a Chinese squad that surprised everyone as they finished first overall in the round-robin and then advanced straight to the final with a win over Canada in Friday night�s 1 vs 2 game.
But China still gets the consolation of a silver medal, the first ever won by an Asian team in the history of the world curling championships, men or women.
Canada fell behind early in both their losses to China earlier in the week, but it was the opposite script here in the final. After holding China to one with the hammer in the first end, Canada cracked a three-ender in the second end when Wang jammed a hit with her last rock, leaving Canada lying two and Jones needing only to draw the full 12-foot with the last rock of the end to get the third point.
It was a critical mistake from which China never recovered. After trading singles for the next four ends, the teams headed into the seventh end with Canada leading 4-3 and holding hammer. China was threatening to steal one, with a rock locked on to the button. But Jones played a double angle-raised takeout, to drive the Chinese counter off the button and leave Canada with a deuce when the smoke settled.
That made the score 6-3 and China never threatened after that.
It�s the 15th world womens curling championship for Canada, but just the third won on Canadian soil. Marilyn Bodogh�s victory�s in 1986 and 1996 are the only other two times Canadian women have won world titles in the 10 world womens championships that have been contested in this country.
It's also the second straight world women's title for Canada. B.C.'s Kelly Scott won for Canada last year in Aomori, Japan.
Switzerland won the bronze medal, defeating Japan late Saturday evening. Switzerland skip Mirjam Ott also won the Frances Brodie Award, voted by her fellow curlers to the player who best exhibits sportsmanship and ability.
Final attendance for the event was 37,255, including 3,004 for the final.
Howard vs Hritzuk, Pearson vs Sanders in Seniors finals
Posted Sunday, March 30, 2008 by derekm
The Canadian Seniors finals go at 5 Atlantic this afternoon in Prince Albert Sask.
The men's final sees Russ Howard of New Brunswick face Eugene Hritzuk of Sask., while Ontario's Ann Pearson faces BC's Pat Sanders in the womens.
Miracle Comeback Advances Canada to Womens Final; Switzerland wins bronze
Posted Sunday, March 30, 2008 by derekm
Saturday, March 29, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
VERNON, B.C. -- Canada's Jennifer Jones authored yet another dramatic comeback here at the Ford World Womens Curling Championship Saturday afternoon and she has a date with China in the final to show for it.
Jones overcame deficits of 6-3 and 8-5 to beat Japan's Moe Meguro 9-8 in an extra end in a thrilling semi-final, characterized by great shot-making and all the late-end drama you could ask for.
Trailing 8-5, Jones scored a deuce in the ninth end and then stole both the 10th and 11th ends to complete the unlikely comeback and thwart what would have been an all-Pacific world final between China and Japan.
The Japanese then went on to play Switzerland's Mirjam Ott in the bronze medal game Saturday evening, with Switzerland winning by a 9-7 score.
The Canadians now advance to Sunday's final where they will face China's Bingyu Wang.
Wang has already beaten the Canadians twice this week -- once in the round-robin and once in the Page Playoff 1 vs 2 game -- but it won't mean much if she cannot beat the tenacious Canadians when it counts most.
"Hopefully, three times a charm," said Canada second Jill Officer.
An emotional Jones emerged from the ice with nothing but praise for the gritty effort her team put forth in coming back against Japan.
"We're just determined and we never give up," Jones said. "It's shows a lot of character. I'm very proud of us. That was outstanding."
Meguro, meantime, seemed less than devestated by the loss. "We curled very good game, but the last two ends, the 10th and extra ends, they played very well."
The gold medal game on Sunday will air live on the full CBC network, beginning at 2:30 p.m. AT.
Round robin over at KFC 12 and Under
Posted Saturday, March 29, 2008 by derekm
Round robin play wrapped up Saturday night at the KFC Provincial 12 and Under Curling Championships in Crapaud.
In the four-team boy's pool, Kyle Hughes of Charlottetown finished in first place with a 5-1 win-loss record, and advances to the final Sunday at 4 pm. He awaits the winner of a 1 pm Sunday tiebreaker between Evan O'Brien of Montague and Cornwall's Tyler Smith, who both finished the round robin at 3-3. The other team in the pool, skipped by Alex Matters of Charlottetown, had one win and five losses.
In the five team girl's pool, Katie Fullerton of Cornwall finished first with a perfect 4-0 record, followed by Heather Drake of Montague at 3-1. They now play in a best of three final, with games set for 1 and 4 pm on Sunday, and (if needed) 5:30 pm Monday (may be moved up to 7 pm Sunday). Kailey Koughan of Charlottetown finished at 2-2, with Jenny McLean of the Silver Fox at 1-3, and Jessica Stewart of the Fox at 0-4.
The third pool, with seven teams, includes both boys and girls rinks. Johnathan Schut finished the round robin at 6-0, followed by Chandos Ross at 5-1. They now play in a best of three final, with games set for 1 and 4 pm on Sunday, and (if needed) 5:30 pm Monday (may be moved up to 7 pm Sunday). Alex MacFadyen of Charlottetown finished third at 4-2, followed by Heidi Hennessey of Charlottetown at 3-3, Katie Rossiter of Cornwall at 2-4, Frank Watts of Crapauid at 1-5, and Kayla Schut of Crapaud at 0-6.
Playoffs set at Canadian Seniors On the men's side, Nova Scotia's Brian Rafuse, Saskatchewan's Eugene Hritzuk and New Brunswick's Russ Howard all finished round-robin action tied for first at 9-2, followed by Manitoba's Vic Peters, who finished 8-3 after losing to Rafuse 10-4 in Draw 21. PEI's Ted MacFadyen rink ended play on a winning note at 4-7 after beating Quebec 5-2, and the Territories 9-4 on Friday. Howard will play Peters in the first semifinal, while Hritzuk will take on Rafuse in the second. The final goes Sunday.
Posted Saturday, March 29, 2008 by derekm
Round robin play wrapped up Friday at the Canadian Seniors in Prince Albert SK. BC's Pat Sanders finished atop the women's standings with a 10-1 record, after losing 7-5 loss to Saskatchewan's Delores Syrota in Draw 21. Sanders and Syrota (7-4) will meet in one semifinal on Saturday, while Ontario's Ann Pearson and Alberta's Sandy Turner, who both finished at 7-3, will play in the other. PEI's Barb Currie foursome split their final games, losing 10-4 to Quebec's Agnes Charette, but winning 7-6 over the Territories to finish at 5-6.
return to headlines
China defeats Canada in Page 1-2 game at World Womens
Posted Saturday, March 29, 2008 by derekm
She never had a chance to throw.
Jones's foursome fell behind early, rallied late and ultimately fell just short in a 7-5 loss to China's Bingyu Wang in Page playoff action Friday at the Ford world women's curling championship.
Click to read this Canadian Press story at TSN.ca
Asian Miracle Continues at Worlds
Posted Friday, March 28, 2008 by derekm
Friday, March 28, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
VERNON, B.C. -- In a week that's put Asian curling in the spotlight like never before, Japan's Moe Meguro continued to write an unlikely script with a stunning 6-4 win over Switzerland's Mirjam Ott in the Page Playoff 3 vs 4 game here at the Ford World Womens Curling Championship Friday afternoon.
The victory means Japan will play in Saturday afternoon's semi-final against the winner of tonight's Page Playoff 1 vs 2 game between Canada's Jennifer Jones and China's Bingyu Wang.
Switzerland, meanwhile, has now been relegated to Saturday night's bronze medal game.
"Our gold is over," said a dejected Ott.
Japan scored early and often to put the Swiss on their heels, taking a deuce in the third end and then stealing singles in each of the next three ends to take a 5-1 lead into the seventh end.
The Swiss battled back with a deuce in eight and a steal in nine and Ott had Meguro in serious trouble in the tenth end, with a Swiss rock on the four-foot, all kinds of guards out front and a chance to put one more guard up with her last.
But Ott's guard never curled enough and it left the Swiss counter half-exposed, allowing Meguro with the last rock of the game to tap it out the back of the house and stick around for the win.
The Japanese seemed just as surprised with their victory as everyone else was that they had just beaten the two-time Olympic silver medallist skip from Switzerland.
"Yeah, I can't believe it," said Japan third Mari Motohashi, who curled a sizzling 94 percent against Ott.
The Japanese advanced to the 3 vs 4 game with a 7-3 win earlier in the day over Denmark's Angelina Jensen.
With both China and Japan in the final four, an Asian country will for the first time here this weekend win a medal at the world curling championships.
Motohashi cautioned, however, that her team will have to play better as the weekend progresses.
"I want to make more shots and my teammates too, because the late ends weren't so good." she said.
Canada vs China in 1-2 Page Playoff Game at World Womens
Posted Friday, March 28, 2008 by derekm
Friday, March 28, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
VERNON, B.C. -- Canada's Jennifer Jones will play China's Bingyu Wang in the Page Playoff 1 vs 2 game here at the Ford World Womens Curling Championship Friday evening.
Canada advanced to the big game with a 7-3 victory over Sweden's Stina Viktorsson on the final draw of the round-robin here Thursday evening.
China kept pace with a narrow 6-5 victory over Germany's Andrea Schoepp, while Switzerland's Mirjam Ott was also a winner, dropping Russia's Liudmila Privivkova 9-4.
Put it altogether and the round-robin ended with Canada, China and Switzerland all tied for first place with 9-2 records.
Because the three teams all had identical 1-1 records against each other during the round-robin, officials resorted to a second tiebreaker -- a team draw to the button competition that was staged just prior to this event.
China won that competition, Canada finished second and Switzerland finished third. So that put China and Canada in the 1-2 game (with China getting the first place advantage of hammer or choice of rocks) while Switzerland was relegated to Friday afternoon's page-playoff 3 vs 4 game.
Switzerland will play the winner of a tiebreaker game Friday morning between Denmark's Angelina Jensen and Japan's Moe Meguro.
The winner of the 3-4 game advances to Saturday's semi-final to face the loser of the 1-2 game.
Canada played what was probably their strongest game of this event against Sweden. "We got out of the gate quite well and had consistent play from start to finish," said second Jill Officer. "We felt a lot better about things."
"It's playoffs," said third Cathy Overton-Clapham, "and we're right where we wanted to be.
"We had fun out there and there and that's when we play our best."
Friday's 3-4 page playoff game will be played at 5 p.m. AT and air live on TSN. The 1-2 game will also air live on TSN, beginning at 10 p.m. Atlantic.
PEI Seniors drop Thursday games
Posted Friday, March 28, 2008 by derekm
Danes Drop Canada 6-3 at World Womens
Posted Thursday, March 27, 2008 by derekm
Thursday, March 27, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
VERNON, B.C. -- Denmark's Angelina Jensen clinched a playoff tiebreaker for her team and put a bit of a kink into Canada's playoff plans here at the Ford World Womens Curling Championship Thursday morning.
Jensen jumped out to a 3-0 lead over Canada's Jennifer Jones and never looked back, cruising to a 6-3 victory that seemed never much in doubt.
The win improved Denmark to 7-3 and it guarantees they will play in at least a playoff tiebreaker game on Friday.
The loss dropped Canada's record to 8-2. That puts them into a tie for second place with Switzerland's Mirjam Ott, who was a 7-4 winner over USA's Debbie McCormick.
The loss dropped USA's record to 5-5 and eliminates them from playoff contention.
China was idle Thursday morning and remains at 8-1.
In other games Thursday morning, Japan beat Germany 9-4, while Italy beat Czech Republic 6-3.
The win by Japan improved their record to 6-4 and kept them in playoff contention. Germany, Italy and Czech Republic had already been eliminated.
Also still in playoff contention is Sweden, who head into a game this afternoon against Denmark at 5-4. The Swedes finish their round-robin with a game against Canada Thursday night.
With a win against Sweden, Canada would guarantee themselves a berth in Friday's page playoff 1 vs 2 game.
"Obviously, we'd like to pick it up and play a little better," said Canada third Cathy Overton-Clapham.
But Danish vice-skip Madeleine Dupont couldn't be happier with how her team is playing.
"Seriously, I didn't think we'd beat (Canada) today. We weren't so confident today," Dupont said.
In Thursday afternoon action, Scotland plays Italy, Russia plays USA, China plays Japan and Sweden plays Denmark.
Currie 4-3, MacFadyen 2-5 at Cdn Seniors.
Posted Thursday, March 27, 2008 by derekm
PEI's Barb Currie and Ted MacFadyen rinks both picked up wins yesterday at the Canadian Seniors in Prince Albert Sask.
MacFadyen beat Northern Ontario 11-7 last night, after losing 9-7 to two-time world champ Russ Howard of New Brunswick.
Saskatchewan's Eugene Hritzuk leads the pack with an 8-0 win-loss record, followed by Howard and Vic Peters of Manitoba at 6-2. Ontario, NS, and BC are at 5-2, while Alberta, BC, the Territories and Northern Ontario all have two wins, and Quebec and Newfoundland/Labrador have only one win.
On the women's side, Barb Currie improved to 4-3, bombing Northern Ontario 12-2, and beating New Brunswick 9-6 yesterday.
BC is atop the leaderboard at 7-0, followed by Alberta and Newfoundland/Labrador with 5 wins, Ontario, PEI, Quebec, Sask. and Manitoba with 4, NS with 3, Northern Ont. and NB with 2, and the Territories with a single win.
China Fends Off Italy, Improves to 8-1 at World Womens
Posted Thursday, March 27, 2008 by derekm
Thursday, March 27, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
VERNON, B.C. -- China's Bingyu Wang fought off a challenge from a feisty Italian squad here at the Ford World Womens Curling Championship Wednesday evening to improve to 8-1 and head into the final day of the round-robin tied with Canada for first place.
Trailing Italy 8-7 coming home, Wang scored three with the hammer in the final frame to win 10-8.
China had led Italy 6-3 at one point, but Italian skip Diana Gaspari stole two in the seventh end and then scored two more in the ninth end to take the lead. The loss dropped Italy to 1-8.
In other games Wednesday evening, Denmark's Angelina Jensen surrendered a steal in the tenth end to lose 4-3 to Russia. The loss dropped Denmark's record to 6-3, while Russia improved to 4-5.
Japan's Moe Meguro improved to 5-4 with a 7-2 win over Scotland's Gail Munro, who dropped to 1-8.
And finally, USA's Debbie McCormick gave up a steal in the extra end to lose 8-7 to Sweden's Stina Viktorsson. The loss dropped USA to 5-4, while Sweden improved to 5-4.
Put it altogether and China and Canada head into Thursday tied for first place and with playoff spots now clinched. The two teams are followed a game behind by Switzerland at 7-2. Then it's Denmark at 6-3 alone in fourth place, followed by Japan, USA and Sweden all tied at 5-4.
The top four teams at the conclusion of the round-robin Thursday evening will advance to Friday's page playoffs.
The worlds continues Thursday morning with Canada taking on Denmark, Italy playing Czech Republic, USA playing Switzerland and Japan playing Germany.
Canada Clinches Playoff Tiebreaker at World Womens
Posted Wednesday, March 26, 2008 by derekm
Wednesday, March 26, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
VERNON, B.C. -- Canada's Jennifer Jones has clinched at least a playoff tiebreaker game here at the Ford World Womens Curling Championship.
With an 8-6 win over Scotland's Gail Munro Wednesday afternoon, Canada's Jones improved to 8-1 and would play in at least a playoff tiebreaker game even if she were to lose her final two round-robin games on Thursday.
Canada plays Denmark Thursday morning and then wraps up their round-robin against Sweden Thursday night.
"We're in the driver's seat and we control our own destiny and that's what we want," Jones said after the win over Scotland.
Canada cracked a four against the Scots in the third end to take a 4-2 lead but Scotland battled back and took the game to the tenth end before finally yielding. Munro struggled mightily with her draw weight in the game, shooting just 60 percent.
In other games Wednesday afternoon, China's Bingyu Wang -- the last undefeated team in the field -- finally suffered a loss, falling 9-7 to Switzerland's Mirjam Ott. Ott broke open a tight game with a five-ender in the eighth.
The loss dropped China to 7-1. They play again Wednesday evening against Italy's Diana Gaspari.
Ott improved to 7-2 with the victory.
In other games, Sweden beat Czech Republic 7-3 and Russia edged Germany 7-6.
Canada Outlasts Japan in Extra End
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Source: Canadian Curling Association
VERNON, BC -- Canada's Jennifer Jones needed an extra end to defeat Japan's Moe Meguro 7-4 here at the World Womens Curling Championship Wednesday morning.
In a game in which the two teams traded singles all game, Canada saved their biggest firepower for the extra frame, cracking a three-ender to put an exclamation point on the victory.
The extra end was set up by third Cathy Overton-Clapham, who negotiated a small port to pluck a Japanese counter off the back four-foot and then roll behind cover.
"I didn't make any big shots all game so it was nice to make that one," said Overton Clapham, who was outshot 85-69 by her Japanese counterpart, Mari Motohashi.
"It was a little bit of a nailbiter," said Winnipeg's Jones, "and we were happy to have the hammer in the extra."
The win improves Canada to 7-1 and keeps them alone in second place. China, who was idle Wednesday morning, continues to lead at 7-0, while Denmark and Switzerland trail Canada by a game at 6-2.
Denmark scored one with the hammer in the extra end to beat Germany Wednesday morning, while Switzerland smoked Italy 10-2 in just seven ends.
In the only other game Wednesday morning, USA stayed in the playoff hunt with a narrow 7-6 win over Czech Republic. The Americans took two in the eighth end and then stole two in the ninth end to avoid losing their third straight.
The victory improves the Americans record to 5-3, putting them alone in fifth place heading into the afternoon draw. The top four teams at the conclusion of the round-robin tomorrow advance to the page playoffs.
Spud Isle Junior Camp set for Crapaud in August
Posted Wednesday, March 26, 2008 by derekm
The 2008 edition of the Spud Isle Summer Junior Curling camp goes August 11 and 12 at the Crapaud Community Curling Club.
Entry fee of $100.00 per person includes on ice training, video analysis, class room sessions, outdoor activities, meals, nutrition breaks, camp t-shirts, and more.
Registration deadline is Friday 30 May 2008. Entries will be processed on a first paid, first served basis.
This camp is open to curlers 11 to 16 years of age with at least one year curling experience. Team and individual entries are accepted
Please forward registration and consent forms, with entry fees to:
Gayle Johnston
46 Kirkdale Rd. Box 3 Site 10
Charlottetown, PEI C1E 1N6
Tel: 368-1071 Email: [email protected]
Please make cheques payable to: Spud Isle Junior Curling Camp.
Entry form. Consent Form Poster
Rideau club in Ottawa seeking ice manager Located in Ottawa, the Rideau is a vibrant full-service curling club with a large, active membership of recreational and competitive curlers. We are seeking an Ice Manager who will provide top quality ice conditions efficiently and consistently, and who will communicate well with members, the Club Manager and the House and Ice Committee of the Board.
Posted Wednesday, March 26, 2008 by derekm
Reporting to the Curling Club Manager, the Ice Manager will be responsible for all aspects of start-up and ice preparation, rock maintenance, maintenance of the ice plant and related equipment, on-going ice cleaning and maintenance, supervision of casual and part-time assistants, plant shut-down procedures and other functions related to the cleanliness, quality and safety of the curling club�s ice area. The position requires fulltime commitment from September through April each year, beginning in 2008.
The successful candidate will have a Level 2 Ice Technician certification plus 5 years of successful Ice Manager experience or an equivalent combination of formal training and experience. A competitive compensation package is provided. For further details on the duties of the position or to express an interest in applying, please contact:
Audrey Frey
Manager, Rideau Curling Club
715 Cooper Street,
Ottawa, Ontario, K1R 5J5
Phone: 613-232-9665
Fax: 613-232-9666
E-mail: [email protected]
Interested applicants should submit a resume to the above address by April 14, 2008.
return to headlines
PEI senior rinks find win columns
Posted Wednesday, March 26, 2008 by derekm
PRINCE ALBERT, SASK. � The two P.E.I. rinks have hit the win column at the Canadian senior curling championships.
Barb Currie, from the Silver Fox club in Summerside, is 2-3 while Ted MacFadyen, from the Charlottetown club, is 1-4.
Click to read this story from The Guardian
Canada Stages Big Comeback, Beats U.S. 10-9 at World Womens
Posted Wednesday, March 26, 2008 by derekm
Wednesday, March 26, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
VERNON, B.C. -- Canada's Jennifer Jones bounced back from a 6-1 deficit to beat USA's Debbie McCormick 10-9 here at the Ford World Womens Curling Championship Tuesday evening.
Down 6-1 after just four ends, Canada's Jones began the comeback with a three-ender in the fifth, the product of two perfect draws to the four-foot by the Winnipeg skip.
Jones drew again in the seventh end for a three-ender to tie the game and then claimed the first lead of the game for Canada in the eighth end with a steal.
But the Americans wouldn't yield, scoring a deuce of their own in the ninth end to take a 9-8 lead heading home for the tenth.
With Canada in serious trouble, Jones negotiated a tiny port with her first rock of the final frame to lie shot for Canada on the four-foot. McCormick, the 2003 world champion, needed to match the shot but she crashed on a guard out front, clearing a path for Jones to draw the four-foot with the last rock of the game and score a game-winning deuce.
The win improved Canada to 6-1, a game behind unbeaten China and a game ahead of Switzerland and Denmark, who are both 5-2. Denmark scored three in the tenth end to snatch a 9-7 victory away from Switzerland Tuesday evening.
The loss to Canada was McCormick's second of the day -- she was beaten 10-1 by China on the afternoon draw -- and drops the Americans' record to 4-3. That puts them in a tie with Germany's Andrea Schoepp and Japan's Moe Meguro.
Germany won their third straight Tuesday evening, dropping Italy's Diana Gaspari 5-2, while Japan needed an extra end to beat Czech Republic 5-4.
The top four teams make the playoffs and Schoepp wondered Tuesday evening if her late charge is already too little, too late.
"For the playoffs, I think it will be tough," Schoepp told reporters.
The worlds resumes Wednesday morning when Canada plays Japan, Denmark plays Germany, Italy plays Switzerland and USA plays Czech Republic.
China Demolishes USA 10-1, Improves to 7-0 at World Womens
Posted Wednesday, March 26, 2008 by derekm
Tuesday, March 25, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
VERNON, B.C. -- If there was still any lingering question that China's Bingyu Wang is for real, it was settled here this afternoon at the 2008 Ford World Womens Curling Championship.
China scored early and often in simply overwhelming USA"s Debbie McCormick. The Chinese led 7-1 by the fifth end break and McCormick finally conceded two ends later having yielded successive steals of one and two to make the final score 10-1. The win improved the Chinese to 7-0.
The emphatic victory over one of the top contenders in this field came just one draw after China beat Canada's Jennifer Jones -- another top contender -- by a score of 9-7.
Put it altogether and China now has more wins in this event already than they've ever registered before at a worlds. Their previous record was six wins, achieved two years ago in Grande Prairie.
McCormick said the the drubbing was the result of a good Chinese team, but even more so the changed ice conditions that her team failed to pick up on.
"We feel like we got beat by the ice more than the Chinese," McCormick said.
Wang suggested maybe it was the Americans who simply beat themselves. "Today, the USA played not good."
The loss dropped USA's record to 4-2, a game behind Canada and Switzerland who are tied for second at 5-1.
In other games Tuesday afternoon, Denmark defeated Scotland 7-6, Japan beat Russia 10-5 and Sweden beat Italy 9-7.
China Dumps Canada 9-7, Takes Over First at World Womens
Posted Wednesday, March 26, 2008 by derekm
Tuesday, March 25, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
VERNON, B.C. -- And then there was one.
China's Bingyu Wang is the last remaining undefeated team here at the Ford Womens World Curling Championship, sporting a perfect 6-0 record thanks to a 9-7 win over Canada's Jennifer Jones here Tuesday morning.
With the game tied 7-7 and facing three Chinese counters with the last rock of the tenth end, Jones needed the eight-foot to seal the victory. But her draw was heavy, slid all the way to the back 12-foot and China stole two and the victory.
"It's a shot we don't miss very often and unfortunately I missed it today," Jones said.
"I feel surprised. The last end we were so lucky because Jennifer played so well," Wang said.
The loss dropped Canada to 5-1 and puts them in a tie for second place with Switzerland's Mirjam Ott. Ott kept pace with an 8-4 win over Scotland Tuesday morning.
Canada dug themselves a hole early against China, falling behind 3-0 in just the second end when they gave up a steal of two. But the Canadians battled back with a three of their own in the fifth end to send the game to the break tied 4-4.
A steal in the sixth end gave Canada their first lead of the game, but the Chinese refused to quit, scoring a deuce in the seventh end and then taking one in the ninth end to send the game home tied.
It's the second time China has beaten Canada at the worlds. Wang also beat Kelly Scott 5-4 in Grande Prairie, Alberta in 2006.
Currie picks up 1st win, MacFadyen still winless at Cdn. Seniors
Posted Tuesday, March 25, 2008 by derekm
PEI's Barb Currie rink improved to 1-2 yesterday at the Canadian Seniors in Prince Albert Sask., recovering from a 13-1 drubbing by BC's Pat Sanders yesterday morning by edging Nova Scotia's Yvonne Martin rink 8-7 in the evening draw.
Ted MacFadyen lost both his games yesterday, 5-4 in an extra end to BC, and 8-4 to Nova Scotia's Brian Rafuse to slip to 0-3.
Canada and China in First-place Showdown at World Womens
Posted Tuesday, March 25, 2008 by derekm
Tuesday, March 25, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
VERNON, B.C. -- Canada's Jennifer Jones and China's Bingyu Wang will face off here Tuesday morning at the Ford World Womens Curling Championship with first place hanging in the balance.
Both nations remained undefeated after victories Monday night. Canada defeated Russia's Liudmila Privivkova 9-6, while China beat Czech Republic's Katerina Urbanova 7-5.
The victories improved Canada and China to 5-0 and leaves them as the only undefeated teams remaining heading into Day 4 here.
Jones faced Wang at the 2005 women's worlds -- Canada won -- and the Canadians said they'll need a top effort to beat them again on Tuesday.
"They're a good team," said Canada third Cathy Overton-Clapham. "They make a lot of shots and they're technically sound and always play well."
The winless Czechs actually briefly led China, but Wang took over in the game's middle ends and the final outcome was never much in doubt.
Canada got a tougher test from Russia, who stole singles in the game's first two ends. But three-enders for Jones in the third and eighth ends proved to be the margin of difference.
Canada and China head into Tuesday a game ahead of USA and Switzerland, who are both 4-1. USA was idle Monday evening, but Switzerland kept pace with the leaders thanks to a 7-6 win over Sweden.
In the only other game Monday evening, Germany defeated Scotland 6-4.
The Canada-China showdown will be broadcast live by TSN at 11:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday.
Other games Tuesday morning will feature Switzerland versus Scotland, Czech Republic versus Russia and Germany against Sweden.
KFC 12 and Under starts Thursday in Crapaud
Posted Monday, March 24, 2008 by derekm
Smoking Debate-Move to eliminate smoking rooms has Silver Fox general manager anxious
Posted Monday, March 24, 2008 by derekm
SUMMERSIDE � Designated smoking areas in bars, restaurants, legions and clubs could become history shortly, thanks to the expansion of the Province�s Smoke Free Places Act, first passed in 2003.
Carson Ricketts, manager of the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club, says it�s unfortunate, but it�s also a sign of the times.
Click to read this story in today's Journal-Pioneer
Canada and China Remain Lone Unbeaten teams at World Women's
Posted Monday, March 24, 2008 by derekm
Monday, March 24, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
VERNON, B.C. -- Canada's Jennifer Jones and China's Bingyu Wang head into Day 3 on Monday here at the Ford World Womens Curling Championship as the lone remaining undefeated teams in the field.
Canada's Jones improved to 3-0 Sunday evening with an 11-6 win over Germany's Andrea Schoepp, while China's Wang also improved to 3-0 with an 8-4 win over Scotland's Gail Munro.
While Canada was widely expected to be a serious contender here on home ice this week, the unblemished play of the Chinese has surprised even the most optimistic observer.
But Wang, a 23-year-old student from Harbin, is keeping things in perspective.
"It's a good start," she said Sunday night. "We hope we can keep it going. But it doesn't really matter as long as we keep playing well."
Jones, meantime, summed up her attitude succintly on a day that saw Canada crack a six-ender in an 11-4 win over Czech Republic and then a five-ender in the win over Germany.
"We're feeling great," Jones said.
Jones was trailing Schoepp 3-2 when the German skip flashed a takeout attempt with her last rock of the fourth end. That left Jones needing only to draw the paint to score what proved to be a decisive five-ender.
Canada gets the bye on Monday morning before taking on Italy's Diana Gaspari on the afternoon draw and then Russia's Luidmila Privivkova on the evening draw.
In other games Sunday evening, Russia defeated Sweden 7-5 while Switzerland beat Czech Republic 9-5.
The worlds resumes Monday morning when Sweden plays Japan, China faces Denmark, Russia plays Italy and Scotland plays USA.
Over in six - Jones still unbeaten at Worlds
Posted Sunday, March 23, 2008 by derekm
Canada's Jennifer Jones remained unbeaten at the Ford world women's curling championship Sunday with an 11-4, six-end win over Katerina Urbanova of the Czech Republic.
Click to read this story at TSN
PEI drops Seniors openers against Alberta
Posted Sunday, March 23, 2008 by derekm
PEI's Barb Currie and Ted MacFadyen rinks dropped their openers today at the Canadian Seniors in Prince Albert Saskatchewan. MacFadyen was tied 4-4 with Alberta's Bob Genoway after eight ends, but the Alberta foursome won 7-4 with a three-pointer in the ninth.
Currie, and Alberta's Sandy Turner were tied at two after four ends, but Alberta out-singled the PEI foursome 4-1 in the later ends to win 6-3.
Both PEI teams play BC and NS on Monday.
PEI rinks sweep Atlantic Under 18 Curling Ch'ships
Posted Sunday, March 23, 2008 by derekm
The Atlantic Under 18 Curling Championships wrapped up this afternoon in Truro, with the PEI teams sweeping both sections.
In the junior men's championship, the Sam Ramsay rink from the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside edged the defending champions, the Kendal Thompson foursome from the Lakeshore Curling Club in Nova Scotia, by a 6-5 score, scoring a triple in the third end and stealing another three in the fourth to build up a 6-3 win. Thompson came back with singles in five and six, but Ramsay blanked the next two ends to maintain his lead and pull out the win.
Playing with Ramsay are third Neil Gallant, second Brett Gallant, the PEI junior men's champion skip who now adds an Atlantic championship to his collection, and lead Eric Pidgeon. Peter Pidgeon is their coach.
The Sarah Fullerton foursome from the Cornwall Curling Club, with Michelle McQuaid at third, Madeline Campbell at second, and Sara MacRae playing lead, with coach Rebecca Jean MacPhee, trailed the Abbey Burgess rink from Fredericton's Capital Winter Club 3-0 after three ends in the junior women's final, but took control of the game with a pair in end four, another deuce in the fifth, and two more steals of a single point in ends six and seven to lead 6-3. New Brunswick grabbed a pair in the final end, but needed three to tie, and Fullerton won 6-5.
The Sam Ramsay rink led the junior men's round robin with a 3-1 win-loss record. Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the host team were all 2-2, while Newfoundland/Labrador were 1-3.
New Brunswick were atop the junior women's round robin, with a 4-0 record, followed by PEI and Newfoundland/Labrador, both at 2-2. The host team and Nova Scotia were both 1-3.
Click for a photo album from the event.
Ramsay and Fullerton looking good at Atlantic U18
Posted Sunday, March 23, 2008 by derekm
PEi's Sam Ramsay rink is leading the pack in the junor men's section of the Atlantic Under 18 curling championships in Truro. The Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club foursome, which includes third Neil Gallant, second Brett Gallant, and lead Eric Pidgeon, finished round robin play last night with a 3-1 record, after a loss Thursday night to New Brunswick, and wins yesterday over Newfoundland/Labrador and the host team. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are 2-1, while the host team are 1-2 and the Newfoundland/Labrador squad are 0-3.
New Brunswick's Abbey Burgess of Fredericton lead the women's side at 4-0, and have earned a bye to the final game. PEI's Sarah Fullerton rink, which curls out of the Cornwall Curling Club and includes Michelle McQuaid at third, Madeline Campbell at second, and lead Sara MacRae, is next at 2-1, after losing 6-5 to New Brunswick in an extra end and edging Nova Scotia 8-7. Newfoundland/Labrador and the host team are 1-2, while Nova Scotia is 0-3.
Round robin play wraps up this morning with the 9 am draw, with Fullerton facing Newfoundland/Labrador. Tiebreakers go at noon, with the finals at 2.
Canada Opens on Winning Note at Ford Womens World Ch'ships
Posted Sunday, March 23, 2008 by derekm
Sunday, March 23, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
VERNON, B.C. -- Canada's Jennifer Jones kicked off her 2008 Ford Womens World Curling Championship on a winning note here Saturday night, dropping Switzerland's Mirjam Ott 6-3.
Jones scored the only deuce of the game in the first end as the two teams traded singles the rest of the way. Trailing 5-3 in the tenth end, Ott actually had a circus triple-takeout for a possible game-tying deuce with the last rock of the game but she was only able to remove one of the Canada stones.
The win means Winnipeg's Jones, with third Cathy Overton-Clapham, second Jill Officer and lead Dawn Askin, will now head into Day 2 here on Sunday sporting a 1-0 record and having confidence in the knowledge they have already beaten one of the leading contenders in this field.
"That's a big win against Switzerland," said Officer. "We expect them to be there at the end of the week and we hope to be there too. And that could be a factor at the end of the week."
Ott said she was pleased with how her team played, particularly in what she characterized as a difficult environment before a boisterous crowd at the Greater Vernon Multiplex.
"It's a little hard to play in Canada against Canada," said the two-time Olympic silver medallist. "We're not used to all those spectators."
In other games Saturday evening, Denmark's Angelina Jensen improved to 2-0 with an 8-6 win over Italy's Diana Gaspari; USA's Debbie McCormick evened her record at 1-1 with an 8-4 win over Japan's Moe Meguro; and Germany's Andrea Schoepp needed an extra end to edge Czech Republic's Katerina Urbanova 5-4.
Canada's Jones gets a bye on the abbreviated Sunday morning draw. That draw will see just two games -- China versus Russia and Sweden versus Scotland.
Canada plays twice later in the day, taking on Czech Republic on the afternoon draw and Germany during the evening.
PEI Senior Rinks Expect Tough Competition (Transcontinental)
Posted Saturday, March 22, 2008 by derekm
SUMMERSIDE � Barb Currie of Summerside is well aware of the tough competition that awaits the P.E.I. women at the 2008 Canadian senior curling championships March 23-30 in Prince Albert, Sask.
On the men�s side, Ted MacFadyen is hoping to post his best-ever finish in sixth appearances at the championships. His best record was 6-5 in both 2001 and 2006.
Click to read this story in today's Guardian
PEI's Fullerton, Ramsay win Atlantic Under 18 openers
Posted Friday, March 21, 2008 by derekm
PEI teams started off on a winning note at the 2008 Atlantic Under 18 Curling Championships, which got underway this afternoon at the Truro Curling Club, with the provincial age 17 and under champions from the four Atlantic provinces, plus a host team, competing.
Results are available after each end at the following website: http://events.nscurl.com/u18atlantics/index.php
PEI is represented by its Sylvan Learning Provincial 17 and Under champions the Sarah Fullerton rink from Cornwall, and the Sam Ramsay foursome from the Silver Fox.
The Fullerton team, who has substituted Madeline Campbell for second Whitney Young in this event, defeated the host team 9-2 in their opener, while the Ramsay rink beat defending champion Kendal Thompson of Nova Scotia 10-4.
Ramsay is playing Team New Brunswick, while Fullerton is playing Team Nova Scotia in the second draw, which got underway at 6:30.
2008 Canadian Seniors begin Sunday in Prince Albert
Posted Thursday, March 20, 2008 by derekm
March 20, 2008�The 2008 Canadian senior men�s and women�s curling championships begin Sunday in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.
Twelve men�s and 12 women�s teams, representing the 10 provinces plus Northern Ontario and Yukon/Northwest Territories, will battle for Canadian titles. The teams play a round robin, with the first place teams advancing directly to Sunday�s final (March 30) while the second and third place teams meet in semi-finals on Saturday (or Sunday morning, if two or more tiebreakers required).
The winning teams will then represent Canada next year at the world seniors, which will be held April 24-May 3, 2009 in Dunedin, New Zealand. Last year�s Canadian Senior champions, Alberta�s Pat Ryan and Diane Foster, recently (last weekend) won gold medals at the 2008 world seniors in Vierum�ki, Finland.
Prince Albert has previously hosted several other Canadian championships, including the 1984 and 2005 Canadian mixed, 1987 Canadian juniors and 1972 Canadian senior men�s.
Overall, Manitoba has won a leading 10 Canadian senior men�s titles since the championship began in 1965 in Port Arthur, Ontario. Saskatchewan has won six, the last by Gary Bryden in 1998 in Sault Ste. Marie.
The women�s championship has been won by Ontario a leading 10 times, including three of the last four editions, since it began in 1973 in Ottawa. Saskatchewan also has six women�s crowns to its credit, the last by Nancy Kerr in 2003 in Lethbridge. The men�s and women�s events were conducted separately until being combined in 1985 in Yorkton, Saskatchewan.
This year�s line-up is an intriguing one. Among the men�s skips are New Brunswick�s Russ Howard, Manitoba�s Vic Peters, Nova Scotia�s Brian Rafuse, Prince Edward Island�s Ted MacFadyen and Saskatchewan�s Eugene Hritzuk.
Howard, a two-time Brier and world champion (1987, 1993) and 2006 Olympic gold medallist, is making his Canadian Seniors debut, as is Peters, who skipped Manitoba to victory in the 1992 Brier and was the 1997 Brier runner-up.
Rafuse and his Bridgewater team just finished competing in the 2008 Tim Hortons Brier in Winnipeg, finishing with a 3-8 record, MacFadyen is a Brier and Seniors veteran, while Hritzuk, the 1988 Brier runner-up, finished second at the 2005 Canadian Seniors, then third in 2006.
The women�s roster includes Quebec�s Agn�s Charette, a three-time Canadian Seniors champion (1997, 1999, 2000) and British Columbia�s Pat Sanders, who won the 1987 Canadian and world women�s titles and the 1985 Canadian mixed.
Draw results will be instantly available on the Canadian Curling Association website (www.curling.ca).
WOMEN'S TEAMS (listed in order of skip, third, second, lead)
Alberta � Calgary Curling Club, Calgary
Sandy Turner, Linda Wagner, Marilyn Toews, Judy Carr
Pat Sanders, Cheryl Noble, Roselyn Craig, Christine Jurgenson
Maureen McMaster, Shirley Crawford, Pauline Barton, Donna Soucoup
Barbara Ward, Janice Atkinson, Kathleen Bes, Jan Alexander
Northwest Territories/Yukon � Yellowknife Curling Club, Yellowknife, NWT
Gail Daniels, Margaret Begg, Terry Fisher, Marie Coe, Maurice Cormier (coach)
Nova Scotia � Glooscap Curling Club, Kentville
Yvonne Martin, Julie Morley, Andrea Saulnier, Audrey Dorey
Ann Pearson, Elaine Voisin, Carolyn Edison, Mary Hallett
Barbara Currie, Lana Simmons, Jeanette Rivard, Helen MacDonald, Allan Ledgerwood (coach)
Quebec �Buckingham Curling Club, Buckingham
Delores Syrota, Sylvia Broad, Gloria Leach, Beverly Krasowski
MEN'S TEAMS (listed in order of skip, third, second, lead)
Alberta � Calgary Winter Club, Calgary
Bob Genoway, Lorne Goodman, Fred Pugh, Steve Scrymgeour
Ken McHargue, Gerry Kent, Glenn Jaeb, Ralph Will
Vic Peters, Doug Harrison, Chris Neufeld, Doug Holmes
Gary Oke, Dennis Byrne, Gerry Boland, Jim Goodyear
Murray Affleck, Alan Hicks, Brent Taylor, Paul Duggan
Nova Scotia � Bridgewater Curling Club, Bridgewater
Brian Rafuse, Curt Palmer, Alan Darragh, Dave Slauenwhite
Bruce Delaney, Rick Bachand, Duncan Jamieson, George Mitchell
Ted MacFadyen, Craig Mackie, Sandy Foy, Mike Coady
Quebec � Club de Curling Valleyfield, Valleyfield
John Stewart, Jean-Marc McSween, Denis McSween, Raymond McSween
Eugene Hritzuk, Kevin Kalthoff, Verne Anderson, Dave Folk
Yukon/Northwest Territories � Whitehorse Curling Club, Whitehorse, Yukon
Paul Hunter, Craig Tuton, John Yeulet, Pat Molloy
| Prince Albert Golf & Curling Club, SK � March 23-30, 2008 | ||||||||
| DATE | TIME | # | A | B | C | D | E | F |
| SUNDAY | 9:00AM | 1 | Y/NWT vs MAN | Y/NWT vs MAN | N.ONT vs NB | N.ONT vs NB | SASK vs NL | SASK vs NL |
| | 2:00PM | 2 | BC vs ONT | BC vs ONT | QUE vs NS | QUE vs NS | ALTA vs PEI | ALTA vs PEI |
| | 7:00PM | 3 | N.ONT vs SASK | N.ONT vs SASK | NL vs Y/NWT | NL vs Y/NWT | MAN vs NB | MAN vs NB |
| MONDAY | 8:00AM | 4 | NB vs NL | NB vs NL | QUE vs ONT | QUE vs ONT | N.ONT vs MAN | N.ONT vs MAN |
| | 12:00 PM | 5 | ALTA vs QUE | ALTA vs QUE | BC vs PEI | BC vs PEI | NS vs ONT | NS vs ONT |
| | 4:00PM | 6 | Y/NWT vs N.ONT | Y/NWT vs N.ONT | MAN vs NL | MAN vs NL | SASK vs NB | SASK vs NB |
| | 8:00PM | 7 | PEI vs NS | PEI vs NS | BC vs ALTA | BC vs ALTA | SASK vs Y/NWT | SASK vs Y/NWT |
| TUESDAY | 8:00AM | 8 | NL vs N. ONT | NL vs N. ONT | ONT vs PEI | ONT vs PEI | NS vs NB | NS vs NB |
| | 12:00 PM | 9 | ALTA vs SASK | ALTA vs SASK | ONT vs MAN | ONT vs MAN | QUE vs Y/NWT | QUE vs Y/NWT |
| | 4:00PM | 10 | NB vs Y/NWT | NB vs Y/NWT | N.ONT vs BC | N.ONT vs BC | PEI vs NL | PEI vs NL |
| | 8:00PM | 11 | QUE vs BC | QUE vs BC | SASK vs MAN | SASK vs MAN | ALTA vs NS | ALTA vs NS |
| WEDNESDAY | 8:00AM | 12 | MAN vs QUE | MAN vs QUE | Y/NWT vs ALTA | Y/NWT vs ALTA | ONT vs SASK | ONT vs SASK |
| | 12:00 PM | 13 | NB vs PEI | NB vs PEI | NS vs N.ONT | NS vs N.ONT | BC vs NL | BC vs NL |
| | 4:00PM | 14 | ONT vs Y/NWT | ONT vs Y/NWT | SASK vs QUE | SASK vs QUE | MAN vs ALTA | MAN vs ALTA |
| | 8:00PM | 15 | NL vs NS | NL vs NS | BC vs NB | BC vs NB | PEI vs N. ONT | PEI vs N. ONT |
| THURSDAY | 8:00AM | 16 | NS vs SASK | NS vs SASK | PEI vs MAN | PEI vs MAN | Y/NWT vs BC | Y/NWT vs BC |
| | 12:00 PM | 17 | ALTA vs NB | ALTA vs NB | N.ONT vs QUE | N. ONT vs QUE | NL vs ONT | NL vs ONT |
| | 4:00PM | 18 | BC vs MAN | BC vs MAN | Y/NWT vs NS | Y/NWT vs NS | PEI vs SASK | PEI vs SASK |
| | 8:00PM | 19 | QUE vs NL | QUE vs NL | NB vs ONT | NB vs ONT | ALTA vs N. ONT | ALTA vs N. ONT |
| FRIDAY | 9:00 AM | 20 | ONT vs ALTA | ONT vs ALTA | QUE vs PEI | QUE vs PEI | NS vs BC | NS vs BC |
| | 2:00 PM | 21 | Y/NWT vs PEI | Y/NWT vs PEI | SASK vs BC | SASK vs BC | MAN vs NS | MAN vs NS |
| | 7:30 PM | 22 | N.ONT vs ONT | N.ONT vs ONT | NL vs ALTA | NL vs ALTA | NB vs QUE | NB vs QUE |
| SATURDAY | Tie-breaker | One Draw | 2:00 PM | (if necessary) | | | | |
| | Tie-breakers | Two Draws | 2:00 PM | 7:00 PM | (if necessary) | | | |
| | Tie-breakers | Three Draws | 9:00 AM | 2:00 PM | 7:00 PM | (if necessary) | | |
| | Semi-Finals | | 7:00 PM | (if one (1) or less tie-breakers) | | |||
| SUNDAY | Semi-Finals | | 9:00 AM | (if two (2) or more tie-breakers) | | |||
| SUNDAY | Finals | | 2:00 PM | WOMEN | | MEN | | |
All times Central: Eastern Time: + 2 hours
Curling fan to shoot for $1 million on CBC
Posted Thursday, March 20, 2008 by derekm
A lucky fan will get the chance to throw a curling rock to the button for $1 million at the Masters of Curling next January.
The finalist's bid to win the one-time payment in the Capital One Million Dollar Button contest will be televised live on CBC Sports.
Brett Gallant rink in running for Island Petroleum Team of the Year
Posted Thursday, March 20, 2008 by derekm
The Brett Gallant rink join the Tyro elite gymnastics team and the Winsloe-West Royalty under 18 soccer team as finalists for the Island Petroleum Team of the Year, to be announced at the 34th annual Sport PEI awards banquet, April 16 at the Rodd Royalty Inn. The team, which includes third Adam Casey, second Anson Carmody, and lead Alex MacFadyen, and is coached by Kathie Gallant, won two national medals in 2007.
Brett's mother Kathie is also in the running for coach of the year, along with Gardiner MacDougall from hockey, and Wally Morrison from Soccer.
Ford World Women's Curling Championship starts Saturday in Vernon, BC
Posted Wednesday, March 19, 2008 by derekm
Tuesday, March 18, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
March 18, 2008�.The 2008 Ford world women�s curling championship gets underway this Saturday in Vernon, British Columbia.
Twelve countries will battle for the world title from March 22-30 at the Greater Vernon Multiplex. The teams play a round robin, concluding on Thursday, March 27, followed by the Page Playoffs, leading to the final on Sunday, March 30.
Representing the host country Canada is the Jennifer Jones team from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Jones won the 2008 Scotties Tournament of Hearts last month in Regina, defeating Calgary�s Shannon Kleibrink in the final. Jones is making her second world women�s appearance, after finishing fourth to Sweden�s Anette Norberg in 2005 in Paisley, Scotland.
Canada has won a leading 14 women�s titles since 1979, the latest by Kelowna�s Kelly Scott in 2007 in Aomori, Japan.
Skip Debbie McCormick, who won the 2003 Ford Worlds in Winnipeg, defeating Canada�s Colleen Jones in the final, will try to give the United States a second world women�s crown. McCormick was also the runner-up in 2006 in Grande Prairie, Alberta, losing the final to Norberg.
Switzerland�s Mirjam Ott, an Olympic silver medallist in 2002 and 2006, will make her third appearance at the worlds, seeking a third title for her country, but first since 1983.
Russia�s 21-year-old Liudmila Privivkova, the 2006 world junior and European champion, also makes her third worlds appearance, after earlier this month competing in a sixth world juniors in �stersund, Sweden, while last year�s world women�s runner-up, Denmark�s Angelina Jensen, also returns.
Germany�s Andrea Sch�pp, the 1988 world champion, makes her 15th appearance, behind only Norway�s Dordi Nordby. Two years ago, Sch�pp finished fourth in Grande Prairie. Germany�s only world women�s victory was by Sch�pp, who also stands second to Nordby�s 111 world game wins, with 82. Sch�pp, a six-time European champion, also won a gold medal at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, when curling was a demonstration sport.
Sweden will be represented by 22-year-old skip Stina Viktorsson of Skellefte�. Sweden has won seven world women�s titles, behind only Canada.
Completing the line-up are China (Bingyu Wang), Czech Republic (Katerina Urbanov�), Italy (Diana Gaspari), Japan (Moe Meguro) and Scotland (Gail Munro).
Country qualifying points for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver are also on the line, on a sliding scale from 14 to the winner, 12 to second, 10 to third, down to one point for last place.
There will be extensive national and international television coverage of the Ford world women�s curling championship. TSN will carry all round robin games involving Canada, followed by the Page Playoffs on Friday, March 28. The Page system matches 1 vs 2 and 3 vs 4. The winner of 1 vs 2 advances directly to Sunday�s final while the loser goes to Saturday�s semi-final. The winner of 3 vs 4 also goes to the semi-final.
Resurrected this year, after a three-year absence, is the bronze medal game, which will be contested Saturday evening at 6:00 pm PT, featuring the semi-final loser against the loser of the Page 3 vs 4 game.
CBC-TV will televise the semi-final on Saturday, March 29 at 11:30 am PT/2:30 pm ET and the final (gold medal game) on Sunday, March 30 at 10:30 am PT/1:30 pm ET. CurlTV (www.curltv.com) will also provide draw coverage to its subscribers.
WCTV, the television arm of the World Curling Federation, will provide multi-game coverage throughout the week for channels outside Canada, including the multi-lingual sports channel Eurosport. Working in collaboration with Japanese broadcaster NHK, WCTV will also produce comprehensive coverage of Japanese games to be aired throughout the championship in Japan. In addition, WCTV will produce a daily highlights package for worldwide distribution.
Results of the 2008 Ford world women�s curling championship will be available on the Canadian Curling Association (www.curling.ca <http://www.curling.ca> ) and World Curling Federation (www.worldcurling.org <http://www.worldcurling.org> ) websites.
The Opening Ceremonies begin at 11:00 am Saturday in the 3,000-seat Multiplex, with the first draw at 1:00 pm PT/4:00 pm ET. Canada�s first game is Saturday night at 6:00 pm PT against Switzerland.
This marks the fourth consecutive year that the women�s and men�s world championships are being held in different venues, as they were from 1979-1988. In 1989 in Milwaukee, the men�s and women�s championships were staged jointly and remained so through 2004.
Since then, Canada has alternately hosted a men�s and women�s world championship under the Ford banner, now in its 14th year of event title sponsorship. Last year, the Ford world men�s was held in Edmonton and won by Canada�s Glenn Howard. This year�s world men�s is in Grand Forks, North Dakota, April 5-13, when Canada�s colours will be carried by Edmonton�s Kevin Martin, winner of the recent Tim Hortons Brier in Winnipeg.
Host team wins Junior Mixed title (Journal)
Posted Tuesday, March 18, 2008 by derekm
The Parker Clements rink from the host Maple Leaf Curling Club in O'Leary posted a 5-0 record en route to the Island Petroleum provincial junior mixed 20-and-under curling championship recently.
They defeated the Sam Ramsay foursome from the Silver Fox in the event final. It's not yet a P.E.I. Curling Association-sanctioned provincial championship but co-ordinator Rushell MacDonald is hoping that's what it will become next year.
Click to read this story in the Journal-Pioneer.
Alberta's Kevin Martin rink claims Brier crown
Posted Monday, March 17, 2008 by derekm
Sunday, March 16, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
Alberta's Kevin Martin became just the 14th skip to win a Canadian men's curling championship with an unbeaten record on Sunday night at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg.
Martin's half-Edmonton, half-Calgary team � third John Morris, second Marc Kennedy and lead Ben Hebert � defeated defending national and world champion Glenn Howard of Ontario 5-4 in the final of the Tim Hortons Brier.
Martin made a draw to bite the button in the 10th end to win his third Brier title, and his first since 1997. It was the first Brier victory for his teammates.
�That�s what we wanted � an out-turn draw for the win," said Martin. "It�s what you dream about.�
Alberta's 13-0 overall record matched Randy Ferbey's total in his 2003 triumph at Halifax.
It was a game of misses early on. Martin took a point in the third end when he was attempting to roll out for a blank. In the third end, Howard had a draw for two but crashed on a guard to score one.
Martin then drew for a crucial pair in the fourth end when Howard's last-rock hit attempt wrecked on a guard.
The teams traded singles in the fifth and sixth ends before a pair of blanks, followed by Howard making an open hit to score a game-tying deuce in the ninth end. That set the stage for Martin's Brier-winning draw in the 10th end.
Morris was named winner of the Hec Gervais playoff MVP award after a media vote, while Howard was given the Shot of the Week award for his raise takeout through a tight port in Friday's Page three-four game victory over B.C.'s Bob Ursel.
Martin and Co. will represent Canada at the world men's curling championship, April 5 to 13 in Grand Forks, N.D.
�It feels good," said Martin. "Those young guys are really excited and ready to go. It will be exciting.�
Also, the team will share $144,000 in Sport Canada funding over the next two years as well as berths into the 2008 Continental Cup in Camrose and the 2009 Canada Cup in Yorkton, Sask.
Both finalists received $40,000 in cresting money.
A total of 9,223 fans took in Sunday's final, raising the total attendance for the '08 Brier 165,075 � the seventh highest total in Brier history.
Laurier sweeps University Ch'ships
Posted Monday, March 17, 2008 by derekm
Laurier Women use late rally to claim Gold
The Golden Hawks used a late rally and a steal of 2 in the final end to defeat the Manitoba Bisons 7-4 in the CIS Championship Game. Manitoba gave up a steal of 1 in the 1st but responded with 1of their own in the 2nd to tie the game after 2 ends. The Bisons added singles in the 3rd and 4th before the Hawks regained 1 in the 5th to trail 3-2 at the halfway mark. After the Bisons notched 1 in the 6th to gain a 2 point lead, the Hawks began their rally. Laurier scored 1 in the 7th and stole 1 in each of the 8th and 9th to lead 5-4 heading to the last end. With the hammer, in the 10th, Manitoba was in trouble from from the beginning and found themselves needing a miracle for shot rock. Manitoba's last rock was unable to score and WLU stole 2 points for the 7-4 final. Wilfrid Laurier claims the first ever CIS/CCA Canadian Curling Championship and will represent Canada at the 2009 FISU Games in China.
Ontario bids for Brier repeat
Posted Sunday, March 16, 2008 by derekm
Saturday, March 15, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
Ontario's Glenn Howard has a chance to make history Sunday night at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg.
Howard's team from the Coldwater and District Curling Club � third Richard Hart, second Brent Laing and lead Craig Savill � will take on Alberta's Kevin Martin in the final of the Tim Hortons Brier Canadian men's curling championship. The game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Atlantic on CBC.
Ontario will be seeking its second straight Brier championship; it also will be looking to become the first team ever to win the Brier after playing in the Page playoff three-four game.
The Howard foursome reached the final by defeating Saskatchewan's Pat Simmons 8-7 in Saturday's semifinal as Howard made a cold draw to the four-foot with his final stone of the 11th end.
"I feel bad for Pat Simmons right now," said Howard of the Saskatchewan skip, who lost the Page one-two game on Friday night when his last rock against Alberta caught some debris. "He didn't deserve to play that game. He should have been in the final last night. I don't blame him. Even when I'm in the hack to throw that last shot, I'm thinking, 'Oh my God, is this destiny for him to have something happen to my shot.' "
Ontario scored deuces in the third, fifth and seventh ends and never looked threatened until Saskatchewan cracked a three in the eighth end to tie the game 6-6. The teams traded singles before Howard made his game-winning shot.
Alberta defeated Ontario in the round-robin, and Howard is looking for a different result on Sunday.
"I think we're two of the best teams in the world and I think hopefully we'll both go out and play to our abilities and it could be one of the best games ever," said Howard
The Brier winner will represent Canada at the world men's curling championship, April 5 to 13 in Grand Forks, N.D.
Also, the team will share $144,000 in Sport Canada funding over the next two years as well as berths into the 2008 Continental Cup in Camrose and the 2009 Canada Cup in Yorkton, Sask.
Both finalists will receive $40,000 in cresting money.
Canada sweeps 2008 World Seniors
Posted Sunday, March 16, 2008 by derekm
Saturday, March 15, 2008 | Source: World Curling Federation
VIERUMAKI -- Canada has swept up both men's and women's titles at the 2008 World Senior Curling Championships.
The two Alberta teams, skipped by former two-time men's world champion Pat Ryan and international rookie Diane Foster, led the event from start to finish and made quick work of their opponents in the finals.
The women defeated Scotland 10-2 and the men dispatched Sweden 8-0 in a somewhat deceptive match.
Ryan held a comfortable 4-0 lead in the fifth end when Sweden threatened, and skip Per Lindeman lay one with a chance at three.
Disaster struck, however, when Lindeman pushed a Canadian counter into scoring position, and now trailed 5-0.
"He couldn't buy a break today," said Ryan.
Ryan was helming three members of the Les Rogers team, the 2006 World Senior championship squad. Marv Wirth played third, with Ken McLean and Millard Evans anchored the front end.
"Anytime you win representing Canada, it's special," said Ryan, who captured the 1989 Worlds as the chief of the "Ryan's Express", and later played third for Rick Folk in winning in 1994.
"It never sinks in at the moment, but this will be a cherished memory."
Foster's foursome traded singles with Kirsty Letton's Team Scotland to start the women's final and grabbed three points in the third. They added a deuce in the fifth end and then back-to-back steals of two in ends six and seven, whereupon Letton conceded.
"I've never been a world champion. Heck, I'd never been a Canadian champion," said Foster.
"That's what (curling legend) Paul Gowsell told me, he said you've got to forget you have that maple leaf on your back, and just focus on curling."
Foster was supported by teammates Shirley McPherson, Shirley Kohuch and Chris Wilson.
The Canadian women were helped along by Ryan's teammates, who shared their information on the competition stones.
"They were our rock wizards," said Foster. "They're so much better than us girls with that stuff. They knew everything about each rock in the building in no time, and it was so great for them to share the info with us."
In men's bronze medal action, Bill Rhyme took over skipping duties from David Russell and led the United States to a narrow 6-4 win over Scotland's Graeme Adam. In the women's bronze match, hometown fans were disappointed when Finland's Helene Timonen lost 7-6 on a steal in the 10th end to Switzerland's Renate Nedkoff.
The Finnish Curling Association posted results of the Championships, available at:
http://curling.fi/en/competitions/leagues/2687
Results are also mirrored on the World Curling Federation website at:
http://results.worldcurling.org
The host website is http://www.wscc2008.com
LINESCORES - WSCC 2008
Men's Final
CAN *111 112 1x-8
SWE 000 000 0x-0
Women's Final
SCO 010 100 0x-2
CAN *103 022 2x-10
Men's Bronze
SCO 000 120 10-4
USA *003 002 01-6
Women's Bronze
SUI *130 010 11-7
FIN 004 101 00-6
Alberta steals its way to Brier championship game
Posted Saturday, March 15, 2008 by derekm
Friday, March 14, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
Alberta's Kevin Martin is headed to the championship game at the Tim Hortons Brier Canadian men's curling championship in Winnipeg.
Martin, backed up by third John Morris, second Marc Kennedy and lead Ben Hebert, turned back Saskatchewan's Pat Simmons 8-7 Friday night at the MTS Centre in the Page playoff one-two game.
Alberta trailed 6-3 through five ends when Saskatchewan stole deuces in the first and fifth ends.
But Alberta fought back with a deuce in the eighth and stole single points in the ninth and 10th ends for the win. Simmons had an open hit to record the victory, but his last rock caught some debris.
"I feel bad for Pat," said Martin. "They deserved to win that game. We put the last one in a good spot, but he threw that plenty good enough to win. That's the way it is. We played like dogs, we made nothing in the first five ends. But the last five, we came back and put the heat on them."
Martin will be seeking his third Brier title, while his teammates will be looking for their first.
The win advances Alberta to the 7:30 p.m. (all times Atlantic) final on CBC.
Saskatchewan, meanwhile, will play in the semifinal Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on CBC against reigning Brier and world champion Glenn Howard of Ontario.
The Brier winner will represent Canada at the world men's curling championship, April 5 to 13 in Grand Forks, N.D.
B.C. survives fourth-place tiebreaker at Brier
Posted Friday, March 14, 2008 by derekm
Friday, March 14, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
B.C.'s Bob Ursel has advanced to the Page playoff three-four game at the Tim Hortons Brier Canadian men's curling championship in Winnipeg.
B.C. opened the game by stealing three in the first end and hung on for an 8-6 win over Newfoundland/Labrador's Brad Gushue in a fourth-place tiebreaker at the MTS Centre.
With the win, Ursel, third (and last-rock tosser) Jim Cotter, second Kevin Folk and lead Rick Sawatsky advance to today's Page three-four game against defending Brier and world champion Glenn Howard of Ontario.
That game got underway at 4 p.m. (all times Atlantic) on TSN.
"We've been in a tiebreaker (situation) since Game 3, so that was just another one," said Ursel. "We're coming on, we're playing pretty strong, so we should give those guys (Ontario) a pretty good game."
Later today, Alberta's Kevin Martin plays Saskatchewan's Pat Simmons in the Page playoff one-two game, at 9 p.m. on TSN.
The winner of the one-two game will advance directly to Sunday's 7:30 p.m. championship game on CBC. The loser will play the winner of the three-four game in Saturday's semifinal at 3:30 p.m. on CBC.
Edmonton to stage 2009 Tim Hortons Canadian Curling Trials and Prince George, BC to host Pre-Trials qualifier
Posted Friday, March 14, 2008 by derekm
(CCA) The Canadian Curling Association (CCA) today announced that the city of Edmonton will stage the 2009 Tim Hortons Canadian Curling Trials, which will determine Canada�s representatives for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.
The Trials will be held December 6-13, 2009 at the 15,000-seat Rexall Place. Eight men�s and eight women�s teams will compete in a round robin format, with the top three teams advancing to the playoffs. The first place teams go to the finals, while the second and third place teams play in semi-finals, with the winners also advancing to their respective finals.
The process to qualify 16 men�s and 16 women�s teams for the Trials �pool� has been underway since last season. Ultimately, four teams of each gender will qualify directly into the Trials, based on their overall performance (Canadian Team Ranking System) and specific event wins from the 2006-07 season through the 2008-09 campaign. To date, Winnipeg�s Jennifer Jones is the only team to qualify directly into the Trials by virtue of winning three of the specified events.
The other four men�s and four women�s teams for the Trials will be determined in a Pre-Trials qualifier, which will be hosted by Prince George, British Columbia, November 10-15 at the 6,000-seat CN Centre. This event will be a triple knockout format involving 12 men�s and 12 women�s teams, whereby the A and B winners and C finalists will qualify for the Trials.
In making the announcements today, Greg Stremlaw, Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Curling Association, said, �The CCA was thrilled to have been in a position to have two unbelievably competitive bids for the 2009 Tim Hortons Canadian Curling Trials�.from Edmonton and from Kamloops. In the end, we felt that the combination of the negotiated hosting fee, the fan base and previous record crowds in Edmonton for both the Brier and the world men�s and the chance to expose this sport to that many more people prior to the Olympics in a major venue was just too hard to pass up.
�Quite frankly, we could not have gone wrong with either proposal but this is a solid business decision.
This event has garnered an incredible amount of attention already and for good reason. In the build-up to the 2010 Winter Olympics, the Trials are on every curling fan�s mind.
�We�re also very encouraged and excited by the fact that Prince George took the initiative in wanting to host the 2009 Pre-Trials event. The demonstrated community dedication and city leadership have provided us with every confidence the city will make this competition a great success.�
Edmonton holds the attendance record for a Brier, 281,985, set in 2005 and also established a Ford world men�s record of 184,970 in 2007.
�As a curler and a curling fan, I'm obviously ecstatic about the Trials coming to Edmonton,� said 2009 Trials Host Committee Chair Jackie-Rae Greening, who held a similar post for the Ford world men�s in 2007. �We have the same core team together that staged last year�s world men's, so we'll hit the ground running with the event less than two years away.�
�Tim Hortons is proud to support the 2009 Curling Trials which will determine who will represent Canada at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver,� said Bill Moir, Executive Vice President, Marketing, Tim Hortons. �Tim Hortons and Canadian curling share a rich tradition and we are thrilled to
be associated with what will no doubt be an exciting event.�
TSN will provide blanket coverage of the 2009 Tim Hortons Canadian Curling Trials, which is being presented by Monsanto, including coverage of all draws. TSN will also carry approximately 14 hours of live coverage of the pre-Trials qualifier.
M&M Meat Shops 15 and Under Photo Album
Posted Friday, March 14, 2008 by derekm
An album of photos from the M&M Meat Shops Provincial 15 and Under Curling Championships is now available on the event website (peicurling.com/15andunder)
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Saskatchewan reaches Page one-two game at Brier
Posted Friday, March 14, 2008 by derekm
Thursday, March 13, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
Saskatchewan's Pat Simmons has nailed down a berth in Friday's Page playoff one-two game with Alberta's Kevin Martin at the Tim Hortons Brier Canadian men's curling championship in Winnipeg.
Simmons and his Davidson Curling Club team � third Jeff Sharp, second Gerry
Adam and lead Steve Laycock � defeated Manitoba's Kerry Burtnyk 8-2 Thursday night in the final round-robin draw at the MTS Centre.
Saskatchewan stole four in the fifth end when Burtnyk's final rock wrecked on a guard.
The win sets up an Alberta-Saskatchewan showdown at 9 p.m. (all times Atlantic) on Friday on TSN. The winner will advance directly to Sunday's 7:30 p.m. championship game on CBC.
"That's everyone's goal, I think, or should be, obviously," said Simmons. "That was our goal coming into today. We wanted to play well and carry some momentum into tomorrow, which we did tonight. All is good."
The loss eliminated Manitoba from playoff contention. Burtnyk, a two-time Brier champ, finished with a 6-5 round-robin record, with all five losses coming to the teams that finished above him in the standings
Saskatchewan's victory dropped defending Brier and world champion Glenn Howard of Ontario into the Page playoff three-four game Friday at 4 p.m., on TSN. Ontario finished the round-robin with an 8-6 triumph over Brian Rafuse of Nova Scotia to finish with the same 9-2 record as Saskatchewan, but Saskatchewan earns second place by virtue of its round-robin win in their head-to-head game. Nova Scotia finished with a 3-8 record.
Ontario will play the winner of Friday morning's fourth-place tiebreaker between Newfoundland/Labrador's Brad Gushue and B.C.'s Bob Ursel, who both finished their round-robin schedule on Thursday afternoon with 7-4 records. The tiebreaker is scheduled for Friday at 11:30 a.m., and will be televised by TSN.
The winner of the Page three-four game advances to Saturday's semifinal at 3:30 p.m. on CBC, against the loser of the Page one-two game.
In other draw 17 play, Alberta's Kevin Martin completed a perfect 11-0 round-robin by beating Chad Cowan of the Yukon/Northwest Territories 7-4. The last unbeaten team in round-robin play was Alberta's Randy Ferbey in 2003 at Halifax. The Territories finished with a 2-9 record.
Also, Quebec's Jean-Michel Menard finished on a winning note, turning back Eric Harnden of Northern Ontario 9-8 in a game that took 12 ends because Menard rolled out on his last shot in the first extra end. Quebec finished with a 4-7 record, while Northern Ontario heads home with a 3-8 record.
Tiebreakers looming at Brier. PEI loses in extra end vs NL to end play at 3-8
Posted Thursday, March 13, 2008 by derekm
Thursday, March 13, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
There will be one tiebreaker, and possibly two, on Friday at the Tim Hortons Brier Canadian men's curling championship in Winnipeg.
B.C.'s Bob Ursel and Newfoundland/Labrador's Brad Gushue both won their final round-robin games in Draw 16 Thursday afternoon at the MTS Centre to finish the round-robin with 7-4 records, tied for the fourth and final playoff position.
And Manitoba's Kerry Burtnyk could get into that mix, too, if he wins his final round-robin game tonight, against Saskatchewan's Pat Simmons.
B.C. completed a terrific comeback after opening with a 0-3 record, scoring three in the fourth end and hanging on to beat James Grattan of New Brunswick 8-6.
"What a battle all week," said Ursel. "It's been just crazy. We're pretty excited. We lose our first three games, and to come back against this field and make the tiebreaker or playoffs, we couldn't ask for anything more than that."
New Brunswick finished its Brier with a 2-9 record.
Newfoundland/Labrador, meanwhile, got into the tiebreaker with a 7-6 extra-end victory over P.E.I.'s Peter Gallant 7-6. Gallant had a shot at two in the 10th, but his final rock overcurled and he settled for one.
"Another gut check, another one where we just grinded it out and made a lot of shots late in the game, but just dug a hole for ourselves early," said Gushue, who finished second to Ontario's Glenn Howard last year in Hamilton. "Hopefully, we can get that figured out."
The Islanders finished out with a 3-8 record.
In other Draw 16 action, Saskatchewan's Pat Simmons blew a chance to lock up second place and a berth in Friday's Page playoff one-two game, falling 7-6 to Northern Ontario's Eric Harnden. The result left Saskatchewan at 8-2 and needing to beat Manitoba in tonight's last draw of the round-robin to reach the one-two game against Alberta's Kevin Martin (10-0). A loss combined with a win by Ontario's Glenn Howard, who's up against Nova Scotia's Brian Rafuse, would put Ontario in the one-two game.
Manitoba kept its playoff hopes alive with a 7-3 win over Quebec's Jean-Michel Menard, dropping Quebec to 3-7.
The first- and second-place teams at the end of round-robin play Thursday night will meet in the Page playoff one-two game on Friday while the third- and fourth-place teams also will meet Friday (times TBA). The winner of the one-two game will advance directly to Sunday's championship game (6:30 p.m., all times Eastern) on CBC. The loser will play the winner of the three-four game in Saturday's semifinal at 2:30 p.m. on CBC.
Play at the Tim Hortons Brier resumes Thursday at 8 p.m. on TSN.
Alberta clinches first place at Brier. PEI is 3-7.
Posted Thursday, March 13, 2008 by derekm
Thursday, March 13, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
Alberta has locked up first place and last-rock advantage throughout the playoffs at the Tim Hortons Brier Canadian men's curling championship in Winnipeg.
Kevin Martin's half-Edmonton, half-Calgary team knocked off defending Brier and world champion Glenn Howard of Ontario 7-4 in Draw 15 play on Thursday morning at the MTS Centre.
With the win, Martin, third John Morris, second Marc Kennedy and lead Ben Hebert improved to 10-0, meaning no team can catch them for first place.
"We couldn't ask for anything better," said Hebert. "First place, hammer in the playoffs, we're playing great throughout the lineup. We have our draw weight. And hopefully the ice stays the same, because it's really good right now."
They will play in Friday's Page playoff one-two game against either Ontario (8-2) or Saskatchewan's Pat Simmons (8-1), who had a bye on Thursday morning. Saskatchewan needs only a split today, against Northern Ontario's Eric Harnden this afternoon and Manitoba's Kerry Burtnyk tonight, to clinch second place.
Alberta gave up single points in the first two ends to Ontario, and trailed 3-1 through five. But the Wild Rosers tied it with a deuce in the sixth, forced Ontario to one in the seventh, then cracked a big three in the eighth.
In other action, Newfoundland/Labrador's Brad Gushue and B.C.'s Bob Ursel both picked up wins to stay alive for the fourth and final playoff berth.
B.C. improved to 6-4 by beating P.E.I's Peter Gallant (3-7) 6-3, while Newfoundland/Labrador turned back New Brunswick's James Grattan 9-7 to keep pace with B.C.
Should they both win their afternoon games � B.C. plays New Brunswick while Newfoundland/Labrador takes on P.E.I. � it would force a tiebreaker on Friday.
It could be a three-team tiebreaker should Manitoba win twice today, against Quebec's Jean-Michel Menard and Saskatchewan.
In the other morning game, Nova Scotia's Brian Rafuse (3-7) shaded Chad Cowan of the Yukon/Northwest Territories (2-8) 8-7.
The first- and second-place teams at the end of round-robin play Thursday night will meet in the Page playoff one-two game on Friday while the third- and fourth-place teams also will meet Friday (times TBA). The winner of the one-two game will advance directly to Sunday's championship game (7:30 p.m. Atlantic) on CBC. The loser will play the winner of the three-four game in Saturday's semifinal at 3:30 p.m. AT on CBC
PEI slips to 3-6 at Brier after two losses on Wed.
Posted Thursday, March 13, 2008 by derekm
PEI's Peter Gallant rink is out of playoff contention following two losses on Wednesday at the Tim Horton's Brier in Winnipeg. Quebec's Jean-Michel M�nard scored four points in the seventh end in an 8-2 win over the PEI foursome in the afternoon draw, while second place Glen Howard of Ontario scored four points in the third and a triple in the sixth to beat PEI 10-3 in the evening draw. Alberta's Kevin Martin is still undefeated at 9-0, followed by Howard, and Saskatchewan's Pat Simmons, both at 8-1. BC, Manitoba, and Newfoundland and Labrador are at 5-4, while PEI and Quebec are at 3-6, and the remaining rinks are 2-7.
Round robin play wraps up today with PEI playing BC at 11:30 am and NB at 4 pm. PEI has the bye in the final round robin draw at 9 pm (all times Atlantic).
The big game of the day will be the battle between Kevin Martin and Glen Howard, at 11:30. TSN will feature that game as part of its live coverage.
Eyes on the prize for Newfoundland/Labrador at Brier. PEI has morning bye
Posted Wednesday, March 12, 2008 by derekm
Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
Newfoundland/Labrador's Brad Gushue gave his playoff hopes a major boost on Wednesday morning at the Tim Hortons Brier Canadian men's curling championship in Winnipeg.
Gushue's St. John's foursome � third Mark Nichols, second Chris Schille and lead Dave Noftall � picked up a Draw 12 victory at the MTS Centre, dropping Manitoba's Kerry Burtnyk 9-4.
The result left the teams tied for fourth place in the 12-team round-robin standings with 5-3 records.
Newfoundland/Labrador broke the game open in the third end by scoring four, and never looked back.
"It's still a long way to go," cautioned Gushue. "We still have to play Alberta this afternoon, and we have two tough games tomorrow (against New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island). We're still in the thick of it, but there's still a long way to go."
In other Draw 12 play, Ontario's Glenn Howard bounced back nicely from taking his first loss a night earlier, knocking off New Brunswick's James Grattan 8-5. Ontario took control of the game with a steal of one in the fourth, then scored three in the sixth to improve to 7-1. New Brunswick dipped to 2-6.
Northern Ontario's Eric Harnden snapped a six-game losing streak, cruising to a 7-2 win over Nova Scotia's Brian Rafuse. Both teams came out of the draw with 2-6 records.
And in the other morning tilt, Chad Cowan of the Yukon/Northwest Territories stole the winning point in the 10th end for a 5-4 win over 2006 Brier champ Jean-Michel Menard of Quebec. Both teams now sport 2-6 records.
Alberta's Kevin Martin (7-0), Saskatchewan's Pat Simmons (6-1), B.C.'s Bob Ursel (3-4) and P.E.I.'s Peter Gallant (3-4) all had byes.
Play at the the Tim Hortons Brier continues Wednesday with draws at 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. Atlantic; both draws will be on TSN.
Alberta has first place all to itself, PEI wins 3rd straight at Brier
Posted Wednesday, March 12, 2008 by derekm
Tuesday, March 11, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
Alberta's Kevin Martin is all alone on top of the pack at the Tim Hortons Brier Canadian men's curling championship in Winnipeg.
The two-time Brier champion and his half-Edmonton, half-Calgary team � third John Morris, second Marc Kennedy and lead Ben Hebert � thumped Kerry Burtnyk of Manitoba 10-3 in Draw 11 play Tuesday night at the MTS Centre to post his seventh straight win.
The last time Martin opened a Brier with seven straight wins was in 1997 in Calgary, where Martin won his last Canadian championship.
"Oh, we were really pumped for this one," said Martin. "You're in Winnipeg, I love this building, and you know the crowd is going to be electric. I think that was our best game, and that's good to see. Those sweepers sure saved a few for us tonight."
Tuesday's game turned in the fifth end when Burtnyk was drawing against four Alberta counters and came up short, apparently because his rock caught some debris. The loss dropped Manitoba to 5-2.
While Alberta was keeping its unblemished record intact, defending Brier and world champ Glenn Howard of Ontario was handed his first loss, bowing 7-5 to Saskatchewan's Pat Simmons.
With the win, Saskatchewan pulled into a tie for second place with Ontario at 6-1 and holding a tiebreaker advantage.
"That was obviously our best game of the week so far," said Simmons after the win over Ontario. "We wanted to use this game as a measuring stick to see if we're ready for the weekend, and I think we are."
In other Draw 11 play, Newfoundland/Labrador's Brad Gushue kept his playoff hopes alive with a 7-6 extra-end win over B.C.'s Bob Ursel. Newfoundland/Labrador improved to 4-3, while B.C. dropped to 3-4.
Also, Prince Edward Island's Peter Gallant won his third straight, scoring three in the ninth end en route to a 10-7 win over New Brunswick's James Grattan. The Islanders moved to 3-4 while New Brunswick dipped to 2-5.
Nova Scotia's Brian Rafuse (2-5), Jean-Michel Menard (2-5), Northern Ontario's Eric Harnden (1-6) and Chad Cowan of the Yukon/Northwest Territories (1-6) all had byes in Draw 11.
Play at the the Tim Hortons Brier resumes Wednesday, with draws are scheduled for 10:30 a.m., 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. Atlantic; curltv.com will show the morning draw, while the latter two draws will be on TSN.
PEI plays Quebec in the afternoon, and Ontario in the evening draw.
Peter Gallant rink makes it two in a row
Posted Tuesday, March 11, 2008 by derekm
Manitoba cruises to morning victory
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Source: Canadian Curling Association
Manitoba's Kerry Burtnyk took care of business quickly in the morning draw at the Tim Hortons Brier Canadian men's curling championship in his home town of Winnipeg.
Burtnyk, backed up by third Dan Kammerlock, second Richard Daneault and lead Garth Smith, opened the game with a deuce, stole one in the second and three more in the third and sailed home with a 9-3 victory over Northern Ontario's Eric Harnden.
With the win, Manitoba improved to 5-1, moving into a tie for first place with a pair of 5-0 teams, Alberta's Kevin Martin and Ontario's Glenn Howard, who both had morning byes.
"It's another game where we came out on top and we get to put another point on the board on the right side," said Burtnyk. "That's a good thing. We played well enough to score some points, so that's good."
Northern Ontario dropped to 1-5 with the loss.
In other action, Nova Scotia's Brian Rafuse snapped a four-game losing streak, pulling out a 6-5 extra-end win over Newfoundland/Labrador's Brad Gushue. With the win, the Bluenosers improve to 2-4, while Newfoundland/Labrador falls to 3-3.
P.E.I.'s Peter Gallant, meanwhile, picked up his second straight win after four straight losses, opening the game with three in the first end and hanging on for a 7-6 victory over Chad Cowan of the Yukon/Northwest Territories. The loss dropped the Territories' record to 1-5. PEI is at 2-4.
And in the other game, Saskatchewan's Pat Simmons scored three in the 10th end, then stole the winning point in the 11th when Quebec skip Jean-Michel Menard was just wide with his last-rock angle tap attempt in a 9-8 victory.
Saskatchewan got to 5-1 with the win, while struggling Quebec dropped to 1-5.
New Brunswick's James Grattan (2-3) and B.C.'s Bob Ursel (2-3) also had byes in Draw 9.
Today's 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. (all times Atlantic) draws are being televised by TSN.
4th Annual Vogue Optical Curl for Wishes charity spiel set for Ch'town
Posted Tuesday, March 11, 2008 by derekm
The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada Prince Edward Island Chapter is holding its fourth annual Vogue Optical Curl for Wishes, April 3-5 at the Charlottetown Curling Club.
"It's a chance to come out and try curling, get involved, have some fun, and in doing so grant the wish of an Island child," said Cory Gray, vice-president of the title sponsor.
Twenty-five teams will have an opportunity to play with one of Canada's high profile curlers such as Olympic gold medalist Jamie Korab, five-time Northwest Territories/Yukon Scotties representative Kerry Galusha and former world junior champion and Prince Edward Island Scotties representative, Suzanne Gaudet.
The top-10 fundraising teams will have first pick of the celebrity skips.
Registration includes a minimum of four games, evening socials with entertainment, Curl for Wishes jacket and awards presentation at the Charlottetown club.
There will be a silent auction held throughout the tournament which will include numerous items from around the curling world.
"It's P.E.I.'s most fun and entertaining curling event of the season," said Stefanie Clark, tournament chair.
"It is a weekend filled with good times and good memories that can be enjoyed by all regardless of their curling ability."
Proceeds from the event will go to the Prince Edward Island Chapter of the Children's Wish Foundation, enabling them to work with the community in providing Island children suffering from high risk, life-threatening illnesses, the opportunity to experience their most heartfelt wish.
Money raised at the Curl for Wishes through team registration and fundraising will be used to grant one of the 12 wish requests the P.E.I. Chapter of the Children's Wish Foundation is in the process of granting.
For more information, contact the Children's Wish Foundation office at 22 Allen Street, P.O. Box 2614, Charlottetown, C1A 8C3, call 1-800-267-9474 or email [email protected]. (story courtesy of The Guardian)
Sweet, MacLean crowned provincial curling champions (Journal)
Posted Tuesday, March 11, 2008 by derekm
It was two all-O'Leary finals in the M&M Meat Shops 15 and Under provincial curling championships Monday.
Click to read this story in today's Journal-Pioneer.
return to headlines
PEI beats NS 13-3 to pick up first win at Brier
Posted Tuesday, March 11, 2008 by derekm
Newfoundland/Labrador getting into the hunt
Monday, March 10, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
Newfoundland/Labrador's Brad Gushue is starting to make some noise at the Tim Hortons Brier Canadian men's curling championship in Winnipeg.
After losing their first two games at the MTS Centre, Gushue and his St. John's foursome � third Mark Nichols, second Chris Schille and lead Dave Noftall � have put together a three-game win streak, including Monday night's 10-7 extra-end win over Quebec's Jean-Michel Menard.
Newfoundland/Labrador found itself down 5-2 after five ends, giving up a steal of two in the third end, but rallied to tie the game with a 10th-end deuce. And in the 11th, Gushue made a double takeout and forced Menard to attempt a wide inturn draw to bite the button that failed to curl enough, giving Gushue a steal of three.
"It was really bad at the beginning, but again we seemed to hang tough and made some real big shots in the extra end," said Gushue. "That was a big one; not exactly the way we wanted to do it, but once you do it that way, it's pretty satisfying. Those are the games you need to win championships. We had them at the (2005 Olympic) Trials, we had them at the Olympics and even at the provincials. You need to squeak a few out and maybe win a couple you're not supposed to win."
In other Draw 8 play, B.C.'s Bob Ursel capped a two-win day by doubling Chad Cowan of the Yukon/Northwest Territories 10-5. B.C., 2-3, opened with deuces in the first and third ends before taking control with four in the fourth end. The Territories dropped to 1-4 with the loss.
Prince Edward Island's Peter Gallant earned his first win of the Brier, stealing three in the sixth end and scoring six more in the eighth in a 13-3 win over Brian Rafuse of Nova Scotia, leaving both teams with 1-4 records.
And in the other late-shift game, New Brunswick's James Grattan made a delicate come-around tap with his final rock of the 10th end to score the winning point in a 9-8 victory over Eric Harnden of Northern Ontario. New Brunswick improved to 2-3 with the win, while Northern Ontario suffered its fourth loss in five games.
The top four teams in the standings � Ontario's Glenn Howard (5-0), Alberta's Kevin Martin (5-0), Manitoba's Kerry Burtnyk (4-1) and Saskatchewan's Pat Simmons (4-1) all had byes in Draw 8.
Play at the the Tim Hortons Brier resumes Tuesday, with games scheduled for 10:30 a.m., 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. (all times Atlantic); curltv.com will show the morning draw, while the latter two draws will be on TSN.
Ontario, Alberta on top of the pack at Brier. PEI (0-4) loses to Alberta
Posted Monday, March 10, 2008 by derekm
Monday, March 10, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
It's down to two teams with unblemished records at the Tim Hortons Brier Canadian men's curling championship at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg.
While defending champ Glenn Howard of Ontario was handing Manitoba's Kerry Burtnyk his first loss of the round-robin, Alberta's Kevin Martin kept pace with a 9-4 victory over Peter Gallant of PEI in Draw 7 play Monday afternoon. PEI, now 0-4, play Nova Scotia's Brian Rafuse at 9 tonight.
Ontario stole single points in the second and third ends, and never gave Manitoba a chance to generate offence, en route to a 7-2 victory that gave Ontario a 5-0 record, while Manitoba dropped to 4-1.
"It was uncharacteristic of Kerry; he was missing shots that Kerry Burtnyk doesn't miss," said Howard. "But it was a nice time for us for him to have an average game."
Alberta, meanwhile, opened the game with a deuce and added four more in the third and never looked pack in handing the Gallant foursome its fourth straight loss.
"That was a strong effort," said Martin, who plays Ontario on Thursday morning. "I don't know that there were any misses the first five ends. But I think I can play a bit better myself."
In other Draw 7 play, Saskatchewan's Pat Simmons bounced back from a morning loss to Alberta by beating Brian Rafuse of Nova Scotia 8-5. Saskatchewan improved to 4-1, tied for third place with Manitoba, while Nova Scotia dropped to 1-3.
And Newfoundland/Labrador's Brad Gushue got to the .500 mark with a 9-5 win over Chad Cowan of the Yukon/Northwest Territories. Newfoundland/Labrador is at 2-2 while the Territories dropped to 1-3.
B.C.'s Bob Ursel (1-3), New Brunswick's James Grattan (1-3), Northern Ontario's Eric Harnden (1-3) and Quebec's Jean-Michel Menard (1-3) all had byes.Tuesday, games are scheduled for 10:30 a.m., 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. (all times Atlantic); curltv.com will show the morning draw, while the latter two draws will be on TSN.
Matthew MacLean, Tiffany Sweet rinks win 15 and Under
Posted Monday, March 10, 2008 by derekm
March 11-The M&M Meat Shops Provincial 15 and Under Curling Championships wrapped up today at the Crapaud Community Curling Club. All four teams in the finals were from the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O'Leary. In the boy's division, the Matthew MacLean rink beat last year's champion Parker Clements 8-5 in the final, while Tiffany Sweet stole a four point 6th end on the way to a 9-3 victory over Amanda MacLean in the girl's final.
Other members of the Matthew MacLean rink are Marshall Smallman, Kevin Gallant, and Alan MacLean, with coaches Glen MacLean and Shannon Smallman. Playing with runner-up Clements were Mitchell Rowley, Brandon Clements, and Mark Cousins, with coach Keith Rowley.
Photo (R-L): Matthew MacLean, Marshall Smallman, Kevin Gallant, Alan MacLean, coaches Shannon Smallman and Glen MacLean
Rounding out the Tiffany Sweet foursome are Chantal Clements, Kathleen O'Meara, Vanessa Dennis, and coach Rushell MacDonald, while Kassinda Bulger, Emily Gray, and Stacey Gay played on the runner-up Amanda MacLean team, which is coached by Glen MacLean and Shelley Gray.
Photo (R-L): Tiffany Sweet, Chantal Clements, Kathleen O'Meara, Vanessa Dennis, coach Rushell MacDonald
On Sunday, Sweet won the Page 1 vs 1 game, between the winners of the two round robin pools, by a 10-2 score over Maple Leaf clubmate Emma Cousins, to advance directly to today's final. MacLean defeated Megan Davies of Charlottetown 6-1 in the 2 vs 2 game to advance to the semi-final game against Cousins. In the semi, MacLean defeated Cousins 7-3 to earn a berth in the championship game.
In the boy's division, the MacLean rink advanced to the final with a 6-3 win over the Patrick Shepherd team from Charottetown in the 1 vs 1 game. Clements scored five points in the last end to beat Jeffrey Taylor of Cornwall 9-2 in the 2 vs 2 game. In the semi, Clements earned his spot in the final by beating Shepherd 7-4.
Nine boys teams, and eight girls rinks took part in the event.
Bill Hope rink wins M&M Meat Shops PEI Mixed
Posted Monday, March 10, 2008 by derekm
The Bill Hope rink from the Charlottetown Curling Club will be going up north to Iqaluit as the winners of the M&M Meat Shops PEI Mixed Curling Championship this afternoon at the Cornwall Curling Club.
L-R: Angus Davies (Cornwall's PEI Curling Association representative), Shelley Ebbett, Jeff Gallant, Sandy Hope, Bill Hope, Greg Lucas (Executive Director, PEI Curling Association)
They defeated the Rob Young rink from the host club by a 7-1 score in the B final of this double-knockout event. As Hope had previously won the A final 10-4 over defending champion Kyle Stevenson of Charlottetown, a final game between the A and B winners, scheduled for tonight, is not needed. In today's game, Hope lead 4-1 at the half, and picked up a triple in the sixth to lead 7-1 and bring the game to a speedy conclusion.
Hope advanced to the B final by beating Charlottetown clubmate and 1989 Canadian Mixed champion Robert Campbell 7-4 Sunday evening, while Young knocked out Stevenson with an 8-3 win.
Playing with Bill Hope are Sandy Hope, Jeff Gallant, and Shelley Ebbett, while Lorianne Davies, Mark MacDonald, and Melody Beck round out the runner-up Rob Young team. Sixteen teams began play on Friday in this event.
The Canadian Curling Association announced today that the 2009 Canadian Mixed will be held November 9-16, 2008, in Iqaluit, Nunavut. The CCA will be the first sport association to host a national championship (summer or winter) in Nunavut.
Nunavut to host Canadian Mixed, its 1st ever national sport ch'ship
Posted Monday, March 10, 2008 by derekm
March 10, 2008�A major development in the territory of Nunavut occurred today when the *Canadian Curling Association* (CCA) announced that it will be the first sport association to host a national championship (summer or winter) in Nunavut.
The *2009 Canadian Mixed Curling Championship, presented by First Air*, will be held at the *Arniatok Arena in Iqaluit from November 9 � 16, 2008*. This will mark the 46th edition of the Canadian Mixed, a championship which began in Toronto in 1964 and won a leading nine times by Alberta, including the 2008 edition played last November in Calgary.
Photo: Iqaluit
"We are extremely pleased to have the opportunity to be a sport leader in Nunavut and be able to showcase our great sport to Iqaluit and Nunavut," said *Greg Stremlaw, Chief Executive Officer of the CCA*. "We want to work closely with the communities of the north and have worked hard to create this opportunity which will only help grow the sport in Nunavut and give further opportunities for aboriginal peoples to participate. Nunavut has one of the highest per capita ratios of young Canadians in our country and the hosting of this event will promote our product to an integral demographic for our future."
*Hunter Tootoo, MLA Iqaluit Centre*, stated, "I would like to sincerely thank the CCA for showing the leadership to select Iqualuit as the host for the 2009 Canadian Mixed Curling Championship. I know the city of Iqaluit will put on a first-class event for this first national championship ever to be held here in Nunavut. This presents a chance to get our communities more involved with curling, both recreationally and beyond."
*Elisapee Sheutiapik, the Mayor of Iqaluit,* echoed similar sentiments, "As Mayor of the City of Iqaluit, I am ecstatic that the CCA wishes to host the 2009 Canadian Mixed in Iqaluit. This would be the first event of its kind in our city and the benefits to the city and its residents will be tremendous. I am extremely excited about this opportunity."
*First Air *will be the presenting sponsor of the Mixed and was instrumental in allowing the championship to be placed in Iqaluit. The company's significant assistance enabled the CCA to maintain its budget while being fiscally prudent with its site selection.
"It does not take a big community to host a national championship � just a community with a big heart�and Iqaluit certainly has that!" proclaimed *First Air President, Jim Ballingall*.
Similar to last year, two members of the winning team will then represent Canada at the 2009 world mixed doubles championship, slated for April 17-25 in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.
Skip Dean Ross and third Susan O'Connor, who teamed to win the 2008 Canadian Mixed in Calgary last November, are currently representing Canada at the inaugural world mixed doubles championship, taking place in Vierum�ki, Finland, March 8-16.
With today's announcement, the Championship curling events confirmed to date for the 2008-09 season in Canada are as follows:
2009 Canadian Mixed, November 9-16, 2008, Iqaluit, Nunavut
2008 Continental Cup, December 18-21, Camrose, AB
2009 M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors, January 31-February 8, Salmon Arm, BC
2009 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, February 21-March 1, Victoria, BC
2009 World Juniors, March 5-15, Vancouver, BC
2009 Tim Hortons Brier, March 7-15, Calgary, AB
2009 Canada Cup, March 18-22, Yorkton, SK
2009 Ford World Men's, April 4-12, Moncton, NB
Saskatchewan staying with the lead pack at Brier. PEI 0-3.
Posted Monday, March 10, 2008 by derekm
Sunday, March 09, 2008 Source: Canadian Curling Association
Saskatchewan's Pat Simmons is giving his province something to cheer about at the Tim Hortons Brier Canadian men's curling championship in Winnipeg.
Simmons and his team from the Davidson Curling Club � third Jeff Sharp, second Gerry Adam and lead Steve Laycock � improved to 3-0, part of a four-way tie for the lead, on Sunday night with an 8-4 win over Bob Ursel of B.C.
It's the first time a Saskatchewan team has opened the Brier with three straight victories since Jim Packet did it in 1989.
"So far, so good," said Simmons, who's tied for the lead at 3-0 with Kevin Martin of Alberta, Kerry Burtnyk of Manitoba and Glenn Howard of Ontario, who all had byes. "I would officially call it a pretty good start now. It looked like we played a little bit better tonight, and hopefully we keep going in the right direction."
B.C. remained winless at 0-3 after the loss.
Newfoundland/Labrador's Brad Gushue, meanwhile, got into the win column after a 7-5 win over Eric Harnden of Northern Ontario. Gushue's St. John's team recorded a crucial steal of one in the seventh end, and put the game away with a deuce in the ninth end. Both teams are at 1-2.
In other Draw 5 play, New Brunswick's James Grattan picked up his first win of the Brier, scoring a 9-4 victory over Chad Cowan of the Yukon/Northwest Territories. The result left both teams with a 1-2 record.
And in the other game, Quebec's Jean-Michel Menard stole five in the first end, three more in the second and added four in the fourth in a 13-2 rout of Nova Scotia's Brian Rafuse. Both teams moved to 1-2.
P.E.I.'s Peter Gallant (0-3) also had a bye in Draw 5.
Play at the the Tim Hortons Brier resumes Monday, with games scheduled for 10:30 a.m., 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. (all times Atlantic; curltv.com will show the morning draw, while the latter two draws will be on TSN.
Scotland wins World Junior women; Sweden silver, Canada bronze
Posted Monday, March 10, 2008 by derekm
OSTERSUND -- Scotland won its second straight global junior women's
title with a 12-3 thrashing of hosts Sweden at the 2008 World Junior
Curling Championships.
Seventeen year-old Eve Muirhead and teammates Kerry Barr, Vicki Adams,
Kay Adams and Sarah Macintyre had lost two previous games to Sweden's
Cissi Ostlund, including Saturday's 8-2 defeat in the semifinal.
In the final, it was all Scotland all the time as Muirhead's troops
scored two in the second end, stole another two in the third, and
stole a whopping six points in the sixth frame.
"It feels really good," said a nonchalant Muirhead, who shrugged off
spectator chants to "kiss the ice" after the match.
"We knew early on if we could just stay on top of things we'd be fine."
Muirhead and Macintyre won the 2007 world junior crown with skip Sarah
Reid. It marked the first back-to-back global junior women's victories
for Scotland since Gillian Barr and Kirsty Hay turned the trick in
1992 and 1993, respectively.
Alternate Kay Adams stepped in to replace her sister Vicki on the even
of the playoffs, after Vicki suffered a fall and injured her leg.
"It was really hard at the time but Kate played really, really well,"
said Muirhead.
Murihead's brother Glen skipped the men's team in Ostersund, which
suffered an entirely different result. Scotland's junior men finished
2-7 and will have to survive next year's European Junior Challenge
tournament in Taarnby, Denmark.
Ostlund had an impressive week in claiming silver. Sweden had not
qualified for the World Juniors and would not have been competing if
they were not the host nation of this year's championship.
The bronze medal went to Canada's Kaitlyn Lawes, who bravely shrugged
off a challenging week - and a 5-0 deficit after three ends - to
defeat Russia 9-8 to finish third.
Lawes stole a huge three points in the fifth end and following a
Russian steal in the seventh, the Canadians grabbed another three in
the eighth. In the final end, Russian skip Liudmila Privivkova missed
a hit and roll attempt and Canada confirmed their winning deuce
without having to throw their final stone.
"I'm just a little relieved," said Lawes.
"It's been such an amazing experience. We're so happy we're able to
come here and medal."
The Russians, who won the 2006 World Junior women's title, stole three
points in the third end to build their 5-0 lead.
"Oh geez, I'm not sure what happened," said Lawes. "My rock just
didn't curl in a spot where it had been curling."
Lawes said the world event was an eye-opener for her squad.
"It's unreal, there's nothing like it whatsoever," said Lawes.
"They say it's so hard to come out of Canada, but all these European
teams are phenomenal. They're awesome. Everyone here deserves to be
here."
Norway and Germany finished at the bottom of the standings and will
have to qualify for the 2009 World Juniors from the 2009 European
Junior Challenge.
Next year's World Junior Curling Championship will be hosted at the
2010 Olympic and Paralympic venue in Vancouver, Canada.
--
Linescore
sco 022 016 10x x-12
swe *100 100 01x x-3
Final Standings
Scotland 9-3 - Gold
Sweden 8-3 - Silver
Canada 7-6 - Bronze
Russia 7-5
Denmark (Madeleine Dupont) 5-5
Switzerland (Michele Jaeggi) 4-5
Japan (Satsuki Fujisawa) 3-6
United States (Nina Spatola) 3-6
Norway (Anneline Skarsmoen) 3-6 - Norway must qualify for 2009 Worlds
Germany (Frederike Templin) 2-7 - Germany must qualify for 2009
Worlds
return to headlines
United States wins World Junior men's title
Posted Monday, March 10, 2008 by derekm
OSTERSUND -- The United States captured only its third global junior
men's title - and first since 1984 - with a 7-5 victory over hosts
Sweden on the final day of the 2008 World Junior Curling Championship.
Skip Chris Plys, competing in his third consecutive World Juniors,
stole a huge deuce to open the match against Sweden's Oskar Eriksson
before snapping a three-ender in the third end for a 5-2 lead. The
Americans then blanked two ends and held Sweden to a single in the
sixth.
In the seventh, Plys missed a short runback to score a bunch and
Sweden stole one to close the gap to 5-4. But a U.S. deuce in the
eighth put the score to 7-4 and the countdown was on.
"This is the best feeling ever, I can't really describe it," said Plys.
"Many good teams don't get a chance to come here."
The Americans were the third team to finish atop the standings at 7-2,
but were clearly the quietest. All eyes were on Sweden and their young
(16-year-old) skip Eriksson, while Canada's William Dion made noise
with first-place honours in the round-robin.
But it was the U.S. which gathered momentum through the playoffs,
dispatching Norway in the Page 3 versus 4 playoff game and upsetting
Canada in the semifinal.
It was a day of double disappointment for Sweden, as women's skip
Cissi Ostlund came out flat against a resurgent Scotland to lose the
ladies' final 12-3. It was the fourth consecutive men's silver medal
in a row for Sweden, while Swedish junior women have won four silvers
this decade, in addition to one gold (in 2000) and two bronze.
Canada's Dion, like his women's counterpart Kaitlyn Lawes, recovered
from a crushing loss in the semifinals to win the bronze medal. The
Canadians took out Norway's Kristian Rolvsfjord 5-3 by scoring five
singles in the match, including a steal of one in the second end.
Rolvsfjord was held to just three singles, including a missed double
attempt for two in the ninth end.
"That was our game," said Dion. "That's exactly how we did it at
provincials, at nationals, all year. if we had done that yesterday, we
would have been on the middle sheet today."
"A lot of people told me it's easier here than in Canada, but it's
not. This is tougher. We didn't see these teams in Canada.
"It's a super great experience. It's great to be third in the world.
It's much better than fourth."
Throughout the week, Curlingkanalen.se - which means "curling maniacs"
in Swedish - webstreamed live games via the internet, while the
playoff rounds saw Eurosport.se also pick up the Curlingkanalen feed.
Next year's 2009 World Juniors will be hosted at the official 2010
Olympic and Paralympic curling venue in Vancouver, Canada.
--
Linescores
Men's Championship
SWE *020 001 101 x-5
USA 203 000 020 x-7
Men's Bronze
NOR 000 010 101 x-3
CAN *110 101 010 x-5
FINAL STANDINGS
United States 10-2 - Gold
Sweden 8-3 - Silver
Canada 8-4 - Bronze
Norway 6-6
Switzerland (Manuel Ruch) 5-5
Germany (Daniel Neuner) 4-5
Denmark (Rasmus Stjerne) 4-5
China (Jialang Zang) 3-6
Scotland (Glen Muirhead) 2-7 - Scotland must qualify for 2009 World Jrs
Czech Republic 1-8 - Czech Republic must qualify for 2009
World Jrs
return to headlines
15 and Under Finals moved ahead to today
Posted Monday, March 10, 2008 by derekm
At the request of the players, the finals have been changed from Tuesday until this afternoon at 4:30 in the M&M Meat Shops Provincial 15 and Under Curling Championships.
All four teams in the finals are from the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O'Leary.
On the girl's side, Tiffany Sweet won the Page 1 vs 1 game, between the winners of the two round robin pools, by a 10-2 score over Maple Leaf clubmate Emma Cousins, to advance directly to Monday's final. Amanda MacLean, also from the O'Leary club, defeated Megan Davies of Charlottetown 6-1 in the 2 vs 2 game to advance to the Sunday semi-final game against Cousins. In the semi, MacLean defeated Cousins 7-3 to earn a berth in the championship game.
In the boy's division, the Matthew MacLean rink from the Maple Leaf advanced to the final with a 6-3 win over the Patrick Shepherd team from Charottetown in the 1 vs 1 game. Defending champion Parker Clements of the Maple Leaf club scored five points in the last end to beat Jeffrey Taylor of Cornwall 9-2 in the 2 vs 2 game. In the semi, Clements earned a spot in the final by beating Shepherd 7-4.
Bill Hope and Rob Young rinks to square off in M&M Meat Shops PEI Mixed Final round
Posted Sunday, March 9, 2008 by derekm
Kyle Stevenson of the Charlottetown Curling Club will not get a chance to repeat as PEI Mixed champion, after losing the "A" final of this double knockout event 10-4 to Charlottetown clubmate Bill Hope on Saturday, and dropping his second game this evening, 8-3 to Rob Young of the host Cornwall Curling Club. Young will now face Hope in the "B" final Monday at 1:30 pm. Hope beat Charlottetown clubmate and 1989 Canadian Mixed champion Robert Campbell 7-4 this evening, stealing three points in the last two ends to advance to the "B" final against Young. If Hope wins the "B" final tomorrow, he will take the championship. If Young wins, they will square off in a sudden-death final at 7 pm, with the winning rink advancing to the 2009 Canadian Mixed.
Playing with Bill Hope are Sandy Hope, Jeff Gallant, and Shelley Ebbett, while Lorianne Davies, Mark MacDonald, and Melody Beck round out the Young team from Cornwall. Sixteen teams began play on Friday in this event.
Faith LeClair and Daryl MacDonald rinks win PEI Intermediate Ch'ships
Posted Sunday, March 9, 2008 by derekm
After a one-week delay due to a storm last weekend, the PEI Intermediate Curling Championships have wrapped up at the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O'Leary.
The Daryl MacDonald foursome from the host Maple Leaf club stole four points in the sixth end as they went on to defeat the Barry Cameron rink from the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club by a 7-3 score in the men's final. MacDonald beat clubmate Clair Sweet 9-6 in the semi-final to advance to the final game against Cameron, who got there by beating Sweet 7-5 in the Page 1 vs 2 game earlier on Sunday. MacDonald got by Paul Matheson of the Fox 7-6 in the Page 3 vs 4 game to advance to the semi. Playing with MacDonald were Glen Betts, Lowell Morrison, and Joey Ellworth. Betts and Ellsworth had a busy week of curling, finishing in third place in the Provincial Stick Curling Championships, which wrapped up on Wednesday. Rounding out the runner-up Cameron team were Kevin Ellsworth, Steven Arsenault, and Andrew Windsor. Seven men's rinks took part in the event, created to give up-and-coming curlers experience in competitive curling. Cameron, MacDonald, and Sweet had 4-2 round-robin win-loss records, while Matheson was 3-3.
It was an all-Summerside women's final, with Faith LeClair doubling Silver Fox clubmate Sheila Compton by a 6-3 score, aided by a steal of three in the fourth end. Jennifer Compton, Cindy Howard, and Flo Birch complete the winning LeClair foursome, while Debbie MacMurdo, Paula Baglole, and Heather Bernard were the other members of the runner-up Compton team.
LeClair went undefeated in the four-team event, finishing round robin play with a 3-0 win-loss record, and beating Compton 10-3 in the Page 1 vs 2 game to advance to the final. Compton finished the round robin at 2-1, losing 10-2 to LeClair in their encounter. She then beat Page 3-4 winner Bev Shaw of the Maple Leaf club 7-2 in the semi-final to earn a berth in the final.
M&M Meat Shops 15 and Under Finals Set-All 4 teams are from the Maple Leaf club
Posted Sunday, March 9, 2008 by derekm
The finals are set for Monday at 4:30 pm in the M&M Meat Shops Provincial 15 and Under Curling Championships, with all four teams coming from the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O'Leary. A power outage delayed Sunday's games at the Crapaud Community Curling Club, but the two draws were played after the delay.
On the girl's side, Tiffany Sweet won the Page 1 vs 1 game, between the winners of the two round robin pools, by a 10-2 score over Maple Leaf clubmate Emma Cousins, to advance directly to Monday's final. Amanda MacLean, also from the O'Leary club, defeated Megan Davies of Charlottetown 6-1 in the 2 vs 2 game to advance to the semi-final game against Cousins. In the semi, MacLean defeated Cousins 7-3 to earn a berth in the championship game.
In the boy's division, the Matthew MacLean rink from the Maple Leaf advanced to the final with a 6-3 win over the Patrick Shepherd team from Charottetown in the 1 vs 1 game. Defending champion Parker Clements of the Maple Leaf club scored five points in the last end to beat Jeffrey Taylor of Cornwall 9-2 in the 2 vs 2 game. In the semi, Clements earned a spot in the final by beating Shepherd 7-4.
Alberta, Ontario, Manitoba on an early roll at Brier. PEI at 0-3
Posted Sunday, March 9, 2008 by derekm
Sunday, March 09, 2008 Source: Canadian Curling Association
Kevin Martin and his Alberta champions from Edmonton are on cruise control at the Tim Hortons Brier Canadian men's curling championship in Winnipeg.
The two-time Brier champ, who's backed up by third John Morris, second Marc Kennedy and lead Ben Hebert, racked up two more wins on Sunday to stay in a three-way tie with Ontario's Glenn Howard and Manitoba's Kerry Burtnyk for first place at 3-0.
Alberta capped its perfect weekend with an 8-7 win over James Grattan of New Brunswick. Alberta scored three in the second, added a deuce in the fourth and put the win away with three in the eighth end. New Brunswick dropped to 0-2 after the loss.
"That was a tight game, but we were in control. That was good," said Martin. " We've played really well the first five ends, we haven't got ourselves in trouble, and then we've been kind of riding it home. So far so good."
In other Draw 4 play, both Ontario and Manitoba needed extra ends to keep pace with Alberta.
Ontario jumped out to an early lead with a steal of three in the second, but gave three back to Quebec's Jean-Michel Menard before finally pulling out an 8-7 win in 11 ends. The loss left Quebec with an 0-2 record.
Manitoba, meanwhile, had to work hard to get past Nova Scotia's Brian Rafuse by the same 8-7 count in 11 ends. Nova Scotia's record evened out at 1-1 with the loss.
In the other afternoon tilt, Chad Cowan of the Yukon/Northwest Territories stole one in the seventh end and two more in the eighth in an 8-6 triumph over Eric Harnden of Northern Ontario. Both teams are at 1-1.
Saskatchewan's Pat Simmons (2-0), B.C.'s Bob Ursel (0-2), Newfoundland/Labrador's Brad Gushue (0-2) and Prince Edward Island's Peter Gallant (0-3) all had byes in Draw 4.
Play at the the Tim Hortons Brier resumes Sunday evening with the 9 p.m. Atlantic draw, which will be shown by TSN.
On Sunday morning, after three years of frustration, Saskatchewan's Pat Simmons got off to a hot start as the chiropractor from Moose Jaw and his team from the Davidson Curling Club � third Jeff Sharp, second Gerry Adam and lead Steve Laycock � moved into a four-way tie for first place at 2-0 by beating Peter Gallant of Prince Edward Island 8-5.
Simmons had never won his opening game in three previous trips to the Brier; he joins a leading pack at 2-0 that includes Alberta's Kevin Martin, Ontario's Glenn Howard and Manitoba's Kerry Burtnyk.
"There are some small things to keep improving on, but these are games we're winning that another year we may not have, and that's a good sign," said Simmons. "And it's also a good sign that we know we can play a whole lot better."
P.E.I. completed its opening weekend with an 0-3 record.
While Ontario and Manitoba were idle on Sunday morning, Alberta rolled to an 8-4 win over B.C.'s Bob Ursel. Martin opened the game with three in the first end and never looked back. B.C. dropped to 0-2 with the loss.
Also enjoying byes Sunday morning were Northern Ontario's Eric Harnden (1-0), Nova Scotia's Brian Rafuse (1-0), New Brunswick's James Grattan (0-1), Quebec's Jean-Michel Menard (0-1), Chad Cowan of the Yukon/Northwest Territories (0-1) and Newfoundland/Labrador's Brad Gushue (0-2).
On Monday, draws are scheduled for 11:30 a.m., 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. Atlantic time. TSN will show the last two draws, while the morning draw will be available at curltv.com
15 and Under draws going at 4 and 7 pm
Posted Sunday, March 9, 2008 by derekm
The power is back on at the Crapaud Community Curling Club. The M&M Meat Shops Provincial 15 and Under Curling Championships draw originally scheduled for 1 pm will be played at 4 pm, followed by the semi-final draw at 7 pm.
return to headlines
Power outage causing delays with 15 and Under
Posted Sunday, March 9, 2008 by derekm
The power is out at the Crapaud Community Curling Club, and this will cause delays with today's M&M Meat Shops Provincial 15 and Under Curling Championship. Once the power comes back on, approximately five hours will be needed for the ice to recover. This means that the 1 pm draw is postponed until at least 6 pm, depending on whether or not the power is restored.
return to headlines
Perfect start for the home team - Manitoba beats PEI in Brier Draw 2 to go to 2-0
Posted Sunday, March 9, 2008 by derekm
Saturday, March 08, 2008 Source: Canadian Curling Association
The hometown heroes couldn't have asked for a better start to the Tim Hortons Brier Canadian men's curling championship in Winnipeg.
Kerry Burtnyk's Manitoba champs capped a perfect 2-0 day at the MTS Centre with a 6-3 triumph over Peter Gallant of Prince Edward Island in a game in which Burtnyk was scored at 92 per cent while vice-skip Dan Kammerlock was at 91.
Burtnyk and Co. stole singles in the first three ends en route to the victory, marking a dandy debut for the three rookie members of the team � Kammerlock, second Richard Daneault and lead Garth Smith.
"I was very impressed with the way they curled today," said Burtnyk, a two-time Brier champion. "Not only Brier rookies, but curling in front of their hometown crowd, I think they really answered some questions today."
The Islanders dropped to 0-2 with the setback.
Manitoba shares the lead with Ontario's Glenn Howard, who moved to 2-0 by taking down Brad Gushue of Newfoundland/Labrador 8-1. Ontario stole a pair in the third end when Gushue was heavy on a draw, and added a fifth-end deuce to put the game out of reach, dropping Newfoundland/Labrador to 0-2.
In other Draw 2 play, Alberta's Kevin Martin opened the Brier with a solid 6-5 win over 2006 champ Jean-Michel Menard of Quebec, a game in which Martin was scored at 93 per cent while third John Morris was at 96 per cent, despite breaking a bone in his throwing hand two weeks ago. It was the opening game for both teams.
In the other evening-draw game, Nova Scotia's Brian Rafuse made a runback double takeout to score three in the fourth end and hung on for an 8-7 victory over James Grattan of New Brunswick in the first assignment for both squads.
Northern Ontario's Eric Harnden (1-0), Saskatchewan's Pat Simmons (1-0), B.C.'s Bob Ursel and Chad Cowan of the Yukon/Northwest Territories (0-1) all had byes in the late draw.
Play at the the Tim Hortons Brier resumes Sunday, with games scheduled for 10:30 a.m., 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. Atlantic (curltv.com will show the morning draw, while the latter two draws will be on TSN.
Champs open with pair of wins, while PEI starts with 2 losses at Brier
Posted Saturday, March 8, 2008 by derekm
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Source: Canadian Curling Association
Reigning Canadian and world champion Glenn Howard opened his title defence at the Tim Hortons Brier with a victory on a snowy Saturday afternoon at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg.
Howard and his Coldwater and District Curling Club foursome � third Richard Hart, second Brent Laing and lead Craig Savill � shook off a slow start to roll up an 8-4 victory over Bob Ursel of B.C.
The Lotuslanders had jumped out to an early 3-1 lead with a fourth-end deuce, but Ontario bounced back with singles in the fifth and sixth ends, a stolen deuce in the seventh and three more in the eighth and cruised home with the victory.
"That was a great character-builder, I think," said Howard. "I thought the first five ends, B.C. outplayed us. They played terrific, and we played OK. We missed a couple shots and they capitalized. We had our hands full. The thing is, we hung in there, put a little pressure on them and Jim (B.C.'s last-rock thrower Jim Cotter) missed a couple shots we didn't expect him to miss."
In other first-draw play, hometown favourite Kerry Burtnyk sent the fans home happy after knocking off Chad Cowan of the Yukon/Northwest Territories 6-5. Burtnyk opened the game with two in the first end � he had a chance at three but rolled out on an open hit � and never looked back against the Northerners.
Northern Ontario's Eric Harnden got out to a winning start; he stole a pair in the seventh end and hung on for an 8-5 triumph over Prince Edward Island's Peter Gallant.
In the other first-draw tilt, Saskatchewan's Pat Simmons scored four in the fifth end on the way to a 7-6 win over Brad Gushue of Newfoundland/Labrador.
Alberta's Kevin Martin, New Brunswick's James Grattan, Nova Scotia's Brian Rafuse and Quebec's Jean-Michel Menard all had first-round byes.
Play resumed at 9 pm Atlantic. Howard picked up another win, 8-1 over Newfoundland and Labrador's Brad Gushue, while PEI lost 6-3 to Kerry Burtnyk of Manitoba. In other games, Nova Scotia's Brian Rafuse edged New Brunswick's James Grattan 8-7, and Kevin Martin of Alberta beat Jean Michael Menard of Quebec 6-5.
On Sunday, games are scheduled for 10:30 a.m., 4 p.m. and 9 p.m Atlantic; curltv.com will show the morning draw, while the latter two draws will be on TSN.
Rough day for Canada at World Juniors
Posted Saturday, March 8, 2008 by derekm
Sweden through to both World Junior finals
Canada drops to semi and bronze matches
OSTERSUND -- It was a great day for host Sweden at the 2008 World
Junior Curling Championships.
Both the men's and women's teams won their respective Page playoff
matches and are through to the World Junior Championship finals on
Sunday.
Cissi Ostlund's women's team scored a deuce and added three stolen
points through the final ends in an emphatic 8-2 victory over
Scotland. Eva Muirhead, who won World Junior gold a year ago in
Eveleth, USA, could only muster two single points in the match.
The Scots were also without regular second Vicki Adams, who picked up
a leg injury yesterday. Alternate Kay Adams, Vicki's sister, made her
tournament debut.
"It feels great," said a jublant Ostlund. "It's one of the absolute
best feelings."
Swedish third Sara Carlsson spent a year working in Scotland, and
returned to Sweden "Because I missed my curling team so much," she said.
However, Carlsson's year away has left her with a surprising Scottish
accent.
"I still say 'Oh, Crikey Mikey' and a few other things that are pure
Scotland," said Carlsson. "I guess it's pretty funny.
"I don't even understand her when she speaks English," said Ostlund.
Sweden will play the winner of Saturday night's semifinal between
Scotland and Russia. Liudmila Privivkova's 2006 World Junior champions
defeated Canada's Kaitlyn Lawes 7-5 in the other Page playoff game,
scoring two deuces and adding key stolen points in the fifth and eighth.
The Canadians, who staggered into the playoffs after an uneven week,
will compete for the bronze medal on Sunday morning.
"We had a good start and played really well the first five ends," said
an emotional Lawes. "But the ice started to fudge on us. They caught
on and we didn't.
Lawes had a tricky draw for two in the ninth end to close the gap to a
single point, but the stone ran straight on the wide side of the house
and she was forced to settle for one.
"It's disappointing but we're a team that bounces back. We came here
to play. We came here for a medal and we're winning bronze tonight."
Canada's men's team were also disappointed as Sweden's young superstar
skip Oskar Eriksson led his team to a 9-6 victory in the men's Page 1
versus 2 playoff game.
The Swedes scored four deuces to Canada's sole multiple tally, a
three-ender scored in the fourth.
"It feels great," said the 16 year-old Eriksson, in an exact echo of
Ostund's words.
"It was a slow start, but the last ends were beautiful. We know that
if we play a good end we'll get the deuce."
The Canadians pushed hard in the ninth end for a winning deuce of
their own, but skip William Dion faced a house crowded with Swedish
stones and multiple guards on both his attempts.
"We played some little mistakes, we had one or two bad angles out
there," said Dion.
"We still have another chance. It's no big deal."
Sweden is through to Sunday's final while Canada meets the United
States in Saturday night's semifinal. Chris Plys of the U.S. led his
squad to a solid 7-3 win over Norway in the men's Page 3 versus 4
playoff game, piling on the offense with a 5-2 lead after seven ends.
"That was a good game, it was closer than the scoreboard showed," said
Plys.
Organizers in Ostersund scheduled all four Page playoff games for the
same Saturday afternoon draw, which led to a packed arena full of
noisy, colourful fans.
Saturday night's semifinals and the Sunday bronze and gold medal
championship matches can be viewed through curlingkanalen.se or
eurosport.se
--
Page Playoff Linescores
WOMEN 1vs2
sco 001 010 00x x-2
swe *010 201 13x x-8
WOMEN 3 vs4
rus *100 210 210 x-7
can 003 001 001 x-5
MEN 1vs2
SWE 002 020 102 1-8
CAN *010 301 010 0-6
MEN 3vs4
NOR 020 000 010 x-3
USA *200 100 202 x-7
Rink seeks Brier Glory (Guardian)
Posted Saturday, March 8, 2008 by derekm
P.E.I.�s Peter Gallant squad appears up for the challenge
CHARLES REID
The Guardian
Well, it�s Brier time again and winning the Canadian men�s curling championship still isn�t any easier.
The 2008 version in Winnipeg, Man., runs Saturday through March 16 and P.E.I.�s representative, the Peter Gallant rink from the Charlottetown Curling Club, understand its uphill battle to plant the Island�s flag in the trophy.
Click to read this story in today's Guardian.
Other stories (Guardian/CanWest News Service):
Brier Predictions Brier pretenders, contenders Brier Schedule, Rosters
Howard, Martin, Gushue, Menard and Burtnyk top 2008 Tim Hortons Brier field
Posted Wednesday, March 5, 2008 by derekm
Wednesday, March 05, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
March 5, 2008�A tremendous field of Brier winners, world champions and Olympic gold medallists is set to battle at the Tim Hortons Brier, presented by Monsanto, March 8-16 at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg.
It�s a veteran line-up for the 79th edition of the Canadian men�s curling championship, which returns to Winnipeg for a fifth time, but first since 1998, when held at the Winnipeg Arena and won by Ontario�s Wayne Middaugh. Winnipeg joins Toronto, Calgary, Halifax, Saskatoon and Edmonton as the only other cities to host the Brier at least five times since it began in 1927 in Toronto.
Returning as the defending Canadian and world champion is Ontario�s Glenn Howard. Last year, his Coldwater and District Curling Club team of third Richard Hart, second Brent Laing and lead Craig Savill won both the Tim Hortons Brier in Hamilton and the Ford world men�s in Edmonton. Howard, a three-time world champion, after earlier victories as third for brother Russ Howard in 1987 and 1993, will be making his 10th Brier appearance while seeking a 10th victory for Ontario.
Alberta will be represented for the third year in a row by 2002 Olympic silver medallist Kevin Martin of Edmonton, who won the 1991 Labatt Brier in Hamilton in his Canadian men�s curling championship debut, then took the 1997 renewal in Calgary. Alberta has won 22 Briers, the last by Randy Ferbey in 2005. Martin makes his ninth Brier appearance.
Newfoundland and Labrador�s 27-year-old Brad Gushue of St. John's, who won Olympic gold in 2006 in Turin, Italy, along with his third Mark Nichols, will be making his fifth Brier appearance. Last year, Gushue, also a 2001 world junior champion, finished the runner-up, losing the final to Howard, 10-6 in Hamilton. He will be trying to win just a second title for his province since Jack MacDuff shocked the curling world with a victory in 1976 in Regina.
Host province Manitoba, which has won a leading 26 Briers, will be represented by two-time Brier winner and former world champion Kerry Burtnyk of Winnipeg. Burtnyk, who captured the 1981 and 1995 Briers, along with the 1995 Ford Worlds, still owns the record for being the youngest skip to ever win the Brier, at 22 years of age in 1981. Manitoba�s last Brier victory came courtesy of Jeff Stoughton in 1999 in Edmonton.
Jean-Michel M�nard once again will represent Quebec at the Brier for the third time as skip. In 2006 in Regina, M�nard upset Glenn Howard in the final, giving his province just a second Brier triumph. He went on to Lowell, Massachusetts, where he earned a silver medal for Canada at the world men�s, losing to Scotland�s David Murdoch in the final.
Completing the field are British Columbia�s Bob Ursel of Kelowna, the 1984 Canadian junior and 1985 world junior champion making his third trip to the Brier, Saskatchewan�s Pat Simmons of Davidson, in his fourth consecutive Brier appearance, New Brunswick�s James Grattan of Oromocto, the third-place finisher at the 1997 Brier in Calgary, now making his sixth appearance, Northern Ontario�s Eric Harnden of Sault Ste. Marie, who is joined by two sons, E.J. and Ryan, at third and second, respectively, in his third trip to the Brier, Nova Scotia�s Brian Rafuse of Bridgewater, who previously played in the 1996 Brier, Prince Edward Island�s Peter Gallant of Charlottetown, who returns as the defending provincial champion in his ninth Brier appearance and Chad Cowan of Whitehorse, representing the Yukon/Northwest Territories for the third time.
After the conclusion of the 12-team round robin, the top four teams advance to the Page Playoffs, whereby the first and second place teams meet in one game (winner to final, loser to semi-final) while the third and fourth place finishers meet in another game (winner to semi-final, loser eliminated).
There will be extensive national television coverage of the Tim Hortons Brier. TSN will air the afternoon and evening draws during the first six days of the round robin (March 8-13), followed by the Page Playoff games on Friday, March 14. CBC-TV will televise the semi-final Saturday, March 15 at 1:30 CT/3:30 pm Atlantic time and the final on Sunday, March 16 at 5:30 pm CT/7:30 pm AT. It�s the sixth consecutive year that the Brier final has been televised live in Eastern prime time.
CurlTV (www.curltv.com <http://www.curltv.com> ) will webcast a number of games throughout the week to its subscribers.
The winner of the Tim Hortons Brier will then represent Canada at the world men�s curling championship, April 5-13 at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota, seeking a leading 31st title for Canada since 1959.
The winning Brier team also earns a berth into the 2008 Continental Cup, December 18-21 in Camrose Alberta, the 2009 Canada Cup in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, March 18-22 and also becomes one of 16 teams eligible for the 2009 Tim Hortons Canadian Curling Trials, which will determine Canada�s representatives for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
In addition, the winning team receives $144,000 in Sport Canada funding over a two-year period, and, for the fourth consecutive year, the four Brier playoff teams will receive money for television cresting value: $40,000 to each of the two finalist teams, with $30,000 to third and $20,000 to fourth.
The popular Ford Hot Shots, the curling skills competition, gets underway Friday, March 7 with the preliminary round from 1:00 � 4:30 pm. The playoffs take place Saturday at 12 Noon, following the Opening Ceremonies (10:30 am), with the winner receiving a two-year lease on a new 2008 Ford Fusion SEL V6, valued at approximately $15,240. The second place finisher earns $2,000 while the third place finisher receives $1,000. The first draw gets underway at 2:00 pm CT/4:00 pm AT.
The Brier began in 1927 in Toronto and has been played in 31 different cities across Canada, from Victoria to St. John�s. Manitoba has won a leading 26 times, while Alberta is next with 22. New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Yukon/Northwest Territories have yet to win. The Brier attendance record of 281,985 was set in Edmonton in 2005. In 1998 in Winnipeg, the Brier attracted 147,017.
Up-to-the-minute draw results will be available on the CCA website (www.curling.ca).
2008 TIM HORTONS BRIER, MARCH 8-16, MTS CENTRE, WINNIPEG, MANITOBA
(Teams listed in order of skip, third, second, lead, fifth and coach)
ALBERTA � Saville Sports Centre, Edmonton
Kevin Martin
John Morris
Marc Kennedy
Ben Hebert
Adam Enright
Jules Owchar
BRITISH COLUMBIA � Kelowna CC, Kelowna
Bob Ursel (third rocks)
Jim Cotter (fourth rocks)
Kevin Folk
Rick Sawatsky
Tom Buchy
Jim Ursel
MANITOBA � Assiniboine Memorial CC, Winnipeg
Kerry Burtnyk
Dan Kammerlock
Richard Daneault
Garth Smith
Reid Carruthers
Rob Meakin
NEW BRUNSWICK � Gage Golf & Curling Association, Oromocto
James Grattan
Mike Kennedy
Jason Vaughan
Peter Case
Andy McCann
Dean Grattan
NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR � Bally Haly Golf & CC, St. John�s
Brad Gushue
Mark Nichols
Chris Schille
David Noftall
Glenn Goss
Geoff Cunningham
NORTHERN ONTARIO � Soo Curlers Association, Sault Ste. Marie
Eric Harnden
E.J. Harnden
Ryan Harnden
Caleb Flaxey
Brad Jacobs
Ross Boston
NOVA SCOTIA� Bridgewater CC, Bridgewater
Brian Rafuse
Curt Palmer
Alan Darragh
Dave Slauenwhite
Glenn Josephson
Peter MacPhee
ONTARIO � Coldwater & District CC, Coldwater
Glenn Howard
Richard Hart
Brent Laing
Craig Savill
Steve Bice
Scott Taylor
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND � Charlottetown CC, Charlottetown
Peter Gallant
Kevin Champion
Mark O�Rourke
John Desrosiers
Mark Butler
Rod MacDonald
QUEBEC � Victoria CC, Ste-Foy & Etchemin CC, St-Romuald
Jean-Michel M�nard
Martin Cr�te
�ric Sylvain
Jean Gagnon
Philippe M�nard
Michel St-Onge
SASKATCHEWAN � Davidson CC, Davidson
Pat Simmons
Jeff Sharp
Gerry Adam
Steve Laycock
Warren Jackson
Barry Fiendell
YUKON/NORTHWEST TERRITORIES - Whitehorse CC, Whitehorse
Chad Cowan
Wade Scoffin
James Buyck
Clint Ireland
Doug Gee
Bill Tschirhart
Letter of Appreciation from Carl Delaney
Posted Wednesday, March 5, 2008 by derekm
LETTER OF APPRECIATION
TO THE STAFF & MEMBERS
SILVER FOX CURLING & YACHT CLUB
On behalf of Irene and I, we want to express our sincere appreciation for the superb planning and implementation you have done in the organization and presentation of my retirement party.
We were extremely impressed with everything especially the large turnout during our winter�s worst storm. This was a night to remember and we will carry the memories into retirement. The food and punch were so enticing that very few left before their bellies were full.
The tribute was coupled with a professional performance that we come to expect of the best Club in the Country. I take much pride in knowing that �we together� have accomplished so much and your acknowledgement of my personal efforts makes my years of hard work and dedication, worthwhile.
I will continue to volunteer in any capacity to assist our Community Complex in the future and look forward to continuing involvement with so many wonderful members and superb staff. It was this relationship and tremendous support that kept me as your General Manager for so many years.
Thanks again for the opportunity to work and serve such a tremendous facility.
Carl R Delaney
General Manager (ret)
Silver Fox Curling & Yacht Club
1991-2006
Stavert and Stratton repeat as PEI Stick Curling Champions
Posted Wednesday, March 5, 2008 by derekm
The Cornwall Curling Club duo of Ernie Stavert and Sterling Stratton finished round robin play with an 8-1 win-loss record, losing only their opening game, as they repeated as PEI Stick Curling Champions, today at the Western Community Curling Club in Alberton. Two teams, Howard Kerwin and Bob Leard from Montague, and Glen Betts and Joey Ellsworth from the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O'Leary, finished with 7-2 records. When points were compared, Kerwin and Leard finished in second place, while Betts and Ellsworth had to settle for third. Fourth place went to Basil Higginbotham and Gordie MacDonald of Montague with a 5-4 record. Ten teams took part in this event, now in its second year.
In stick curling there are two curlers per team, who deliver their rocks with delivery sticks, with each team member delivering from opposite ends. Sweeping is allowed only from the hog line to the back of the house at the playing end. The two delivering curlers (one from each team) alternately deliver 6 stones each per end, while their teammate skips that end. Then roles are reversed, and the partners deliver the stones back. All games are six ends. For more information on stick curling, including complete rules of play, visit www.stickcurling.ca.
Revised Provincial Intermediate draw
Posted Monday, March 3, 2008 by derekm
The snow-delayed Provincial Intermediate playoff round goes Sunday, March 9th at the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O'Leary. A tiebreaker game between Brock Spence of Cornwall and Paul Matheson of the Silver Fox will take place on Thursday March 6th at 6 pm at the Crapaud Community Curling Club.
Sundays games see Faith LeClair and Sheila Compton of the Silver Fox square off in the 1st place vs 2nd place women's game, and Bev Shaw and Stacy MacWilliams of the host Maple Leaf club play in the 3rd vs 4th place game. These games take place at 9 am.
At noon, the winner of the Spence/Matheson tiebreaker meets Daryl MacDonald of the host club in the 3rd vs 4th place men's game, while Barry Cameron of the Maple Leaf club and Clair Sweet of the Silver Fox play in the 1st vs 2nd place game.
Men's and women's semi-finals, with the winners of the 3-4 games playing the losers of the 1-2 games go at 3:30 pm.
The finals are at 7 pm, with the winners of the 1-2 games playing the winners of the semis.
Photos from 17 and Under
Posted Monday, March 3, 2008 by derekm
An album of photos from the recent Sylvan Learning Provincial 17 and Under Curling Championships is now available.
Remaining Provincial Intermediate draws to go next Sunday
Posted Sunday, March 2, 2008 by derekm
The remaining draws at the Provincial Intermediate Curling Championship have been postponed until next Sunday, March 9th at the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O'Leary. The draw times will be finalized later and posted on the event website (peicurling.com/intermediate). Today's games were called off due to the weather conditions.
Going into today's play, Barry Cameron of the Silver Fox and Clair Sweet of the host Maple Leaf club have advanced to the men's 1 vs 2 Page playoff game, while in the 3 vs 4 game. Daryl MacDonald of the Maple Leaf club will play the winner of a tiebreaker between Brock Spence of Cornwall and Paul Matheson of the Silver Fox.
In the women's section, Faith Leclair and Sheila Comption, both from the Fox, have advanced to the 1 vs 2 game, while Bev Shaw and Stacy MacWilliams. both from the Maple Leaf, are in the 3 vs 4 game.
In the Page playoff system, the winner of the 1 vs 2 advances directly to the final, while the loser of that game plays the winner of the 3 vs 4 game in a semi-final, with that semi-final winner then advancing to the final.
Stick Curling backgrounder
Posted Sunday, March 2, 2008 by derekm
[Here is a some background information on Stick Curling in advance of this week's PEI championship - source: www.stickcurling.ca.]
Stick curling is much more than using a stick to deliver your rocks. It is a separate and distinctive game with a handful of rules that are different from regular curling, that lead to several benefits.
Curling is a game with a long and colorful history. Changes in equipment alone have not made it a different game. As the kowe was replaced by the corn broom and then by the brush, a new game didn't arise. When the slider was first introduced it caused considerable change to curling (and, reportedly, considerable uproar of objection), but it was still curling, and sliding was gradually accepted as a better way to do it. Use of a 'delivery balance device' does not make the game 'crutch curling'. Similarly, use of a delivery stick within the full set of rules of curling is not 'stick curling'.
Use of a delivery stick is not allowed in Canada in curling competition leading to a national championship. The practice leads to considerable dissention between sliders and stick users that can be totally avoided, while at the same time providing stick curlers with advantages well beyond what drew then to use the stick in the first place, with the adoption of the distinct game of stick curling.
Stick curling is truly a subset of curling, not because of different equipment, but because of a few differences in rules. It is a type of curling because it uses the same facilities, the same rocks (or stones), the same brooms (brushes), and most of the same rules. The objectives of the games are identical, as are most of the strategies and even a lot of the technique used to best deliver stones.
So what are the differences? Probably the most obvious is that each team has just two players. This fits with sweeping being allowed only from the hog line in, through the house. If players have trouble executing the slide delivery, it will be highly likely that they will not be able to follow quickly moving rocks down the ice and sweep with very much effectiveness. There is still some sweeping allowed, once the rocks have reached the hog line and slowed down, near the end of their travel. But with a player at each end of the sheet (one skipping and one delivering) there are not two others standing around waiting for skips and thirds to decide on the next shot, nor waiting for any other players to get ready and to deliver their shots. Players are not allowed to go past the middle of the sheet, so partners wanting to discuss a shot have to meet at center ice. This dramatically reduces the time spent in discussion, and results in a faster moving game.
Another big difference with stick curling arises from each of the team members staying at one end of the sheet for the whole game. Not only does this save time spent moving back and forth, but it totally equalizes the roles of all players � both team members deliver more rocks than they would in a regular game, and they also skip half of the game. Any discord about who should play what position is eliminated. Both players have equal opportunity and equal responsibility in the game. Everyone is continuously occupied in moderate activity throughout the game.
That each team delivers just six rocks per end, and games are just six ends, meshes nicely with the other rules, and results in a more rapid, pleasurable game for everyone, including the fans.
A couple of more detailed, specific rule changes are required to keep the game flowing and fair. The three rock, rather than the four rock, free guard zone rule is used, since only 12 rather than 16 (3/4) of the rocks are used each end. Also, since quite drastic change in direction is possible with a stick delivery, each rock must be released not only before the hog line, but also within two feet of the center line (within or touching the four-foot lines). The original objective of throwing a stone from one point to another specific destination is maintained.
These few rule changes from regular curling can also be used advantageously by wheelchair curlers, and wheelchair curlers and stick curlers can fairly compete, with mutual pleasure, against each other.
The game of stick curling has numerous supplementary benefits. While the stick itself allows curlers to prolong their career, the game, with the reduced sweeping, faster moving and shorter games, and no movement over the length of the ice, amplifies that advantage. The game not only allows curlers to continue longer, but facilitates a return to curling, and even beginning in later life. The game promotes the physical, mental, and social well being of seniors. People who are hindered by inability to master the slide delivery can compete at a more even level, based more on the basic skills and strategic intricacies. Curling clubs have the prospect for more leagues and bonspiels, and more members translates into more fees, more customers at the concession and other events, and more volunteers. The shorter game and the ability to easily play three or four games in a day eases the scheduling of competitions, and integrates better with the busy timetables common today.
Four provincial curling ch'ships taking place this week
Posted Sunday, March 2, 2008 by derekm
The PEI curling championship season is rapidly coming to a close, with three of the four remaining provincial championships getting underway this week. As well, the Provincial Intermediate Curling Championships continue at the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O'Leary, with Sunday draws carried over to next Sunday due to the inclement weather.
Stick
The second annual Provincial Stick Curling Championship takes place March 4-5 at the Western Community Curling in Alberton. Stick curling is an event with two curlers per team, who deliver their rocks with delivery sticks, with each team member delivering from opposite ends. Sweeping is allowed only from the hog line to the back of the house at the playing end. The two delivering curlers (one from each team) alternately deliver 6 stones each per end, while their teammate skips that end. Then roles are reversed, and the partners deliver the stones back. All games are six ends. Inaugural champions Ernie Stavert and
The Ernie Stavert/Sterling Stratton duo from Cornwall are back to defend their title. Also participating are four rinks from the host club, one from the Maple Leaf club in O'Leary, and four from Montague. Round robin play gets underway Tuesday at 10 am, with eight draws going every 90 minutes on Tuesday, and seven draws going every 90 minutes on Wednesday, beginning at 9 am. There will be no playoff round, as win-loss records, backed up by a points system, will be used to determine the winner. Teams can be any combination of male and female players.
Here are the opening draws:
Tuesday at 10 am:
Ernie Stavert / Sterling Stratton vs Walter Callaghan / Edwin Walker (Western Community)
Francis Ellsworth / Johnny Ellsworth (Western Community) vs Sterling Higginbotham / Philip Curley (Montague)
Charlene Ashley / Joyce Matthews (Western Community) vs Roger Gavin / Shirley Murphy (Western)
Tuesday at 11:30 am:
Sterling Higginbotham / Philip Curley (Montague) vs C. Charlene Ashley / Joyce Matthews (Western Community)
Glen Betts / Joey Ellsworth (Maple Leaf) vs Carter Vaniderstine / Billy Power (Montague)
Howard Kerwin / Bob Leard vs Basil Higginbotham /Gordie MacDonald (Montague)
M&M Meat Shops, Charlottetown, have taken on sponsorship of two events this season, the Provincial Mixed, and the age 15 and Under.
Mixed
The M&M Meat Shops Provincial Mixed takes place March 7-10 at the Cornwall Curling Club. Defending champion Kyle Stevenson of Charlottetown is back this
year, with Shelly Bradley joining the rink at 3rd, and Doug MacGregor and Tricia Affleck returning at second and lead. Sixteen rinks will play a doubke-
knockout format, with the winning team advancing to the Canadian Mixed in the fall. Opening draw is Friday at 9 am, with the final on Monday.
Here are the opening draws:
Friday March 7th at 9 am
Kevin Smith (Cornwall) vs Bill Hope (Ch'town)
Mitch O'Shea (Ch'town) vs Robert Campbell (Ch'town)
Donald Clarey (Montague) vs Geoff Scutt (Cornwall)
Jamie Newson (Ch'town) vs Jeff Nelson (Montague)
Friday March 7th at 12:30 pm
Kyle Stevenson (Ch'town) vs Jody Jackson (Ch'town)
Darren Higgins (Silver Fox) vs Larry Dewar (Montague)
Rob Young (Cornwall) vs Nick Fraser (Ch'town)
Sean Clarey (Ch'town) vs David C Murphy (Ch'town)
15 and Under
The M&M Meat Shops Provincial 15 and Under gets underway Thursday March 6th at the Crapaud Community Curling Club. Eight girls teams and nine boys rinks are taking part in this round robin event with a modified Page playoff format, in which the top teams from the 2 pools in the round robin will play off, with the winner advancing directly to the final and the loser going go to the Semi-final. The two second-place teams will play off, with the winner advancing to the semi-final, and the winner of that match advancing to the final. The defending girls champion Christina Keen/Anita Casey rink from the Silver Fox has graduated from the age category, but boys champion Parker Clements from the Maple Leaf club in O'Leary, will be back to defend his title.
The final will take place either Sunday at 6 pm, or next Tuesday at 5 pm, depending on the number of games played on Sunday, and other factors.
Here are the opening draws:
Boys
Thursday March 6th at 6 pm
Patrick Shepherd (Ch'town) vs Colton Griffin (Western Community)
Cody Dixon Montague vs Jeffrey Taylor (Cornwall)
Friday March 7th at 9 am
Adam Nabuurs (Montague) vs Kyle Hughes (Ch'town)
Parker Clements (Maple Leaf) vs Matthew MacLean (Maple Leaf)
Jeffrey Taylor (Cornwall) vs Patrick Shepherd (Ch'town)
Colton Griffin (Western Community) vs Daniel McCarthy (Western Community)
Girls
Friday March 7th, 12 noon
Tricia Sanderson (Cornwall) vs Megan Davies (Ch'town)
Kimberly Dunbar (Ch'town) vs Emma Cousins (Maple Leaf)
Amanda MacLean (Maple Leaf) vs Veronica Smith (Cornwall)
Leah Deveau (Montague) vs Tiffany Sweet (Maple Leaf)
The provincial championship season wraps up with a look at the future of curling with the KFC Provincial 12 and Under taking place at the Crapaud Community Curling Club from March 26 to 30. Entry deadline for this event is March 5th, and entry fee is $20 per player. Last year's winners were the Matthew MacLean rink from the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O'Leary, and the Veronica Smith foursome from Cornwall.
Complete draw, team rosters, and results from all events are available at peicurling.com.
Kingsmith Classic Jr. Camp and Coaches Symposium
Posted Saturday, March 1, 2008 by derekm
The fifth annual Kingsmith Classic Junior Curling Camp and Coaches Symposium takes place April 18-20 at Curling Beausejour in Moncton. Team entry fee is $300. Entry deadline is March 31.
Send entries to: Dale Ronalds, c/o Curling Beaus�jour Inc., 80 Lockhart Avenue, Moncton, NB E1C 3B8 Phone: (506) 857-4285 Email: [email protected].
Juniors: Get an early start on next season at the Maritime Jr. Competitive League
Posted Saturday, March 1, 2008 by derekm
The Maritime Junior Competitive League goes Saturdays and Sundays August 30-October 13 2008 at Club Beausejour in Moncton. Teams choose which dates they want to play. Registration deadline is August 15. Team entry fee is $240 for four or more dates. If a team chooses to play less than 4 dates, cost will be $15 per player, per day.
Last year's entrants in this league included:
Team Rennie (2008 NB Junior Men's National Winner), Team Gallant (2008 PEI Junior Men's National Winner), Team McGuire (2008 NB Junior Ladies National Winner), Team Carmody (2008 PEI Junior Ladies National Winner), Team Burgess (NB 2008 Junior Men's National runner-up), Team Mallais (NB 2008 Junior Mens' Final 8 qualifier), Team Milligan (2008 NB Junior Men's Final 8 qualifier), Team Stefani (2008 NB Junior Men's Final 8 qualifier), Team Milson (NB 2008 Junior Men's Final 8 qualifier), Team Trites (2008 Under 8 Winner), Team Daigle (2008 NB Junior Ladies Final 8 qualifier), Team Crandall (2008 NB Junior Ladies Final 8 qualifier), Team Ronalds (2008 NB Junior Ladies Final 8 qualifier), Team Carruthers (2008 NB Junior Ladies Final 8 qualifier), Team Pitre (2008 PEI Junior Men's National runner-up), and Team Parker (2008 NS Junior Men's Final 8 qualifier).
SEND ENTRY FORM AND REGISTRATION FEE TO:
CARMEN MARSHALL
125 GOVERNMENT ROAD,
RIVERVIEW NB E1B 2J2
EMAIL: [email protected]
PHONE: (506) 386-7229
2008 World Men's Championship
Posted Saturday, March 1, 2008 by derekm
(CCA) GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA -- The 2008 World Men's Curling Championship
will be held April 5-13 at the beautiful Ralph Engelstad Arena in
Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA... a venue labeled as the "finest
facility of its kind in the world."
Twelve countries will battle for the world title: Australia, Canada,
China, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Scotland,
Sweden, Switzerland and the host United States.
Teams already declared by their World Curling Federation Member
Associations include Scotland's David Murdoch, the 2007 Le Gruy�re
European Champion; Andy Kapp of Germany, the 2007 Worlds finalist;
France's Thomas Dufour; Sweden's Anders Kraupp; Switzerland's Claudio
Pescia and the host country's Craig Brown.
Playing third for Switzerland in 1998 Olympic Champion Patrick
Huerlimann, who briefly returned from retirement and will compete in
Grand Forks. Huerlimann is an Executive Board member of the World
Curling Federation, which will hold its Annual General Meeting during
the championship.
Canada's representative will be declared March 16.
The event website is: www.worldmenscurling2008.com
Island Petroleum Junior Mixed deadline extended
Posted Friday, February 29, 2008 by derekm
Timers Wanted
Posted Thursday, February 28, 2008 by derekm
Timers are needed for 31 games at the M&M Meatshops Provincial Mixed Curling Championship, March 7 - March 10 at the Cornwall Curling Club. If you would like to help out, call Bev at 566-4427 or email [email protected]. The PEICA provides a "thank you" of $10.00 per game timed. If you have not had experience in timing but would like to learn, a training session can be put on before the first game.
Enter here to win Continental Cup and Brier passes (CCA Contest)
Posted Thursday, February 28, 2008 by derekm
Click here to enter a contest for a chance to win:
Retirement party for Carl Delaney
Posted Tuesday, February 26, 2008 by derekm
A retirement party in honour of Carl Delaney, who is retiring after 15 years as General Manager, will be held at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club on Saturday, March 1, 2008, at 7:00pm.
return to headlines
Chance to send off Brier team and to meet Jamie Korab
Posted Tuesday, February 26, 2008 by derekm
2008 Strauss Canada Cup starts Wednesday in Kamloops
Posted Tuesday, February 26, 2008 by derekm
February 25, 2008�An incredible field, including Winnipeg�s Jennifer Jones, fresh from winning the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, is set to contest the sixth edition of the Strauss Canada Cup of Curling, February 27-March 2 at the Interior Savings Centre in Kamloops.
Twenty of the best men�s and women�s teams in the country will compete, with the winning teams each receiving $25,000, but, even more importantly, qualifying as members of Team North America (vs Team World) for the 2008 Continental Cup in Camrose, Alberta, December 18-21, earning berths into the 2009 Canada Cup as defending champions and becoming part of the pool of 16 men�s and 16 women�s teams eligible for the 2009 Tim Hortons Canadian Curling Trials.
The women�s line-up is headed by defending �Cup� champion Jennifer Jones, who won her second Canadian women�s curling championship by defeating Calgary�s Shannon Kleibrink, 6-4 in Sunday�s final in Regina. The win by Jones also cemented a spot in the 2009 Trials (site and date to be announced), as the first of four teams to earn direct berths, rather than just becoming eligible for the pre-Trials event. Jones qualified by winning three of the specified events�the 2007 Players� Championship, 2007 Strauss Canada Cup and the 2008 Hearts.
Kleibrink, the 2006 Olympic bronze medallist, will also compete this week, as will Kelowna�s Kelly Scott, the 2007 Canadian and world champion. If Scott wins the Strauss Canada Cup, which is being presented once again by Aquafina, she, too, will earn a berth directly into the Trials, after capturing the Canadian and world women�s titles last year.
The other women�s teams are skipped by Calgary�s Cheryl Bernard and Heather Rankin, Edmonton�s Cathy King and Kristie Moore, Stefanie Lawton and Sherry Anderson of Saskatoon and Janet Harvey of Winnipeg. Kleibrink and King are also previous Strauss Canada Cup winners, in 2005 and 2006, respectively.
The men�s field consists of reigning world champion Glenn Howard of Coldwater, Ontario, Edmonton�s Kevin Martin, Randy Ferbey and Kevin Koe, 2006 Olympic gold medallist Brad Gushue of St. John�s, Pat Simmons of Davidson, Saskatchewan and Winnipeg�s former world champions Jeff Stoughton and Kerry Burtnyk, along with Mike McEwen and Reid Carruthers.
Five teams - Burtnyk, Gushue, Howard, Martin and Simmons - will also compete in the upcoming Tim Hortons Brier, March 8-16 at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg.
A �Cup� win by Howard will give his team a berth directly into the Trials as well, since he won last year�s Tim Hortons Brier and Ford World Men�s.
Record six-time Brier winner and four-time world champion Ferbey has won three Strauss Canada Cups, including last year, while 2002 Olympic silver medallist and two-time Brier winner Martin has taken the other two.
The Cup teams are seeded into two five-team groups and play a round robin within the group plus a crossover game against an opponent in the other group. The top two in each pool then advance to a crossover Page Playoff system, whereby the group winners meet in one game (winner to final, loser to semi-final), while the group runners-up meet in another game (winner to semi-final, loser eliminated).
In women�s, Pool A consists of Jones, Bernard, Anderson, King and Harvey, while Pool B has Kleibrink, Scott, Lawton, Rankin and Moore. In men�s, Pool C has Martin, Koe, Stoughton, Simmons and McEwen, while Pool D lists Howard, Ferbey, Burtnyk, Gushue and Carruthers.
CBC-TV will televise the 1 vs 1 Page Playoff games on Saturday, March 1 and the women�s and men�s finals on Sunday, March 2, in a special five-hour telecast. CurlTV (www.curltv.com) is also providing event coverage to its subscribers.
In addition to first place being worth $25,000, the second place finishers get $15,000, third place receives $10,000 while fourth place teams earn $5,000. Each round robin victory is also worth $800.
Tickets are available by calling Ticketmaster at 250-374-9200 or 1-888-226-2288, online at ticketmaster.ca or at the Interior Savings Centre box office.
The Strauss Canada Cup (http://seasonofchampions.ca/2008canadacup/index.asp) is the fourth of six events in the 2007-08 Season of Champions in Canada. The 2007 Continental Cup, held in Medicine Hat, Alberta in December was the first, followed by the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors in Sault Ste. Marie, February 3-10 and the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Regina, February 16-24. Following the Strauss Canada Cup are the Tim Hortons Brier, March 8-16 in Winnipeg and Ford World Women�s, March 22-30 in Vernon, British Columbia.
This is the last year for the Strauss Canada Cup in Kamloops. Next year, the �Cup� moves to Yorkton, Saskatchewan, March 18-22.
MEN'S TEAMS (listed in order of skip, third, second and lead)
Team Burtnyk - Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Kerry Burtnyk, Dan Kammerlock, Richard Daneault, Rob Meakin
Team Carruthers - Beausejour Curling Club, Beausejour, Manitoba
Reid Carruthers, Jason Gunnlaugson, Justin Richter, Tyler Forrest
Team Ferbey - Granite Curling Club, Edmonton, Alberta
Randy Ferbey (third stones), David Nedohin (fourth stones), Scott Pfeifer, Marcel Rocque
Team Gushue - Bally Haly Golf & Curling Club, St. John�s, Newfoundland
Brad Gushue, Mark Nichols, Chris Schille, David Noftall
Team Howard - Coldwater & District Curling Club, Coldwater, Ontario
Glenn Howard, Richard Hart, Brent Laing, Craig Savill
Team Koe - Saville Sports Centre, Edmonton, Alberta
Kevin Koe (third stones), Blake MacDonald (fourth stones), Carter Rycroft, Nolan Thiessen
Team Martin - Saville Sports Centre, Edmonton, Alberta
Kevin Martin, John Morris, Marc Kennedy, Ben Hebert
Team McEwen - Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Mike McEwen, B.J. Neufeld, Matt Wozniak, Denni Neufeld
Team Simmons - Davidson Curling Club, Davidson, Saskatchewan
Pat Simmons, Jeff Sharp, Gerry Adam, Steve Laycock
Team Stoughton - Charleswood Curling Club, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Jeff Stoughton, Ryan Fry, Rob Fowler, Steve Gould
Women's Teams:
Team Anderson - CN Curling Club, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Sherry Anderson, Kim Hodson, Heather Walsh, Donna Gignac
Team Bernard - Calgary Curling Club and Calgary Winter Club, Calgary, Alberta
Cheryl Bernard, Susan O�Connor, Carolyn Darbyshire, Cori Bartel
Team Harvey - Fort Rouge Curling Club, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Janet Harvey, Cherie-Ann Loder, Kristin Loder, Carey Kirby
Team Jones - St. Vital Curling Club, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Jennifer Jones, Cathy Overton-Clapham, Jill Officer, Dawn Askin
Team King - Saville Sports Centre, Edmonton, Alberta
Cathy King, Lori Olson, Raylene Rocque, Tracy Bush
Team Kleibrink - Calgary Winter Club, Calgary, Alberta
Shannon Kleibrink, Amy Nixon, Bronwen Saunders, Chelsey Bell
Team Lawton - CN Curling Club, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Stefanie Lawton, Marliese Kasner, Sherri Singler, Lana Vey
Team Moore - Saville Sports Centre, Edmonton, Alberta
Kristie Moore (third rocks), Heather Nedohin (fourth rocks), Beth Iskiw, Pam Appelman
Team Rankin - Calgary Winter Club, Calgary, Alberta
Heather Rankin, Deanna Doig, Heather Moulding, Kyla MacLachlan
Team Scott - Kelowna Curling Club, Kelowna, British Columbia
Kelly Scott, Jeanna Schraeder, Sasha Carter, Renee Simons
PEI Team takes 1st Place in Atlantic Group-Air Force Assoc. of Canada Curling Bonspiel in Truro, NS
Posted Tuesday, February 26, 2008 by derekm
Peter MacNeil, Skip, who curls out of the Charlottetown Curling Club, along with Dave Currie, Third, Denis Dunne, second and Bob Tucker, Lead, all from the Cornwall Curling Club, took 1st Place in the Air Force Assoc. of Canada Atlantic Group 2008 Curling Bonspiel in Truro, N.S. The team were representing # 201 Confederation Wing AFAC, Charlottetown in a pool of 12 Wing teams from the four Atlantic Provinces that played for the title over the Feb. 22th Weekend.
Ramsay retains 17 and Under Curling Title (Guardian)
Posted Tuesday, February 26, 2008 by derekm
MONTAGUE � Sam Ramsay and his teammates from the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside have repeated as the Sylvan Learning provincial 17-and-under boys� curling champions.
Click the link to read this story at The Guardian
Provincial Intermediate Ch'ships start Thurs. in O'Leary
Posted Monday, February 25, 2008 by derekm
Sam Ramsay rink wins 17 and Under men's section
Posted Monday, February 25, 2008 by derekm
The Sam Ramsay foursome from the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside are the 2008 Sylvan Learning PEI 17 and Under junior men's champions. This evening at the Montague Curling Club they defeated the Spencer Pitre rink from the Western Community Curling Club in Alberton by a 4-2 score in the low-scoring final game. A Ramsay single in the third end was the only point in the first half of the eight-end contest. Ramsay took another point in the fifth for a 2-0 lead, but Pitre came up with a double in the next end to tie the score. The seventh end was blanked, and Ramsay took a pair in the final end for the win. The winning Ramsay rink includes third Neil Gallant, second Brett Gallant and lead Eric Pidgeon, with coach Peter Pidgeon. Brett Gallant is perhaps better known as the skip of PEI's reigning junior men's championship rink. The Ramsay squad (without Brett Gallant) also won the 17 and Under event last year.
The Pitre rink includes third Billie Lewis, second Daniel McCarthy, and lead Shawn Pitre, and is coached by Roger Gavin.
Pitre won the A final of the triple-knockout event, while Ramsay took the B, and David Parker won the C division. Pitre beat Parker 10-4 in the semi-final to advance to the final against Ramsay. Ramsay won the bye to the final by virture of playing in the most division finals.
On Sunday, the Sarah Fullerton rink from Cornwall defeated Anita Casey of the Silver Fox 6-3 to win the 17 and Under junior women's title.
The winning Ramsay and Fullerton rinks now advance to the Atlantic 17 and Under Championships, March 21-24 at the Truro Curling Club.
Fullerton wins 17 and Under Women's; Pitre vs Ramsay in Men's final
Posted Sunday, February 24, 2008 by derekm
The Cornwall Curling Club rink of Sarah Fullerton, Michelle McQuaid, Whitney Young, and Sara McRae, with coach Stewart Mutch, are the 2008 Sylvan Learning Provincial 17 and Under women's champions. Tonight at the Montague Curling Club, the Fullerton team, who were runners-up last year, and won in 2006, defeated the Anita Casey team from the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club by a 6-3 score in the first of two scheduled playoff games. As Fullerton had won the A and B sections of the triple-knockout event, a win in either of the two playoffs against Casey would give her the title, so the final game was not needed. Madeleine Campbell, Dannielle Chiasson, and Bethany MacDonald, with coach Leo Stewart, round out the Casey foursome. The winning Fullerton rink now advance to the Atlantic 17 and Under championships, March 21-24 at the Truro Curling Club in Nova Scotia.
Fullerton won the A final on Friday with a 9-1 win over Casey, and the B final on Saturday with a 6-4 victory over the Nikki Arsenault foursome from the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O'Leary. Fullerton failed to advance to the C final, losing 7-3 to Casey in the preliminary. Casey went on to beat Arsenault 8-2 to take the C event.
In the men's section, the final game goes Monday at 5 pm. Spencer Pitre of the Western Community Curling Club in Alberton won the A final with a 7-2 win over Sam Ramsay of the Silver Fox. The B final was won by Ramsay, 8-7 over David Parker of Charlottetown, while Parker won the C division of this triple-knockout event, stealing a triple in the final end for a 6-2 win over Ramsay. This pitted Pitre against Parker in the first of two championship games, with Pitre winning 10-4. Pitre now plays defending champion Ramsay in the sudden-death final on Monday, with the winner advancing to the Atlantic championship, March 21-24 in Truro. Playing with Pitre are Billie Lewis, Daniel McCarthy and Shawn Pitre, with coach Roger Gavin. Neil Gallant, Brett Gallant, and Eric Pidgeon, with coach Peter Pidgeon round out team Ramsay.
Manitoba Wins The Scotties
Posted Sunday, February 24, 2008 by derekm
Sunday, February 24, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
REGINA -- And in the end, eight was exactly enough.
Winnipeg�s Jennifer Jones won her second Canadian women�s curling championship in three years here Sunday afternoon, defeating Alberta�s Shannon Kleibrink 6-4 in a thrilling Scotties Tournament of Hearts final.
The victory was the eighth in a row for Team Manitoba at this event and capped off a remarkable comeback for a foursome that many were counting out when they stumbled out to an opening record of 3-4.
�I�m just so happy right now, it�s crazy,� a jubilant Jones said afterward. �It�s amazing. We got our backs to the wall early, but the girls played just great...I couldn�t ask for any better teammates.�
With the victory, Manitoba -- Jones, third Cathy Overton-Clapham, second Jill Officer and lead Dawn Askin -- will now represent Canada at the 2008 Ford World Women�s Curling Championship in Vernon, BC, Mar. 22-30.
But the winnings don�t stop there. With Sunday�s victory, the Jones team also receives $144,000 in Sport Canada funding over the next two years; diamond rings; the right to return to this event next year as Team Canada; berths in the 2009 Continental and Canada Cups; and $15,500 in appearance money.
And it came very close to never happening. Trailing 5-4, Kleibrink had a nose-hit runback double with the last rock of the tenth end that would have scored her team five points and the Canadian women�s title.
But the attempt jammed, giving Jones a steal of one and a two point victory.
�It just fell back at the end. At one point we had it, but it fell back at the end,� Kleibrink said.
�It�s the closest we�ve been. We had a great week and we did everything we could. Sometimes it just doesn�t work out." Overton-Clapham was named the MVP of the final game.
return to headlines
Manitoba vs Alberta For Scotties Title; PEI's Stefanie Clark wins Sportsmanship award
Posted Saturday, February 23, 2008 by derekm
Saturday, February 23, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
REGINA -- Manitoba�s Jennifer Jones will play Alberta�s Shannon Kleibrink for a Canadian women�s curling championship on Sunday.
Jones advanced to Sunday�s Scotties Tournament of Hearts final by stealing a 9-8 extra-end win over Ontario�s Sherry Middaugh.
�We made it as good as I could on my last one and made her make a double and she just missed,� said Jones.
Middaugh needed a nose-hit double with the last rock of the 11th end to spill two Manitoba counters and leave her shooter counting as the game-winning point.
But the rock didn�t curl enough and a lone Manitoba counter biting the button, which Jones had tapped up just one rock earlier, was the difference in the game.
It was a painful loss for Middaugh, who has now been to four semi-finals and has lost every one of them.
�It�s unfortunate. We put a lot of work into this game this year and it was just a matter of inches and it could�ve been going to the final and who knows what would have happened,� said Middaugh.
Manitoba, who was 3-4 at this event at midweek, has now won seven games in a row and will attempt on Sunday to become the first team since Kelley Law in 2000 to win a Canadian women�s championship through the tiebreakers.
Kleibrink, whose team will carry an 11-1 record into the final, said she�s not surprised to learn she�ll be playing Manitoba in the final. �If you would have asked us at the beginning of the year if we were in the Scott final who we would play, we would have said Jennifer Jones,� Kleibrink said.
Third Amy Nixon was one of three Alberta curlers to be named after the semi-final as first-team all-stars. The other first team all-stars were Kleibrink, Alberta lead Chelsey Bell and Manitoba second Jill Officer.
The second team all-stars were Middaugh, Manitoba third Cathy Overton-Clapham, Canada second Sasha Carter and Manitoba lead Dawn Askin.
Also announced after the semi-final was that Prince Edward Island lead Stefanie Clark was named the winner of the Marj Mitchell Sportsmanship Award.
And the Joan Mead award, awarded annually for dedication to the sport of curling, was awarded posthumously to late CBC broadcaster, Don Wittman.
The award was accepted by Wittman�s son and daughter-in-law, David and Sharon Wittman.
Alberta's Kleibrink rink one win away from 1st Scotties crown
Posted Saturday, February 23, 2008 by derekm
Friday, February 22, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
REGINA -- Alberta�s Shannon Kleibrink is one more win away from her first ever Canadian Women�s Curling Championship.
Kleibrink edged Ontario�s Sherry Middaugh 8-7 in an extra end in the page playoff 1 vs 2 game Friday night here at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts to advance straight through to Sunday�s final.
�Being in the final doesn�t mean anything unless you win it,� said Kleibrink, adding however that it does come with one fringe benefit -- a day off on Saturday.
�I need a day off,� Kleibrink said. �I�m almost 40.�
With the loss, Ontario now must play Manitoba�s Jennifer Jones in the semi-final Saturday (12:30 p.m. Atlantic time, CBC). Jones advanced to the semi-final earlier Friday with a 6-5 win over Quebec in the page playoff 3 vs 4 game.
Middaugh has played in three previous semi-finals as Ontario skip -- and lost all three of them.
But that was then and this is now, Middaugh said Friday night. �I�m certainly a lot more mentally tough than I was a couple of years ago,� said Middaugh.
The difference Friday night was in the battle at third, where Alberta third Amy Nixon shot a blistering 97 percent, compared to 77 percent for Ontario third Kirsten Wall.
Nixon single-handedly turned around the eighth end, making a triple takeout to lie three that Kleibrink said was timed under seven seconds from hogline to hogline.
Nixon said it was the hardest rock she�s ever thrown in competition. �I was thinking now�s the time. I was thinking we needed that pretty bad,� she said.
Spencer Pitre and Sarah Fullerton rinks win 17 and Under "A" Finals
Posted Friday, February 22, 2008 by derekm
The winners of the A sections of the triple-knockout Sylvan Learning Provincial 17 and Under Curling championship were decided Friday evening at the Montague Curling Club.
On the junior men's side, the rink of Spencer Pitre, Billie Lewis, Daniel McCarthy and Shawn Pitre, with coach Roger Gavin, from the Western Community Curling Club in Alberton, stole three points in the sixth end, and went on to defeat defending champion Sam Ramsay by a 7-2 score. The Ramsay foursome, who have PEI Junior Champ Brett Gallant on their team for this event, curl out of the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside.
To advance to the A final, Ramsay beat David Parker of Charlottetown 10-6 in the morning draw, while Pitre took a triple in the final end to defeat Isaac Shaw of Charlottetown 9-6.
In the junior women's section, the Sarah Fullerton rink from Cornwall, who won the event two years ago, and were runners-up last year, defeated Summerside's Anita Casey rink 9-1 to win the A section final. Playing with Fullerton are Michelle McQuaid, Whitney Young, and Sara MacRae, with coach Stewart Mutch. Earlier on Friday, the Fullerton foursome recorded a 12-2 win over Cornwall's Tricia Sanderson rink to advance to the section final, while Casey advanced Thursday night with a 5-4 win over Katie Sharkey of Charlottetown.
In other games on Friday, Jessica van Ouwerkerk of the Fox avenged her two losses on Thursday with a couple of lop-sided wins, 13-1 over Megan Davies of Charlottetown, and 8-0 over Rachael Collier of Montague. Sharkey picked up a 10-3 win over Leah Deveau of Montague.
Saturday play gets underway at 9:30 with the junior women. Defending champion Katie Sharkey will play Fullerton in that draw, while Anita Casey takes on Nikki Arsenault of the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O'Leary. The winners of those two games play in the B final.
At 12:30, the junior men take to the ice. In that draw, Pitre plays David Parker and Shaw faces Ramsay, with the winners advancing to the B final.
The B finals go Saturday at 4:30 (junior women) and 7:30 pm (junior men), while the C finals are Sunday afternoon at 2:30.
If a team were to win two of the three section finals, they would get to play in both championship games, set for Sunday evening at 7:30 and Monday afternoon at 5, and win the title if they take either. If a team happens to win all three section finals, they would win the championships without having to play a championship game. If there are three separate winners, the two game championship round would be played, with the team that plays in the most section finals getting the bye to the second game.
Eight junior men's teams and nine junior women's rinks are competing in this event, with the winning junior men's and women's rinks earning the right to compete in the Atlantic 17 and Under championships, March 21-24 at the Truro Curling Club in Nova Scotia.
Manitoba Advances to Scotties Semi-final
Posted Friday, February 22, 2008 by derekm
Friday, February 22, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
REGINA -- Manitoba�s Jennifer Jones will play in the semi-final here at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts Saturday morning.
Jones advanced to the semi-final with a 6-5 win over Quebec�s Marie-France Larouche in the page playoff 3 vs 4 game Friday afternoon.
�I thought we controlled it from the start,� Jones said. �Now we just have to keep it going.�
Jones must now wait to find out the identity of her semi-final opponent. That will be determined Friday night (9 p.m. Atlantic, TSN) when Alberta�s Shannon Kleibrink plays Ontario�s Sherry Middaugh in the page playoff 1 vs 2 game.
The winner of that game advances straight to Sunday�s Canadian women�s final, while the loser gets a second chance playing Manitoba in the semi-final.
Jones got a little bit lucky in her win over Quebec. Trailing 3-2 in the sixth end, Larouche appeared to have a makeable double-takeout for three with the final rock of the end.
But the sweepers were late getting on the stone and the rock over-curled, crashing on a guard out front and giving Manitoba a steal of two -- and a 5-2 lead -- instead.
Larouche battled back, drawing the button with the last rock of the ninth end to take two and send the game home with Quebec trailing just 6-5.
But Jones controlled the 10th end and never had to throw her last rock.
Jones advanced to this afternoon's Page 3 vs 4 playoff with a 6-3 victory over Newfoundland�s Heather Strong in a playoff tiebreaker game this morning.
In that game Jones stole the third, fourth and fifth ends to carry a 4-1 lead into the fifth end break and then never looked back against Newfoundland.
Rocky week in Regina - Suzanne Gaudet rink finishes Hearts with a 3-8 record (Guardian)
Posted Friday, February 22, 2008 by derekm
It�s definitely not been a soft landing for the Suzanne Gaudet rink at the 2008 Scotties Tournament of Hearts this week in Regina, Sask.
In fact, the national women�s curling championship has been downright brutal to the three-time defending P.E.I. women�s champion, who lost four of its 12 games by one point.
Click to read this story at The Guardian.
Alta vs Ont. in Scotties 1 vs 2. Que. in 3 vs 4. Nfld., Man. in tiebreaker
Posted Friday, February 22, 2008 by derekm
Thursday, February 21, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
REGINA -- Alberta�s Shannon Kleibrink will play Ontario�s Sherry Middaugh Friday evening in the page playoff 1 vs 2 game, with the winner advancing straight to Sunday�s Scotties Tournament of Hearts final.
Middaugh advanced to the 1 vs 2 game with an 8-5 win over Newfoundland�s Heather Strong Thursday evening. The win gave Ontario a final round-robin record of 9-2, a game behind Kleibrink�s 10-1. Kleibrink beat Saskatchewan 10-3 Thursday evening.
Newfoundland could have played their way into the 1 vs 2 game against Alberta with a victory over Ontario, but with the loss their record falls to 7-4 and they finish tied with Manitoba�s Jennifer Jones for the fourth and final playoff spot.
The two teams will play a tiebreaker game Friday morning, with the winner advancing to face Quebec�s Marie-France Larouche in the page playoff 3 vs 4 game Friday afternoon. The winner of that game will advance to the semi-final to play the loser of the Ontario-Alberta game.
Regina has been good to Quebec teams lately. In 2006, Quebec�s Jean-Michel Menard won the Tim Hortons Brier in Regina. Larouche is aware of the symetry. �I hope it�s good luck for us,� said Larouche.
Larouche finished the round-robin with an 8-3 record thanks to a 10-4 win over Northwest Territories/Yukon on the final draw.
In the only other game Friday evening, Canada�s Kelly Scott defeated BC�s Allison MacInnes 8-7. PEI finished play in the afternoon draw, losing 8-1 to Saskatchewan for a 3-8 win-loss record.
Ontario lost their round-robin game against Alberta, thanks in part to surrendering a pair of three-enders. Middaugh�s hoping to avoid a repeat of that Friday evening.
�The secret to success is not to give up three-enders and not to give up steals,� Middaugh said. �That�s our game plan and sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn�t.�
Friday�s tiebreaker game will take place at 11:30 a.m. Atlantic time. The 3 vs 4 game will be at 4 p.m. AT and the 1 vs 2 game will be at 9 p.m. Atlantic. All three games will air live on TSN.
Day one over at Sylvan Learning 17 and Under
Posted Thursday, February 21, 2008 by derekm
One junior men's and two junior women's draws were played on day one of the Sylvan Learning Provincial 17 and Under Curling Championship being played at the Montague Curling Club.
Three of the nine junior women's teams in this triple knockout event are still undefeated. Sarah Fullerton of Cornwall stole a five-ender en route to an 11-2 win over Rachael Collier this evening. Tricia Sanderson of Cornwall got by Megan Davies of Charlottetown 7-6 in the afternoon draw. Anita Casey of the Silver Fox recorded an 8-2 win over clubmate Jess van Ouwerkerk and a 5-4 win over defending champion Katie Sharkey of Charlottetown. Casey will play the winner of a 12:30 pm Friday game between Fullerton and Sanderson in the 7:30 pm A section final.
In the eight-team junior men's division, Isaac Shaw came out very strong in his game against Charlottetown clubmate Patrick Shepherd, taking five points in the first end, and stealing another five in the second on the way to an 11-4 win. Spencer Pitre of Alberton's Western Community club beat Tyler Davies of Charlottetown 7-2, while defending champion Sam Ramsay of the Silver Fox, aided by PEI junior champion Brett Gallant at second stone, scored six points in the sixth end in a 12-2 win over David Nabuurs of Montague. It took an extra end for David Parker of Charlottetown to get by Matthew Nabuurs of Montague by a 6-5 score.
Draws on Friday go at 9:30 am (junior men's), 12:30 pm (junior women), 4:30 pm (jr. men's) and 7:30 pm (jr. women).
The winning rinks earn the right to play in the Atlantic 17 and Under Curling Championships, March 21-24 at the Truro Curling Club in Nova Scotia.
PEI finishes Scotties play at 3-8 after loss to Sask.
Posted Thursday, February 21, 2008 by derekm
Ontario Clinches Playoff Spot
Thursday, February 21, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
REGINA -- Two of the four teams that will compete in Friday�s page playoffs here at the 2008 Scotties Tournament of Hearts have now been determined.
Ontario's Sherry Middaugh joined Alberta in the playoff derby with a 9-5 win Thursday afternoon over Nova Scotia. The win clinched Ontario a playoff spot with an 8-2 record, while Nova Scotia�s Mary-Anne Arsenault has now been elimiinated from playoff contention with a final round-robin record of 6-5.
Middaugh said she�s not satisfied yet, however. �One more win and we�ll be where we want to be,� Middaugh said. �Because we want that 1 vs 2 game.�
Teams that qualify for the page playoff 1 vs 2 game get two chances to get to the final.
Alberta, 9-1, clinched their playoff spot and the first place berth in the 1 vs 2 game earlier Thursday with an 8-7 win over PEI�s Suzanne Gaudet.
In other games Thursday afternoon, Quebec�s Marie-France Larouche clinched at least a playoff tiebreaker game with an 8-2 win over New Brunswick�s Sylvie Robichaud. Quebec improved to 7-3.
Larouche, a finalist at the 2004 Scott Tournament of Hearts, said she likes her team�s chances come playoff-time. �I�m sure if we go to the playoffs, we�ll have the experience,� Larouche said.
Meanwhile, Manitoba�s Jennifer Jones kept her playoff hopes alive with a 9-4 win over Team Canada�s Kelly Scott. Jones finished the round-robin at 7-4 and needs a loss by either Newfoundland, who are 7-3, or Quebec Thursday night to force a playoff tiebreaker.
Scott -- and all the other teams with five losses or more -- are now eliminated from playoff contention.
That includes Saskatchewan�s Michelle Englot, who improved to 5-5 Thursday afternoon with an 8-1 win over PEI�s Suzanne Gaudet, who goes home with a 3-8 win-loss record.
The Scotties round-robin wraps up Thursday evening when Quebec plays Northwest Territories/Yukon, Ontario plays Newfoundland, BC plays Canada and Alberta plays Saskatchewan.
Territories win against NB, Kleibrink guaranteed Page 1 vs 2 spot after win over Gaudet
Posted Thursday, February 21, 2008 by derekm
Thursday, February 21, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
REGINA -- The list of winless teams here at the 2008 Scotties Tournament of Hearts was trimmed to zero here Thursday morning when Kerry Galusha�s Northwest Territories were finally rewarded for their perseverance with a victory.
And what a win it was, as the northerners scored three in the ninth end and then stole three more in the tenth end to beat New Brunswick�s Sylvie Robichaud 10-8.
�That was wonderful,� said NWT/Yukon vice-skip Teejay Surik. �We wanted to have one good game underneath us.�
The win means the Territories head into their final round-robin game at 1-9, the same record as New Brunswick.
In other games Thursday morning, Alberta�s Shannon Kleibrink guaranteed her team a spot in the page playoff 1 vs 2 game on Friday with an 8-7 win over PEI�s Suzanne Gaudet. Gaudet's record is 3-7 with one game left.
Kleibrink took two in the tenth end and then stole the extra to squeak out the win, which improves her squad to 9-1.
It was the same recipe Newfoundland used in their victory over Nova Scotia. Newfoundland�s Heather Strong scored a game-tying deuce in the tenth end and then stole the extra to defeat Nova Scotia 8-7. The win improves Newfoundland to 7-3, while Nova Scotia falls to 6-4.
In the only other game Thursday morning, Manitoba�s Jennifer Jones kept her playoff hopes alive with an 8-4 win over BC�s Allison MacInnes.
It was the the third victory in a row for Manitoba, who face Canada�s Kelly Scott Thursday afternoon in Manitoba�s final round-robin game.
Jones said the recipe for her team to advance to at least a playoff tiebreaker game is simple. �We have to win again this afternoon and hope some other teams lose.�
In addition to Manitoba versus Canada Thursday afternoon, Ontario plays Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan plays PEI and Quebec plays New Brunswick.
PEI beats Team Canada - Playoff Picture Still Murky at Scotties
Posted Thursday, February 21, 2008 by derekm
Wednesday, February 20, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
REGINA -- There�s just one day left in the round-robin here at the 2008 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, but the playoff possibilities remain almost endless.
With the conclusion of play Wednesday evening about the only thing that is a certainty is that Alberta�s Shannon Kleibrink, alone in first at 8-1, has locked up a playoff spot regardless of what she does in her final two games on Thursday,
And with that, Kleibrink becomes the first Alberta team to make the playoffs at the Canadian women�s curling championship since Cathy King did it way back in 1998. King went on to win the Canadian women�s title that year.
With a 7-5 extra end victory over New Brunswick Wednesday evening, Ontario�s Sherry Middaugh took over sole posession of second place with a 7-2 record.
There are three teams tied for third at 6-3 -- Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Quebec. Newfoundland was idle Wednesday evening, but Nova Scotia defeated Quebec 9-6 to create the third place logjam.
Manitoba, meanwhile, helped their playoff chances with a 7-5 victory over Saskatchewan�s Michelle Englot. The win improved Manitoba to 5-4, while Saskatchewan fell to 4-5.
Manitoba remains alive at 5-4, but their best chance to make the playoffs requires them to win both their final round-robin games on Thursday and then get some losses from the teams at 6-3.
There are three teams at 4-5 heading into Thursday -- Saskatchewan, BC and Canada�s Kelly Scott, who had her three-game winning streak snapped Wednesday evening by PEI by a score of 8-5.
Those three teams need to win both their final two round-robin games on Thursday and then get all kinds of help from other teams in order to have any chance at a playoff tiebreaker game.
Hope springs eternal, however. �We may be down,� said Scott, �but we�re not out.�
The Scotties resumes Thursday morning when Manitoba plays BC, Nova Scotia plays Newfoundland, New Brunswick plays Northwest Territories/Yukon and PEI plays Alberta. PEI is at 3-6, and wraps up play against Michelle Englot of Saskatchewan in the afternoon draw.
PEI picks up extra-end win over Yukon/NWT in Scotties morning draw
Posted Wednesday, February 20, 2008 by derekm
Alberta Improves to 7-1
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Source: Canadian Curling Association
REGINA -- Alberta�s Shannon Kleibrink improved to 7-1 here at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts Wednesday morning, thumping New Brunswick�s Sylvie Robichaud 9-3.
With seven victories, Alberta has all but locked up at least a playoff tiebreaker game on Friday and can now spend the final two days of the round-robin improving their position.
But Kleibrink said seven isn�t enough for her to relax just yet. �Eight -- we need one more,� Kleibrink said. �We want eight for sure.�
Kleibrink said everything seemed easy Wednesday morning for her team. �The ice was perfect. Everyone�s throwing good. It�s awesome,� Kleibrink said.
Alberta broke open a tight 3-2 game with a three-ender in the sixth and then cruised to victory from there.
The Alberta victory sets up a first-place showdown here on the Wednesday afternoon draw. Kleibrink will play Ontario�s Sherry Middaugh, who is right behind Alberta at 6-1.
In other games, BC�s Allison MacInnes staged a remarkable comeback against Nova Scotia�s Mary-Anne Arsenault. Down 6-1 at the fifth end break, MacInnes scored one in the sixth, stole one in the seventh and then stole five in the eighth when Arsenault -- looking at five New Brunswick rocks when she went to throw her last -- sailed her draw through the house.
Nova Scotia falls to 5-3, BC improves to 4-4.
Meanwhile, Manitoba kept their playoff hopes alive with a dramatic 8-7 win over Newfoundland�s Heather Strong.
Trailing 7-5 in the tenth end, Manitoba skip Jennifer Jones made a raised-double takeout with the final rock of the game to score three and win 8-7. The victory improved Manitoba to 4-4, while Newfoundland -- who came within a second or two of running out of time against Manitoba -- fell to 5-3.
In the only other game on the Wednesday morning draw, PEI�s Suzanne Gaudet scored one in the extra end to squeak out a 9-8 win over Kerry Galusha�s Northwest Territories/Yukon. PEI is now at 2-6.
In addition to the Alberta-Ontario matchup, the Wednesday afternoon draw will feature BC against Quebec, Newfoundland versus Saskatchewan and Canada versus Northwest Territories/Yukon.
The Saskatchewan game promises to be emotional, representing skip Michelle Englot�s return to the ice for the first time since attending the funeral of her father, Joe Englot, Tuesday evening.
Gaudet falls to 1-6 at Hearts after BC steals 10th end
Posted Wednesday, February 20, 2008 by derekm
Close but no cigar for Territories
Tuesday, February 19, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
REGINA -- Kerry Galusha�s Northwest Territories/Yukon gave Nova Scotia�s Mary-Anne Arsenault all they could handle here at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts Tuesday night.
But in the end, it was the same unfortunate result for the northerners, who fell to 0-7 with a narrow 9-8 loss to Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia improved to 5-2 with the win, putting them in a tie with Quebec and Newfoundland for third place at 5-2.
Alberta�s Shannon Kleibrink, who pasted Manitobe 10-3 Tuesday evening, shares first place with Ontario�s Sherry Middaugh heading into Wednesday. Both teams are at 6-1.
Galusha, who switched positions with third Teejay Surik for both the Territories� games on Tuesday, looked to be on the verge of what would have been the biggest upset of the week.
Leading 8-7 in the tenth end, Surik attempted to bury her last rock behind cover and a Nova Scotia counter, but the effort sailed to the back of the house. That left Arsenault needing to do little more than draw the eight-foot with the last rock of the end to score two and escape with the one-point victory.
Meanwhile, Newfoundland�s Heather Strong stole the extra end against New Brunswick to also win 9-8 and improve to 5-2. New Brunswick fell to 1-6. In the only other game Tuesday evening, BC�s Allison MacInnes stole the tenth end to beat PEI�s Suzanne Gaudet 6-5. BC improved to 3-4, PEI fell to 1-6.
For Jones, the loss to Alberta -- the team's fourth in five games -- puts her team in the same predicament as another pre-event favourite, Canada�s Kelly Scott.
Both teams were widely expected to be around come the page playoffs this Friday, but they now share the same 3-4 record and both will now need to win each of their final four games to control their playoff destinies.
�The best we can do now is go out and win the rest of our games and if it gets us in, it gets us in,� said Manitoba second Jill Officer.
If there�s a silver lining for Canada right now, it�s that they�re on a two-game winning streak heading into Wednesday after victories Tuesday over Newfoundland and New Brunswick.
�Today it just felt easier for some reason,� said Scott, whose team opened this competition with a 1-4 record.
The Scotties resumes Wednesday morning when PEI plays NWT/Yukon, New Brunswick plays Alberta, Manitoba plays Newfoundland and Nova Scotia plays BC.
Currie rink 'steals' crown (Transcontinental)
Posted Wednesday, February 20, 2008 by derekm
Silver Fox squad wins provincial senior women's curling championship
JASON SIMMONDS
Transcontinental Media
SUMMERSIDE � Back-to-back steals of single points proved to be the difference in the women�s final of the 2008 Credit Unions of P.E.I. provincial senior curling championships Tuesday.
The Barb Currie rink from the host Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside generated steals in the seventh and eighth ends to open up a 7-3 lead en route to a 7-6 victory over Shirley Berry of the Cornwall Curling Club.
Click to read this story at The Guardian
Ontario's Middaugh beats PEI's Gaudet to Win 4th Straight
Posted Tuesday, February 19, 2008 by derekm
Tuesday, February 19, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
REGINA -- Ontario�s Sherry Middaugh is alone in first place, at least for the moment, here at the 2008 Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
Ontario won their fourth in a row here Tuesday afternoon, hammering PEI�s Suzanne Gaudet 10-2. The victory improved Middaugh to 6-1, which puts her one win ahead of 5-1 Alberta, who were idle on the afternoon draw but return to the ice Tuesday evening to face Manitoba.
Ontario only scored three times against PEI, but they scored big everytime, cracking three�s in the first and fourth ends and then a four-pack in the seventh end.
Ontario was overlooked by many Scotties handicappers at the start of this event, but there�s no ignoring them now. �We�re curling well,� Middaugh said, �and we�ve sent a bit of a statement.�
The loss to Ontario drops Gaudet to 1-5.
In other games, Nova Scotia�s Mary-Anne Arsenault defeated Saskatchewan�s Michelle Englot 8-4 in an emotion-filled game.
Englot left immediately after the game to attend the funeral of her father, Joe Englot, who passed away last Thursday. The funeral is this evening in the nearby town of Montmartre. Saskatchewan has a bye this evening.
Englot received a standing ovation from the crowd at the Brandt Centre following the loss to Nova Scotia. She burst into tears afterward and was comforted by teammate Cindy Simmons.
Meanwhile, Canada�s Kelly Scott continues her quest to claw back into playoff contention. After opening at 1-4, Scott beat Newfoundland 8-4 Tuesday morning and then New Brunswick 7-3 Tuesday afternoon to get back into contention at 3-4.
�Today it just felt easier for some reason,� Scott said.
In the only other game Tuesday afternoon, Manitoba�s Jennifer Jones gave up a four-ender to Quebec in the very first end, battled back to make it a one-point game but then saw it all slip back away when she gave up a three-ender in the eighth end after Jones�s last rock picked.
The 10-8 loss drops Manitoba to 3-3, while Quebec improves to 5-2.
The Scotties resumes Tuesday evening when Manitoba plays Alberta, Nova Scotia plays Northwest Territories/Yukon, PEI plays BC and New Brunswick plays Newfoundland.
Barb Currie wins her fourth PEI Seniors crown
Posted Tuesday, February 19, 2008 by derekm
The Barb Currie rink from the host Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club edged Cornwall's Shirley Berry foursome by a 7-6 score this afternoon to win the Credit Unions of PEI Provincial Women's Curling Championship. Playing with Currie were third Lana Simmons, second Jeanette Rivard, and lead Helen MacDonald, with coach Al Ledgerwood. Third Danielle Girard, second Arleen Harris, and lead Carol Sweetapple round out the Berry foursome, who are coached by Butch McGee.
Photo L-R: Barb Currie, Lana Simmons, Jeanette Rivard, Helen MacDonald
This is Currie's fourth Seniors title, winning previously in 2001, 2005, and 2006. Berry is a two-time Seniors champion.
In today's game, Currie opened the scoring with a first end deuce. Berry tied it up with singles in the next two ends, but Currie scored another deuce in the fourth to grab the lead. They exchanged singles
in five and six. Currie stole the next two ends to lead 7-3. Berry grabbed a 9th end pair to narrow the gap to two, and stole a deuce in the tenth, not enough to tie the game.
The Currie rink were first in the round robin, with a 6-1 win-loss record, their only loss being to the Berry team, who were second at 5-2..
Berry won the 1st place vs 2nd place Page playoff over Currie to advance directly to today's final, while the Summerside team had to get to the championship game by beating out third-place Joyce White of Charlottetown in the semi-final match.
On Monday, the Ted MacFadyen rink from the Charlottetown Curling Club beat the Peter MacDonald rink from the Fox by a 9-3 score to win the Men's title.
The Currie and MacFadyen rinks now advance to the Canadian Seniors, March 22-30 in Prince Albert Sask.
It's MacFadyen, One More Time
Posted Tuesday, February 19, 2008 by derekm
By Jason Simmonds
Transcontinental Media
SUMMERSIDE � A familiar face will carry P.E.I.�s colours at the Canadian senior men�s curling championship in Prince Albert, Sask., in March.
Ted MacFadyen of Augustine Cove skipped his Charlottetown Curling Club rink to a 9-3 victory in seven ends over Peter MacDonald�s foursome from the host Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club Monday afternoon at the 2008 Credit Unions of P.E.I. provincial senior curling championships.
Click to read this story at The Guardian
return to headlines
Down, but not out-Gaudet rink at 1-4
Posted Tuesday, February 19, 2008 by derekm
REGINA � The Suzanne Gaudet rink may not have the record it wants, but the P.E.I. champions are remaining confident.
Gaudet dropped both of her games Monday at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, losing 8-7 to Quebec�s Marie-France Larouche in the morning draw before falling 9-8 in 11 ends to Heather Strong of Newfoundland and Labrador in afternoon action.
Click to read this story at The Guardian
Sylvan Learning 17 and Under ch'ships start Thursday
Posted Monday, February 18, 2008 by derekm
The opening draw goes Thursday at 1:30 pm as the Sylvan Learning 17 and Under Curling Championship gets underway at the Montague Curling Club.
Defending champions Sam Ramsay of the Silver Fox and Katie Sharkey of the Charlottetown Curling Club are back to defend their titles. Ramsay has picked up a new teammate, with PEI Junior Champion skip Brett Gallant playing second stone on Ramsay's team for this event.
The winning rinks from this championship earn the right to compete at the Atlantic 17 and Under Curling Championships, March 21-24 at the Truro Curling Club in Nova Scotia.
Both the eight junior men's teams and the nine junior women's rinks will play a triple-knockout format for this event, with A, B and C section winners advancing to a two game championship round, unless the same team wins all three divisions, in which case they will immediately be declared the winners. If a team wins two sections, they will play in both championship games, Sunday evening at 7:30, and Monday at 5 pm, and will win the title if they take either.
Complete draws, team rosters and results are available at peicurling.com/17andunder.
Here are the opening junior women's draws:
Thursday February 21st at 1:30 pm
Leah Deveau (Montague) vs Rachael Collier (Montague)
Megan Davies (Ch'town) vs Tricia Sanderson (Cornwall)
Jessica van Ouwerkerk (Silver Fox) vs Anita Casey (Silver Fox)
Nikki Arsenault (Maple Leaf) vs Katie Sharkey (Ch'town)
Thursday February 21st at 7:30 pm
Sarah Fullerton (Cornwall) vs winner Deveau/Collier game at 1:30.
Here are the opening junior men's draws
Thursday February 21st at 4:30 pm
Isaac Shaw (Ch'town) vs Patrick Shepherd (Ch'town)
Spencer Pitre (Western) vs Tyler Davies (Ch'town)
Sam Ramsay (Silver Fox) vs David Nabuurs (Montague)
Matthew Nabuurs (Montague) vs David Parker (Ch'town)
Opening ceremonies are Thursday at 6:45 pm.
Draw times: Thursday at 1:30, 4:30 and 7:30 pm, Friday and Saturday at 9:30 am, and 12:30, 4:30 and 7:30 pm, Sunday at 10:30 am and 2:30 and 7:30 pm, and Monday at 6 pm.
Gaudet loses both games today to slip to 1-4; Kleibrink dodges bullet to stay undefeated
Posted Monday, February 18, 2008 by derekm
PEI's Suzanne Gaudet lost two close games today at the Scotties in Regina to slip to 1 win and four losses. In the morning draw, they lost 8-7 to Marie-France Larouche of Quebec, while Newfoundland's Heather Strong stole the 10th and 11th ends to win 9-8 over PEI in the afternoon.
REGINA (CCA) -- Alberta�s Shannon Kleibrink needed to stage a comeback Monday afternoon to preserve her undefeated record here at the 2008 Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
Trailing Nova Scotia�s Mary-Anne Arsenault 5-2, Kleibrink got a deuce in the sixth end and took the lead for good in the seventh end with a steal of three. Nova Scotia battled back to make it a one-point game in the tenth end, but Kleibrink made an open hit with the final rock of the game to nail down a 9-7 victory.
The win improved Alberta�s record to 4-0, while Nova Scotia fell to 3-2.
Kleibrink said afterward that the win was in keeping with a team that seems to need a few ends to get into the game. �It�s a known fact our first half is a little dicey,� Kleibrink said.
Kleibrink scoffed at the notion her team might go undefeated through this entire event. �There�s no chance,� she laughed. �You know your loss will come somewhere.�
In other games Monday afternoon, Manitoba�s Jennifer Jones snapped a two-game losing streak with an 8-2 win over Kerry Galusha of Northwest Territories/Yukon.
Jones scored one with the hammer in the first end and then rattled off steals in the next four ends to head to the fifth end break up 7-0. The win improved Manitoba�s record to 3-2, while Galusha remains the only winless team in the field at 0-4.
The Manitoba victory came after they had been roundly defeated Monday morning, falling 11-4 to Ontario�s Sherry Middaugh.
�We had a tough loss this (morning),� said Manitoba third Cathy Overton-Clapham. �And we weren�t as sharp as we would have liked to have been and the ice was a lot straighter than we had been used to, so it was nice to come back with a win.�
In the only other games Monday afternoon, BC�s Allison MacInnes defeated New Brunswick�s Sylvie Robichaud 13-6 and Newfoundland's Heather Strong stole the 10th and 11th ends to beat PEI's Suzanne Gaudet 9-8.
Earlier Monday, Canada�s record fell to 1-3 with a 7-5 loss to Nova Scotia.
Canada�s Kelly Scott and Nova Scotia�s Mary-Anne Arsenault were tied 1-1 in the fourth end when Nova Scotia stole four to go up 5-1. Arsenault stole one more the next end to go up 6-1 heading into the fifth end break.
Canada battled back, however, scoring a deuce in the eighth end and then stealing two more in the ninth end to head home in the tenth down 6-5.
Facing two Canada counters on the four-foot, Arsenault drew the button with the last rock of the end to preserve a 7-5 victory.
Canada returns to the ice Monday evening, taking on Alberta. In other games on the Monday evening draw, NWT/Yukon plays Ontario�s Middaugh, Newfoundland and Labrador plays Quebec�s Marie-France Larouche and BC plays Saskatchewan�s Michelle Englot.
Barb Currie to play Shirley Berry for Senior Women's crown
Posted Monday, February 18, 2008 by derekm
The Barb Currie rink from the host Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club defeated Charlottetown's Joyce White foursome 8-2 this afternoon in the semi-final of the Credit Unions of PEI Provincial Senior Women's Curling championships. The win puts Currie, and teammates Lana Simmons, Jeanette Rivard, and Helen MacDonald in Tuesday's 2 pm final against Cornwall's Shirley Berry rink. Currie has won the Seniors three times in the past, while Berry is a two-time champ.
return to headlines
Ted MacFadyen wins sixth Seniors title
Posted Monday, February 18, 2008 by derekm
The Ted MacFadyen rink from the Charlottetown Curling Club defeated the Peter MacDonald rink from the host Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club by a 9-3 score this afternoon, stealing deuces in the sixth and seventh ends, to win the Credit Unions of PEI Provincial Senior Men's Curling Championship. MacFadyen is now a six-time Seniors champion, and five-time Men's champ. Lead Mike Coady and second Sandy Foy have been playing on his team since the mid-seventies, while Craig Mackie has recently joined the rink at third. Rod MacDonald, Tom Fetterly and Doug MacEachern round out the MacDonald squad.
Photo (L-R): Ted MacFadyen, Craig Mackie, Sandy Foy, Mike Coady
MacDonald won the A side of the double-knockout event, while MacFadyen took the B side, with both teams beating Clair Sweet of O'Leary in the section finals.
The winning MacFadyen rink will advance to the Canadian Seniors, March 22-30 in Prince Albert Sask.
On the women's side, Barb Currie of the Fox and Joyce White of Charlottetown are playing in the semi-final, with Currie leading 8-2 after eight ends.
The winner will face two-time Senior Women's champ Shirley Berry of Cornwall in the 2 pm Tuesday final.
MacFadyen to play MacDonald for Sr. Men's crown. Berry advances to Sr. Women's final
Posted Monday, February 18, 2008 by derekm
Five-time Men's and five-time Seniors champion Ted MacFadyen will have a chance for a 6th Seniors crown, as he plays "A" section winner Peter MacDonald of the host Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in the 2 PM men's final of the Credit Unions of PEI Provincial Senior Curling Championships. The MacFadyen foursome captured the "B" division final of this double-knockout event this morning with a decisive 9-1 win over Clair Sweet of O'Leary's Maple Leaf Curling Club.
On the women's side, Shirley Berry of Cornwall won the 1st place vs 2nd place Page playoff over Barb Currie of Summerside this morning by an 8-6 score, and advances directly to the final, set for Tuesday at 2 pm.
Currie will play in the 2 pm Monday semi-final against Joyce White of Charlottetown, who beat Cornwall's Sherren Morrison in the Page 3rd vs 4th game by a 9-3 score. The winner of the semi will advance to tomorrow's final.
The winning men's and women's rinks will advance to the Canadian Seniors, March 22-30 in Prince Albert Sask.
Provincial Men's championships wrapup
Posted Monday, February 18, 2008 by derekm
Courtesy of Soupy Campbell, here is a cross-canada tour of Provincial Men's Championship results:
FINAL-Alberta
Kevin Martin defeated Randy Ferbey in the final Sunday
LINESCORE:
MARTIN 102 002 020 X = 7
FERBEY 020 100 100 X = 4
Kevin Martin(Saville Center CC), John Morris, Marc Kennedy, Ben Hebert.
http://www.2008bostonpizzacup.ca/
FINAL-Manitoba
Kerry Burtnyk defeated David Bahn in the final Sunday.
LINESCORE:
BOHN 010 011 020 X = 5
BURTNYK 402 100 202 X = 11
Kerry Burtnyk(Assinboine Memorial CC), Dan Kammerlock, Richard Deneault, Garth Smith.
http://www.safewaychampionship.ca/
FINAL-Quebec
Jean-Michel Menard defeated Martin Ferland in the final Tuesday 7-5
LINESCORE:
MENARD 011 030 010 1 = 7
FERLAND 100 102 001 0 = 5
Jean-Michel Menard(Etchemin/Victoria CC), Martin Crete, Eric Sylvain, Jean Gagnon
http://www.curling-quebec.com/hommes/
FINAL-New Brunswick
James Grattan defeated Jeremy Mallais 9-2 in the final Sunday.
LINESCORE:
Mallais 000 101 0XX X = 2
Grattan 003 030 3XX X = 9
James Grattan(Gage CC), Mike Kennedy, Jason Vaughan, Peter Case.
http://www.nbcurling.nb.ca/Scripts/livescore/html/tankard08/frame.html
Yukon/Nwt
Chad Cowan defeated Jon Solberg in the sudden death final Sunday evening after 3 teams were tied for 1st after their double round robin.
LINESCORE:
SOLBERG 010 102 031 00 = 8 (EXTRA)
COWAN 001 010 500 11 = 9 (END)
Chad Cowan(Whitehorse CC), Wade Scoffin, James Buyck, Clint Ireland.
http://www.yukoncurling.ca/scrsmens.html
FINAL-British Columbia
Bob Ursel defeated Greg McAulay in the final Sunday
LINESCORE:
McAULAY 001 020 110 20 = 7 (EX)
URSEL 210 101 002 01 = 8 (END)
Bob Ursel(Kelowna CC), Jim Cotter, Kevin Folk, Rick Sawatsky
http://www.playdowns.com/curlbcscores/competition-page.php?id_cmp=193
FINAL-Saskatchewan
Pat Simmons defeated Darrell McKee in the final Sunday afternoon 10-5.
LINESCORE:
SIMMONS 202 030 03X X = 10
MCKEE 010 102 10 X X = 5
Pat Simmons(Davidson CC), Jeff Sharp, Gerry Adam, Steve Laycock
http://www.saskcurl.com/
FINAL--Northern Ontario
Eric Harnden defeated Jeff Currie Saturday night 7-3 in the final.
LINESCORE:
CURRIE 010 001 010 0 = 3
HARNDEN 001 100 302 0 = 7
Eric Harnden(Soo Curlers Association CC), E.J. Harnden, Ryan Harnden, Caleb Flaxey
http://www.curlnoca.ca/content.php?target=/Playdowns/Mens/
FINAL-Ontario
Glenn Howard defeated Peter Corner 9-4 in the final Sunday afternoon.
LINESCORE:
CORNER 020 101 XXX X = 4
HOWARD 401 040 XXX X = 9
Glenn Howard(Coldwater & District CC), Richard Hart, Brent Laing, Craig Savill
http://www.tsctankard2008.com/
FINAL-Prince Edward Island
Peter Gallant defeated John Likely 8-7 in an extra end last Sunday afternoon.
LINESCORE:
LIKELY 200 111 000 20 = 7 (EX)
GALLANT 002 000 212 01 = 8 (END)
Peter Gallant(Charlottetown CC), Kevin Champion, Mark O'Rourke, John Desrosiers
http://www.isn.net/~derekm/peicurling//tankard/
Nova Scotia
Brian Rafuse defeated Shawn Adams in the final Sunday afternoon 4-3.
LINESCORE:
RAFUSE 010 010 000 2 = 4
ADAMS 002 000 010 0 = 3
Brian Rafuse, Curt Palmer, Alan Darragh, Dave Slauenwhite.
http://www.nscurl.com/portal/event.php?id=1
Newfoundland/Labrador
Brad Gushue defeated Keith Ryan 7-3 in the final Sunday.
LINESCORE:
RYAN 001 010 01X X = 3
GUSHUE 110 400 10X X = 7
Brad Gushue(Bally Haly G & CC), Mark Nichols, Chris Schille, Dave Noftall
http://www.curlingnl.ca/
Alberta Last Remaining Undefeated at Scotties
Posted Monday, February 18, 2008 by derekm
Sunday, February 17, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
REGINA -- And then there was one.
Alberta�s Shannon Kleibrink is the last undefeated team remaining in the field here at the 2008 Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
Kleibrink improved to 3-0 with an 8-5 victory over Kerry Galusha�s Northwest Territories/Yukon Sunday evening.
While Kleibrink was winning, Ontario�s Sherry Middaugh -- the only other undefeated team heading into the Sunday evening draw -- was losing, 8-7 to Quebec�s Marie-France Larouche.
Put it altogether and the 2006 Olympic bronze medallists from Calgary are suddenly in the driver�s seat heading into Day 3.
Kleibrink isn�t celebrating just yet, however, noting the team needs a bank of wins for the long road still in front of them. �It�s definitely important,� Kleibrink said, �because we have a lot of the big teams in front of us.�
In other games Sunday evening, Newfoundland and Labrador�s Heather Strong cracked a three in the tenth end to stun BC�s Allison MacInnes 9-7.
In the only other game, Saskatchewan�s Michelle Englot gave a huge crowd at the Brandt Centre something to cheer about, scoring two in the ninth end and then stealing two more in the tenth end to defeat Canada�s Kelly Scott 8-6.
The win was Saskatchewan�s first and improves them to 1-2. Canada, meantime, falls to 1-2, not where the two-time defending champions expected to find themselves at this stage in the tournament.
�We�re certainly not where we wanted to be,� Scott said. �But we�re not out of this by a long measure.�
Englot was simply relieved to have racked up her first win in front of the home crowd. �It�s good to have the monkey off our backs,� Englot said. �The girls dug deep. We were a lot more like ourselves out there tonight.�
Englot also gave credit to a boisterous crowd that roared all night for the home side. �The Rider�s 13th man was working for us,� Englot said, referring to the Saskatchewan Roughriders legendary fanbase.
Heading into Day 3, Alberta is alone in first followed by five teams tied for second at 2-1 -- Ontario, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Quebec. Then there�s a five-way logjam at 1-2 -- Saskatchewan, Canada, PEI, New Brunswick and BC. Only NWT/Yukon is still winless at 0-3.
The Scotties continues Monday morning when Quebec plays PEI, Saskatchewan plays New Brunswick, Ontario plays Manitoba and Canada plays Nova Scotia.
Kleibrink and Middaugh 2-0, Gaudet loses to NB and slips to 1-2 at Hearts
Posted Sunday, February 17, 2008 by derekm
Sunday, February 17, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
REGINA -- Alberta�s Shannon Kleibrink is a perfect 2-0 after a 6-4 win here at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts Sunday afternoon over Heather Strong�s Newfoundland and Labrador.
With the game tied 4-4, Kleibrink ran one of her own rocks back on to a Newfoundland counter to score the game-winning deuce. The win improved Kleibrink to 2-0, the same record as Ontario�s Sherry Middaugh, who was idle on the afternoon draw.
Newfoundland fell to 1-1 with the loss.
Kleibrink said her team is feeling good this week, but not too good. �We�re always a pretty confident team,� said the 2006 Olympic bronze medallist, �but we know the field here is great too. We�re not overconfident, but we know we can do well here if we play like we can.�
Third Amy Nixon said there�s also a buzz in the air here at the Brandt Centre that lends something special to the event. �There�s an adrenaline here that I haven�t felt in awhile, that�s for sure. Big crowd, it�s a great event and you�re here representing your province. It�s a great honour.�
In other games on the afternoon draw, Nova Scotia�s Mary-Anne Arsenault handed Manitoba�s Jennifer Jones her first lost, 6-5 in an extra end. The loss dropped Jones to 2-1 and improved Arsenault to 2-1.
In a see-saw game, Nova Scotia third Kim Kelly said she felt fortunate to have prevailed. �It wasn�t our best game, but they kindly stumbled right along with us.�
New Brunswick�s Sylvie Robichaud got her first win, 9-2 over PEI�s Suzanne Gaudet. Both those teams are now at 1-2.
And BC�s Allison MacInnes beat Kerry Galusha of Northwest Territories/Yukon 9-2. BC is now 1-1, while the northerners drop to 0-2.
The Scotties resumes Sunday evening with Canada playing Saskatchewan, Alberta playing NWT/Yukon, BC taking on Newfoundland and Ontario playing Quebec.
Sweet, MacFadyen in Senior Men's B final, Currie, Berry in Women's 1 vs 2
Posted Sunday, February 17, 2008 by derekm
The playoff round is set at the Credit Unions of PEI Provincial Seniors Curling Championships at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club.
In the double-knockout men's division, Clair Sweet of O'Leary's Maple Leaf club and Ted MacFadyen of the Charlottetown Curling Club will square off in the B divison final Monday at 9 am, with the winner facing A divison winner Peter MacDonald of the host Silver Fox club in the 2 pm final.
Sweet advanced with a 6-4 win Sunday afternoon over Charlottetown's Charlie Wilkinson, while MacFadyen beat Peter MacDonald by an 8-6 score. On Sunday morning, MacFadyen eliminated John Deluca of Cornwall with a 10-3 win, while Wilkinson knocked out Lou Nowlan of the host club by an 8-3 score. MacDonald beat Sweet 5-2 in the A final on Saturday.
Round robin play wrapped up Sunday morning in the women's division. In the final round, Shirley Berry of Cornwall handed Barb Currie of Summerside her only loss of the round robin, by a 10-9 extra end score, giving Currie a 6-1 win-loss record and Berry a 5-2 tally, advancing both teams to the 1st place vs 2nd place Page playoff, now scheduled for 9 am on Monday.
Sherren Morrison of Cornwall, Joyce White of Charlottetown, and Karen A MacDonald of Charlottetown all finished with 4-3 win-loss records. Morrison had beaten both teams in round robin play, and was awarded third place, while White and MacDonald squared off in a Sunday afternoon tiebreaker, with White scoring four points in the final end to win 11-8 and grab the final playoff spot. Morrison and White now play in the Page 3rd place vs fourth place game Monday morning at 9.
Other round robin finishes: Diane MacKay of Cornwall was 3-4, Karen E MacDonald of Summerside was 2-5, while Silver Fox clubmate Nola Murphy was 0-7.
The winner of the Currie/Berry Page game will advance directly to the final, which will now take place Tuesday at 2 pm, due to a scheduling change.
The loser of that game will play in the semi-final, Monday at 2 pm, against the winner of the Morrison vs White Page contest, with the semi winner advancing to the Tuesday final.
The winning men's and women's rinks will advance to the Canadian Seniors, March 22-30 in Prince Albert Sask.
Manitoba perfect on Scotties Day One - Gaudet beats NS
Posted Sunday, February 17, 2008 by derekm
Saturday, February 16, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
REGINA -- Manitoba�s Jennifer Jones is the only team at 2-0 heading into Day 2 of the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
Jones followed up an 8-2 win over PEI�s Suzanne Gaudet on the Saturday afternoon draw with a 10-4 victory over New Brunswick�s Sylvie Robichaud Saturday night to cap off a perfect opening day for the 2005 Canadian women�s champions.
�I thought we had a really good start to this event. We felt great out there,� said Manitoba second Jill Officer, who earlier Saturday won a two-year lease on a Ford Fusion in the Ford Hot Shots skills competition.
Manitoba scored threes in the first, fifth and ninth ends against a New Brunwick team that was making their national women�s debut on Saturday. New Brunswick heads into Sunday at 0-2.
In other games on the evening draw, Newfoundland�s Heather Strong defeated Northwest Territories/Yukon�s Kerry Galusha 5-4; Alberta�s Shannon Kleibrink beat BC�s Allison MacInnes 6-4; and PEI�s Gaudet beat Nova Scotia�s Mary-Anne Arsenault 9-3.
Galusha needed a bite of the button with her last rock of the tenth end to earn the victory over Newfoundland, but she was just a few inches heavy with her draw and Strong got the game-winning steal. Newfoundland is 1-0, while NWT/Yukon is 0-1.
Alberta trailed 4-2 in the ninth end when Kleibrink, the 2006 Olympic bronze medallist, scored what proved to be a game-winning three-ender over MacInnes. The win gives Alberta a 1-0 record, while BC is at 0-1.
PEI won by a lopsided score in what was actually a close game. A four-ender by PEI in the ninth end busted open what until then had been a two-point game. PEI improved to 1-1 with the victory, while Nova Scotia fell to 1-1.
The Scotties resumes Sunday morning with just two games -- Saskatchewan�s Michelle Englot (0-1) plays Ontario�s Sherry Middaugh (1-0) and Quebec�s Marie-France Larouche (1-0) plays Canada�s Kelly Scott (0-1).
Scott was beaten in her opener earlier Saturday, falling 9-5 to Ontario on the first draw. In other games on draw 1, Quebec beat Saskatchewan 9-6 and Nova Scotia beat New Brunswick 8-4.
Officer said she had no doubt that Scott�s Canada, the two-time defending champions, will rebound from the opening loss and be a force as the week progresses.
�It�s really early in the week and they�re a championship team. I still think they�ll be there at the end of the week,� Officer said.
Peter MacDonald rink wins Senior Men's A Final; Barb Currie undefeated in women's section
Posted Saturday, February 16, 2008 by derekm
The Peter MacDonald rink from the host Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club defeated the Clair Sweet foursome from the Maple Leaf club in O'Leary by a 5-2 score this afternoon to capture the A section final of the double knockout men's division of the Credit Unions of PEI Provincial Seniors Curling Championships. Playing with MacDonald are his brother Rod at third, Doug MacEachern at 2nd, and Tom Fetterley in the lead position. Other men's rinks still alive as of Saturday night are Charlie Wilkinson and Ted MacFadyen of Charlottetown, Lou Nowlan of Summerside, and John Deluca of Cornwall. At 9 am Sunday, Wilkinson plays Nowlan and MacFadyen faces Deluca, with the winners playing Sweet and MacDonald respectively at 2 pm. The winners of those games will square off in the B divison final Monday morning at 9. If MacDonald is in that final and wins it, he will take the championship; otherwise the final featuring the A and B section winners will go Monday at 5.
In the round robin women's divison, the Barb Currie rink from the host Silver Fox club continues to lead with a 6-0 win-loss record. Playing with Currie are Lana Simmons, Jeanette Rivard, and Helen MacDonald.
Joyce White from Charlottetown and Shirley Berry of Cornwall are next at 4-2, while Karen A. MacDonald of Charlottetown and Cornwall's Sherren Morrison and Diane MacKay rinks are 3-3. Karen A MacDonald of Summerside is 1-5, while Silver Fox clubmate Nola Murphy is 0-6.
The final round robin draw goes Sunday morning at 9, with tiebreakers, if needed, going Sunday at 2 and, if necessary 7 pm. If there are no 7 pm tiebreakers, the Page 1st place vs 2nd place and 3rd place vs 4th place playoff games will go then, otherwise they will go at 9 am Monday. Semi-finals between the loser of the 1 vs 2 game and the winner of the 3 vs 4 game go either 9 am or 2 pm Monday, depending on tiebreakers, and the final, between the winner of the 1 vs 2 game and the winner of the semi, go Monday at 2 or 7 pm.
Winning men's and women's rinks advance to the Canadian Seniors, March 22-30 in Prince Albert Saskatchewan.
Canada's Scott Shaky in Scotties Opener; Gaudet loses 1st game to Jennifer Jones
Posted Saturday, February 16, 2008 by derekm
Saturday, February 16, 2008. Source: Canadian Curling Association
REGINA -- Canada's Kelly Scott, the two-time defending Canadian women's curling champion, got off to a shaky start here on the opening draw of the 2008 Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
Scott was beaten 9-5 by Ontario�s Sherry Middaugh in a game that saw Middaugh steal three ends and a total of five points from a Canada team that seemed to lack the ruthless efficiency that helped win them their two national titles.
�We kind of had to go to school out there today to see what the ice was giving us,� Scott said afterward.
�(There were) too many freebies with the way I was finishing off my shots...I don�t like to give those away.�
With Ontario lying three in the fourth end, Scott needed just to stick an open hit to take her one and get out of the end. But Scott rolled out on the hit, handing Middaugh a steal of two and a 5-2 lead.
Scott stormed back with a three of her own the next end to tie the game heading into the fifth end break, but it was all Middaugh after that, taking a deuce in the seventh end and then stealing two more in the ninth end to seal the deal.
In other games, Manitoba�s Jennifer Jones defeated PEI�s Suzanne Gaudet 8-2; Quebec�s Marie-France Larouche defeated Saskatchewan�s Michelle Englot 9-6; and Nova Scotia�s Mary Anne Arsenault defeated New Brunswick�s Sylvie Robichaud 8-4.
Earlier Saturday, Manitoba second Jill Officer won the Ford Hot Shots skills competition. Officer defeated PEI's Robyn MacPhee 22-15 in the final to capture the first place prize of a two-year lease on a Ford Fusion SEL V6. The lease is valued at $15,240.
MacPhee settled for $2,000 in second place money, while Scott earned $1,000 for finishing third.
It's the 14th year in a row Ford has staged the Hot Shots, which involves curlers delivering a series of six skill-testing shots -- hit and stay, draw the button, draw the port, the raise, hit and roll and double takeout.
Curlers are graded on a scale of 0 to 5 based on how well they execute each shot. The maximum scores is 30.
The Scotties resumes Saturday evening when Manitoba takes on New Brunswick, Northwest Territories/Yukon plays Newfoundland and Labrador, Alberta takes on BC and PEI plays Nova Scotia.
Officer 'collars' Ford Hot Shots, PEI's Robyn MacPhee is runner-up
Posted Saturday, February 16, 2008 by derekm
Saturday, February 16, 2008 Source: Canadian Curling Association
By Larry Wood
Jill Officer has spent recent years driving a �97 Chevy Cavalier clunker up and down the highway from Brandon to Winnipeg and back. And forth and back and forth and so on.
On Saturday, the opportunity to dump the clunker stared her in the mug and she responded, winning the Ford Hot Shots at the Brandt Centre and the top prize of a two-year lease � valued at roughly $15,240 � on a brand new 2008 Ford Fusion SEL V6.
�It feels really good,� gushed the Manitoba second player from Winnipeg as she fondled the new car keys.
�It�s exciting. It gets your blood flowing and your intensity going. It�s just to be out there as a team. We just got it going, so bring on the games.�
Officer was up against Prince Edward Island vice-skip Robyn MacPhee in the final of the shotmaking event and outpointed the Islander 22-15. Officer also bested MacPhee in the semis by a 26-20 count and both advanced when neither Kelly Scott of Kelowna nor Nancy Belanger of Quebec could amass 20 points. Scott scored 18 and Belanger 14.
It was mentioned that Hot Shots winners often have gone on to win the Scotties but, in fact, it only happened once in women�s play � in 2000 when Kelley Law won the title.
Colleen Jones won six Scotties but the year she won the Hot Shots (2006) her team finished up the track at the Scotties and subsequently broke up.
When Officer and her Jennifer Jones-skipped team won the Scotties in 2005, they defeated Jenn Hanna of Ottawa in the final. Hanna won the Hot Shots at the start of the week.
Law also won her second straight Hot Shots in 2001 but lost the Scotties final to Colleen Jones.
Officer shrugged off any deep meaning attached to the win, one way or another.
�My sweepers were great out there, it was a team effort,� she said. �I couldn�t have done it without them.�
But she doesn�t plan to share the use of the gas buggy.
�I�ll have to buy them dinner or drinks or a present or something,� she said. �I�ll buy them a gift and if they�re not happy I�ll buy them more.�
Officer said she was planning to dump the old Chevy �in a year, maybe a year-and-a-half. So I might as well do that now.�
The car had 40,000 klicks on the odometer when she bought it in 2001.
�Now it�s got 165,000 at least,� she said. "So, for sure, I�ll take this deal.�
Officer shared a leading 21-point performance in the quarter-finals with Scott and Belanger. MacPhee scored 19.
Dropping out at that point were P.E.I. skip Suzanne Gaudet (14), Friday's leader Kim Moore of Ontario (11), Amanda Brennan of Kamloops (10) and Kirsten Wall of Ontario (7).
The event requires curlers to execute six shots: Hit-and-stay, draw-the-button, draw-the-port, the raise, the hit-and-roll and the double-takeout. Each shot is awarded points on a scale from 0-5, rating the success of each for a maximum total of 30 points..
The new vehicle�s features include a 3.0 L V6 engine and six-speed automatic transmission.
MacPhee was presented with a cheque for $2,000, while Scott pocketed $1,000.
The only previous Ford Hot Shots winner at the Hearts from Manitoba was Gerri Cooke of Brandon.
Other winners are Saskatchewan's Kay Montgomery, British Columbia's Sherry Fraser, Kristy Lewis and double winner Law, New Brunswick's Allison Franey, Alberta's Marcy Balderston, Prince Edward Island�s Suzanne Gaudet, Ontario�s Andrea Lawes and Hanna, and Nova Scotia�s Colleen Jones.
Defending champion Kelli Turpin of Inuvik, a member of last year�s Territories team, took this year off to give birth to her first child.
Saturday PEI Seniors play underway at the Fox
Posted Saturday, February 16, 2008 by derekm
Going into the third day of play at the Credit Unions of PEI Senior Curling Championships, for curlers age 50 and over, the Barb Currie rink from the host Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club, leads the round robin women's division with a 4-0 win-loss record. The Joyce White foursome from the Charlottetown Curling Club is close behind at 3-1. Defending champion Diane MacKay, Sherren Morrison, and Shirley Berry, who all curl out the the Cornwall Curling Club, and Karen A MacDonald from Charlottetown are all at 2-2, while Karen E MacDonald from the Fox is 1-3, and clubmate Nola Murphy is 0-4.
In the double-knockout men's division, four teams: John Deluca from Cornwall, Clair Sweet from O'Leary's Maple Leaf club, and Peter MacDonald and Lou Nowlan from the host Silver Fox club are still undefeated.
In games that got underway at 8:30 this morning Deluca is playing Sweet, and MacDonald is taking on Nowlan, hot off a runner-up finish at the Maritime Masters, earlier in the week at the same club.
The winners of those games will face off in the A division final at 4 this afternoon.
Leo Stewart and Blair Jay from the Fox have had two losses, and are out of further play at the event.
Four teams will be eliminated in this morning's draw, with Charlie Wilkinson playing John Holmes, Larry Dewar facing Matt Smith, Ted MacFadyen battling Louis Walsh, and Rupert Sweetapple vs Leslie Hardy.
Saturday men's draws are at 8:30 am and 4 pm, while the women are on the ice at 12:30 and 7 pm. Play continues through Monday, with the winners advancing to the Canadian Seniors, March 22-30 in Prince Albert Saskatchewan.
PEI's Scotties Schedule, plus TV schedule, Rosters
Posted Saturday, February 16, 2008 by derekm
Here is the round robin schedule for the Suzanne Gaudet rink at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Regina:
Draw One: Saturday Feb. 16 at 4:30 pm Atlantic vs Manitoba (Jennifer Jones)
Draw Two: Saturday Feb. 16 at 9 pm Atlantic vs Nova Scotia (Mary-Anne Arsenault)
Draw Four: Sunday Feb. 17 at 4 pm Atlantic vs New Brunswick (Sylvie Robichaud)
Draw Six: Monday Feb. 18 at 11:30 am Atlantic vs Quebec (Marie-France LaRouche)
Draw Seven: Monday Feb. 18 at 4 pm Atlantic vs Newfoundland and Labrador (Heather Strong)
Draw Ten: Tuesday Feb. 19 at 4 pm Atlantic vs Ontario (Sherry Middaugh)
Draw Eleven: Tuesday Feb. 19 at 9 pm Atlantic vs British Columbia (Allison MacInnes)
Draw Twelve: Wednesday Feb. 20 at 11:30 am Atlantic vs Yukon/Northwest Territories (Kerry Galusha)
Draw Fourteen: Wednesday Feb. 20 at 9 pm Atlantic vs Team Canada (Kelly Scott)
Draw Fifteen: Thursday Feb. 21 at 11:30 am Atlantic vs Alberta (Shannon Kleibrink)
Draw Sixteen: Thursday Feb. 21 at 4 pm Atlantic vs Saskatchewan (Michelle Englot)
Here is the broadcast schedule. All times Atlantic.
As well, CBCSports.ca will be broadcasting online (web) coverage of all morning draws from Monday to Thursday as well as the Semi-Finals and Finals.
| Feb 16 | 4:30pm | TSN | Draw 1 |
| Feb 16 | 9:00pm | TSN | Draw 2 |
| Feb 17 | 11:30am | TSN | Draw 3 |
| Feb 17 | 9:00pm | TSN | Draw 5 |
| Feb 18 | 4:00pm | TSN | Draw 7 |
| Feb 18 | 9:00pm | TSN | Draw 8 |
| Feb 19 | 4:00pm | TSN | Draw 10 |
| Feb 19 | 9:00pm | TSN | Draw 11 |
| Feb 20 | 4:00pm | TSN | Draw 13 |
| Feb 20 | 11:30pm | TSN | Draw 14 - evening draw aired on Tape-Delay |
| Feb 21 | 4:00pm | TSN | Draw 16 |
| Feb 21 | 9:00pm | TSN | Draw 17 |
| Feb 22 | 4:00pm | TSN | Tie-Breaker / Playoff |
| Feb 22 | 9:00pm | TSN | Tie-Breaker / Playoff |
| Feb 23 | 12:30pm | CBC Sports | Semi-Final |
| Feb 24 | 1:30pm | CBC Sports | Championship Final |
Team Rosters:
.jpg) | Team Canada Kelly Scott Jeanna Schraeder Sasha Carter Renee Simons Michelle Allen Coach: Gerry Richard |
 | Team Alberta Shannon Kleibrink Amy Nixon Bronwen Saunders Chelsey Bell Nikki Smith Coach: Stan Usselman |
 | Team British Columbia Allison MacInnes Karla Sparks Janelle Yardley Amanda Brennan Sandra Jenkins Coach: Melissa Soligo |
 | Team Manitoba Jennifer Jones Cathy Overton-Clapham Jill Officer Dawn Askin Jennifer Clarke-Rouire Coach: Janet Arnott |
 | Team New Brunswick Sylvie Robichaud Danielle Nicholson Marie Richard Julie Carrier Stacey Leger Coach: Ellery Robichaud |
 | Team Newfoundland/Labrador Heather Strong Cathy Cunningham Laura Strong Peg Goss Bobbie Sauder Coach: Basil Kavanagh |
 | Team Northwest Territories/Yukon Kerry Galusha Teejay Surik Dawn Moses Heather McCagg-Nystrom Shona Barbour Coach: Fred Koe |
 | Team Nova Scotia Mary-Anne Arsenault Kim Kelly Laine Peters Nancy Delahunt Cheryl McBain Coach: Peter Corkum |
 | Team Ontario Sherry Middaugh Kirsten Wall Kim Moore Andra Harmark Tara George Coach: Andrea Ronnebeck |
 | Team Prince Edward Island |
 | Team Quebec Marie-France Larouche Nancy B�langer Annie Lemay Jo�lle Sabourin Val�rie Grenier Coach: Camil Larouche |
 | Team Saskatchewan Michelle Englot Darlene Kidd Roberta Materi Cindy Simmons Lorie Kehler Coach: Anita Ford |
The Mental Game-Suzanne Gaudet rink ready to handle whatever the Scotties Tournament of Hearts throws their way (Guardian)
Posted Saturday, February 16, 2008 by derekm
It�s somehow appropriate Suzanne Gaudet flew out of Charlottetown just ahead of a mid-week winter storm with a rink determined to land a national title in one of Canada�s most popular winter sports.
So when Gaudet, third Robyn MacPhee, second Carol Webb and lead Stefanie Clark begin action today at the 2008 Scotties Tournament of Hearts national women�s curling championship in Regina, Sask., the call will be let the storm begin.
Click to read this story by Charles Reid at The Guardian
return to headlines
Seniors start today at Silver Fox
Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 by derekm
The Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside is the host for the 2008 Credit Unions of PEI Provincial Seniors Curling Championships, for curlers age 50 and over. First draw is set for Thursday, February 14th, with the finals on Monday the 18th.
The eight-team women's division will play a round-robin with a Page playoff, while the 14-team men's section will play a double-knockout draw.
Among the talented field are five-time Men's and five-time Senior men's champion Ted MacFadyen, just off the ice from playing in the Labatt Tankard men's championship, where he made it to the Final Eight round. Defending champion Mel Bernard is not back this year, but Blair Jay from last year's team has moved up to skip a rink which includes two other members of the Bernard team. 2003 Senior champ Charlie Wilkinson is back, while five-time PEI Masters champ and 1999 Seniors champ Lou Nowlan from the host club will be very familiar with the ice, as he just finished competing in the Maritime Masters championship at the same venue from Monday through Wednesday. Among the newcomers to the Senior ranks are the rink of Peter MacDonald, Rod MacDonald, Doug MacEachern, and Tom Fetterly. The MacDonald brothers have just finished competing in the Labatt Tankard, where their team made it to the final four. Fetterly was also in the Tankard, playing lead for the Robert Shaw rink, which made it to the Final Eight. He may be better known, for playing on two Canadian Mixed championship teams representing Nova Scotia. He also played on five Nova Scotia men's championship teams.
The MacDonald clan are also well-represented on the women's side, with Peter's wife Karen A. MacDonald skipping a Charlottetown team, and Rod's wife Karen E. MacDonald skipping a team from the host club. Other contenders include two-time Seniors champ Shirley Berry from Cornwall, and three-time champ Barbara Currie from Summerside. Defending champion Diane MacKay is back, with a new team out of the Cornwall Curling Club.
The winning men's and women's rinks advance to the Canadian Seniors, March 22-30 in Prince Albert Saskatchewan.
Here are the opening draws:
Opening women's draw - Thursday, Feb. 14 at 2 pm:
Barbara Currie (Silver Fox) vs Sherren Morrison (Cornwall)
Diane MacKay (Cornwall) vs Karen E MacDonald (Silver Fox)
Karen A MacDonald (Ch'town) vs Shirley Berry (Cornwall)
Nola Murphy (Silver Fox) vs Joyce White (Ch'town)
Opening men's games:
Thursday Feb. 14 at 8 pm:
Leo Stewart (Silver Fox) vs John Deluca (Cornwall)
Lou Nowlan (Silver Fox) vs Blair Jay (Silver Fox)
Friday Feb. 15 at 9 am:
John Holmes (Silver Fox) vs Clair Sweet (Maple Leaf)
Ted MacFadyen (Ch'town) vs Larry Dewar (Montague)
Peter MacDonald (Silver Fox) vs Louis Walsh (Silver Fox)
Charlie Wilkinson (Ch'town) vs Rupert Sweetapple (Cornwall)
Friday Feb. 15th at 4 pm:
Matt Smith (Charlottetown) vs winner Stewart/Deluca game from 8 pm Thursday.
Leslie Hardy (Western) vs winner Nowlan/Jay game from 8 pm Thursday.
Draw times: Thursday at 2 and 8 pm, Friday and Saturday at 9 am and 1, 4 and 7 pm, Sunday and Monday at 9 am, 2 and 7 pm.
Complete draw, full team rosters, and end-by-end results are available at peicurling.com/seniors.
Masters Sweep for New Brunswick (Guardian)
Posted Thursday, February 14, 2008 by derekm
SUMMERSIDE � A pair of Fredericton rinks swept the 2008 Maritime masters curling championships at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club on Wednesday.
Click to read this story at The Guardian
Fredericton rinks claim Maritime Masters titles (Journal)
Posted Wednesday, February 13, 2008 by derekm
The Journal Pioneer
SUMMERSIDE -- The Dave Sullivan and Grace Donald rinks from Fredericton, N.B., captured the 2008 Maritime masters curling championships at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club on Wednesday morning.
Sullivan defeated Lou Nowlan of the host Silver Fox 6-4 to finish undefeated at 5-0 (won-lost). Donald won 6-3 over Jeanne Duffenais of The Fox to win the women�s title with a 4-1 record.
return to headlines
Final Day for Masters-Duffenais tied for women's lead (Transcontinental)
Posted Wednesday, February 13, 2008 by derekm
SUMMERSIDE � Dave Sullivan of New Brunswick is the only undefeated men�s rink following two days of play at the 2008 Maritime masters curling championships.
In women�s play, Jeanne Duffenais of Summerside and Grace Donald of Nova Scotia are tied atop the standings with 3-1 records.
The final draw of the three-day event for curlers aged 60 and over goes today at 10 a.m. at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club.
Click to read this story at The Guardian
Juniors sweep up honours (Guardian)
Posted Tuesday, February 12, 2008 by derekm
SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. � Prince Edward Island�s junior curlers aren�t coming home empty-handed, after all, from the Canadian junior curling championships.
While they would have preferred the championship banners for their teams, two of the players were pleased to earn special awards from the Canadian Curling Association.
Click to read this story at The Guardian.
Lisa Moerike and Adam Casey receive awards following Canadian Jrs
Posted Tuesday, February 12, 2008 by derekm
Two PEI players received awards following the M&M Canadian Juniors on the weekend.
Lisa Moerike, second on Erin Carmody�s Summerside rink, received the Ken Watson Sportsmanship Award, as voted on by the players, for the second straight year.
Adam Casey, third on Brett Gallant�s Charlottetown team was he recipient of the Joan Mead Legacy Award, which includes a $500 scholarship, and is chosen by the CBC.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Source: Canadian Curling Association
SAULT STE. MARIE, February 10...In addition to the all-star teams, the following awards were presented at the Closing Banquet of the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors.
Ken Watson Sportsmanship Awards (voted by the players)
Women � Lisa Moerike, Prince Edward Island second
Men � Stephen Ryan, Newfoundland and Labrador third
Joan Mead Legacy Awards (selected by CBC-TV)
($500 Scholarship)
Women � Danielle Inglis, Ontario skip
Men � Adam Casey, Prince Edward Island third
Arnold Asham Curling Supplies Coaches Awards (voted by the coaches)
Women�s team � Alex Mowat, Manitoba
Men�s team � Beno�t Arsenault, Quebec
Fair Play Awards (selected by the officials)
Junior women�s
Jody Keim, Alberta second
Ashley Gregoire, Saskatchewan second
Julie Devereaux, Newfoundland and Labrador skip
Danielle Inglis, Ontario skip
Rick Lang, Northern Ontario women�s coach
Junior men�s
Jamie Danbrook, British Columbia lead
Craig Van Ymeren, Ontario third
Kyle Peters, Manitoba skip
Aaron Sluchinski, Alberta skip
Kay Montgomery, Saskatchewan men�s coach
No shortage of offence - Day 1 of Maritime Masters (Journal)
Posted Tuesday, February 12, 2008 by derekm
There was no shortage of offence on the opening day of the 2008 Maritime Masters curling championships here at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club on Monday.
The curlers, aged 60 and over, scored a combined 164 points in the 12 games over two draws.
Click to read this story at the Journal-Pioneer
Montague curlers score eight-ender
Posted Monday, February 11, 2008 by derekm
PEI Juniors fall short of goal (Transcontinental)
Posted Monday, February 11, 2008 by derekm
SAULT STE. MARIE, ONT. � P.E.I.�s Brett Gallant needed two more wins on the weekend but fell short of reaching the final of the Canadian junior men�s curling championship.
Click to read this "special to Transcontinental Media" story by Tim Gall at The Guardian.
Gallant repeats-Battle of two Charlottetown rinks goes into an extra end at the Tankard ch'ship (Transcontinental)
Posted Monday, February 11, 2008 by derekm
Rundown of provincial men's ch'ships
Posted Monday, February 11, 2008 by derekm
Courtesy of Soupy Campbell, here is a trans-Canada rundown of provincial men's Curling Championship finals:
FINAL-British Columbia
Bob Ursel defeated Greg McAulay in the final Sunday
LINESCORE:
McAULAY 001 020 110 20 = 7 (EX)
URSEL 210 101 002 01 = 8 (END
Bob Ursel(Kelowna CC), Jim Cotter, Kevin Folk, Rick Sawatsky
http://www.playdowns.com/curlbcscores/competition-page.php?id_cmp=193
Alberta February 12-17, 2008 | Spruce Grove, AB
http://www.2008bostonpizzacup.ca
Final: Saskatchewan
Pat Simmons defeated Darrell McKee in the final Sunday afternoon 10-5.
LINESCORE:
SIMMONS 202 030 03X X = 10
MCKEE 010 102 10 X X = 5
Pat Simmons(Davidson CC), Jeff Sharp, Gerry Adam, Steve Laycock
http://www.saskcurl.com/
Manitoba Feb. 13-17
http://www.safewaychampionship.ca/
FINAL--Northern Ontario
Eric Harnden defeated Jeff Currie Saturday night 7-3 in the final.
LINESCORE:
CURRIE 010 001 010 0 = 3
HARNDEN 001 100 302 0 = 7
Eric Harnden(Soo Curlers Association CC), E.J. Harnden, Ryan Harnden, Caleb Flaxey
http://www.curlnoca.ca/content.php?target=/Playdowns/Mens/
FINAL-Ontario
Glenn Howard defeated Peter Corner 9-4 in the final Sunday afternoon.
LINESCORE:
CORNER 020 101 XXX X = 4
HOWARD 401 040 XXX X = 9
Glenn Howard(Coldwater & District CC), Richard Hart, Brent Laing, Craig Savill
http://www.tsctankard2008.com/
Quebec (ends on Feb. 12)
http://www.curling-quebec.com/hommes/
New Brunswick (Feb. 13-17)
http://www.nbcurling.nb.ca/en/livescore.php
FINAL-Prince Edward Island
Peter Gallant defeated John Likely 8-7 in an extra end Sunday afternoon.
LINESCORE:
LIKELY 200 111 000 20 = 7 (EX)
GALLANT 002 000 212 01 = 8 (END)
Peter Gallant(Charlottetown CC), Phil Gorveatt, Mark Butler, Mike Dillon.
http://www.isn.net/~derekm/peicurling//tankard/
Nova Scotia
Brian Rafuse defeated Shawn Adams in the final Sunday afternoon 4-3.
LINESCORE:
RAFUSE 010 010 000 2 = 4
ADAMS 002 000 010 0 = 3
Brian Rafuse, Curt Palmer, Alan Darragh, Dave Slauenwhite.
http://www.nscurl.com/portal/event.php?id=1
Newfoundland/Labrador
Brad Gushue defeated Keith Ryan 7-3 in the final Sunday.
LINESCORE:
RYAN 001 010 01X X = 3
GUSHUE 110 400 10X X = 7
Brad Gushue(Bally Haly G & CC), Mark Nichols, Chris Schille, Dave Noftall
http://www.curlingnl.ca/
Yukon/Nwt (Feb. 14-17)
http://www.yukoncurling.ca/scrsmens.html
Manitoba women, Quebec men win Canadian Juniors
Posted Sunday, February 10, 2008 by derekm
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Source: Canadian Curling Association
SAULT STE. MARIE, February 10�Manitoba, skipped by Kaitlyn Lawes of Winnipeg, captured the women�s title Sunday at the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors with a 7-6 victory over Saskatchewan.
It was the eighth crown for Manitoba since the Canadian championship began in 1971, but the first since 1995, when Kelly Scott (nee MacKenzie) won in Regina. Scott went on to win a world title that year.
Lawes and her Pembina Curling Club foursome of third Jenna Loder, second Liz Peters (daughter of 1992 Brier winner Vic Peters) and lead Sarah Wazney hope to do the same at the 2008 world juniors in �stersund, Sweden, March 1-9.
Meanwhile, Quebec, skipped by William Dion of Drummondville, proved full value for its first place finish, winning its eighth straight game by defeating Ontario, 8-6 in the men�s final of the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors.
The foursome of Dion, third Jean-Michel Arsenault, second Erik Lachance and lead Miguel Bernard never looked back after the second end, once the teams had traded singles.
A draw for three by Dion in the third made it 4-1, setting the stage for the province�s third Canadian junior men�s title. Ontario�s Travis Fanset of St. Thomas was forced to play catch-up the rest of the way and it proved too difficult a challenge.
Who says history doesn�t repeat? It was in 1980 here in Sault Ste. Marie that Quebec won its first junior men�s title when Denis Marchand beat Ontario�s John Kawaja, 6-5.
Today, Quebec vanquished Ontario again, taking its third crown since the championship began in 1950. In addition to Marchand, Quebec's Michel Ferland won the 1992 renewal in Vernon, British Columbia.
The score read 5-2 at the fifth end break, but after a single by Fanset in the sixth, Quebec responded with a deuce in the seventh and a steal of one in the eighth end to widen the lead to 8-3.
Although Ontario countered with a pair in the ninth, Dion was able to clear one of his opponent�s stones in the 10th, giving up a meaningless steal as the celebration began for the Celanese Curling Club team.
�We played our game. We had the hammer, we took one, then we gave up one,� said Dion. �But when we took our three (in the third), that was a big momentum shift. Our goal was to limit the damage when we didn�t have the hammer. That�s what we did and we came up with the victory. The guys played well.�
Perhaps even more amazing was the winning streak manufactured by Quebec. It finished first with a 10-2 mark to earn a bye to the final.
�We were 3-2 after our loss to Saskatchewan (in Draw 8), then we won eight in a row,� continued Dion, who made his first appearance at the Juniors last year as third for Ghyslain Richard, finishing an excellent third to Alberta�s Charley Thomas in St. Catharines. �After that, all the games were good.�
�I love being a skip. There�s so much to focus on. I was playing third last year but I started to be more consistent. I think that was the big difference for me between last year and this year. We also thought that experience and age is a big difference (at the Juniors). Ontario is a younger team and they played two games yesterday. They were more tired. It�s huge (our win). It�s just amazing. Quebec is not known as a powerhouse in curling, but we proved we can play curling, too, in Quebec.�
Dion and his team will now head to �stersund, Sweden for the world junior curling championships, March 1-9, seeking a leading 17th title for Canada since 1975.
�It�s amazing to be going to Sweden, going overseas and try to do our best to win it for Canada,� said the 20-year-old Dion.
�That was a tough one (giving up three in the third),� said 17-year-old Fanset, who directed his team to a 9-3 round robin mark, before winning a tiebreaker for third and the semi-final on Saturday. �But I didn�t think it was over until the last end. They�re a great team. They played awesome. I struggled a bit. I think I kind of let my team down, but we did a lot better than we thought we�d do (before the event).�
Gallant repeats as Tankard champ with extra-end win over Likely
Posted Sunday, February 10, 2008 by derekm
The Peter Gallant rink edged the John Likely foursome 8-7 in an extra end this afternoon at the Crapaud Community Curling Club to repeat as PEI Labatt Tankard provincial men's curling champions. Other members of the Gallant rink are Kevin Champion, Mark O'Rourke, and John Desrosiers. All are Tankard veterans, with the exception of Desrosiers, who joined the Gallant rink this season. The Likely foursome includes Phil Gorveatt, Mark Butler, and Mike Dillon, with 5th player/coach Robert Campbell.
Photo (L-R): Peter Gallant, Kevin Champion, Mark O'Rourke, John Desrosiers
End by end account:
Likely had hammer in the first-end, and opened the scoring with a deuce.
Gallant blanked the second, and tied the score with a pair in the third.
In the fourth end, Likely made a delicate touch back on a Gallant shot rock to score a point.
In the 5th, Gallant was drawing against a buried shot rock but came up just short to allow the steal of one point. Score: 4-2 Likely at the half.
The sixth end was a crowd-pleaser with very precise shot making. Likely was sitting 4, and Gallant tried a tapback to count 1, but rolled too far, leaving Likely with a steal and a 5-2 lead.
In the 7th, Gallant executed a tap back takeout through a very narrow port to score 2 and narrow the gap to 5-4.
In the 8th end, attempting a double take out to count 4, Likely caught too much of the shot rock, and left Gallant a steal of 1. Score 5-all.
The ninth end saw a huge steal of 2 for Gallant when Likely caught a guard on an attempted hit, to put Gallant two-up coming home without the hammer.
The dramatic tenth end saw a big miss by each skip, taking away Likely's chance to score a game-winning three points. Instead, he had to make a difficult double-takeout to hit and stay for a score of two and force the game into an extra end.
The extra end was less dramatic, with Gallant having an open draw to the house for the 8-7 win, and a return trip to the Tim Horton's Brier, March 8-16 in Winnipeg, for the Gallant squad.
Additional Club Coach workshop planned
Posted Sunday, February 10, 2008 by derekm
The PEI Curling Association is planning another CCA Technical Club Coach Workshop (Level 1), at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club on Saturday & Sunday March 1st and 2nd 2008.
Times: Sat. 9:00 - 1:00 Sun. 8:30 - 4:30
Cost is $85.00, and registration deadline is Tuesday February 26.
For more information or to register please contact Gayle Johnston at 368-1071 or email: [email protected].
Cheques are to be made payable to the PEI Curling Association and must be received by February 26.
Please mail cheques to Gayle Johnston, Box 10 Site 3 46 Kirkdale Rd. Charlottetown, C1E 1N6
Likely leads at the half
Posted Sunday, February 10, 2008 by derekm
At the fifth-end break of the PEI Labatt Tankard final, John Likely is leading defending champion Peter Gallant 4-2.
In the fourth end, Likely made a delicate touch back on a Gallant shot rock to score his point.
In the 5th, Gallant was drawing against a buried shot rock but came up just short to allow the steal of one point.
PEI Seniors to follow Maritime Masters at Silver Fox
Posted Sunday, February 10, 2008 by derekm
The Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside is the host for the 2008 Credit Unions of PEI Provincial Seniors Curling Championships, for curlers age 50 and over. First draw is set for Thursday, February 14th, with the finals on Monday the 18th.
The eight-team women's division will play a round-robin with a Page playoff, while the 14-team men's section will play a double-knockout draw.
Among the talented field are five-time Men's and five-time Senior men's champion Ted MacFadyen, just off the ice from playing in the Labatt Tankard men's championship, where he made it to the Final Eight round. Defending champion Mel Bernard is not back this year, but Blair Jay from last year's team has moved up to skip a rink which includes two other members of the Bernard team. 2003 Senior champ Charlie Wilkinson is back, while five-time PEI Masters champ and 1999 Seniors champ Lou Nowlan from the host club will be very familiar with the ice, as he will be competing in the Maritime Masters championship at the same venue from Monday through Wednesday. Among the newcomers to the Senior ranks are the rink of Peter MacDonald, Rod MacDonald, Doug MacEachern, and Tom Fetterly. The MacDonald brothers have just finished competing in the Labatt Tankard, where their team made it to the final four. Fetterly was also in the Tankard, playing lead for the Robert Shaw rink, which made it to the Final Eight. He may be better known, for playing on two Canadian Mixed championship teams representing Nova Scotia. He also played on five Nova Scotia men's championship teams.
The MacDonald clan are also well-represented on the women's side, with Peter's wife Karen A. MacDonald skipping a Charlottetown team, and Rod's wife Karen E. MacDonald skipping a team from the host club. Other contenders include two-time Seniors champ Shirley Berry from Cornwall, and three-time champ Barbara Currie from Summerside. Defending champion Diane MacKay is back, with a new team out of the Cornwall Curling Club.
The winning men's and women's rinks advance to the Canadian Seniors, March 22-30 in Prince Albert Saskatchewan.
Here are the opening draws:
Opening women's draw - Thursday, Feb. 14 at 2 pm:
Barbara Currie (Silver Fox) vs Sherren Morrison (Cornwall)
Diane MacKay (Cornwall) vs Karen E MacDonald (Silver Fox)
Karen A MacDonald (Ch'town) vs Shirley Berry (Cornwall)
Nola Murphy (Silver Fox) vs Joyce White (Ch'town)
Opening men's games:
Thursday Feb. 14 at 8 pm:
Leo Stewart (Silver Fox) vs John Deluca (Cornwall)
Lou Nowlan (Silver Fox) vs Blair Jay (Silver Fox)
Friday Feb. 15 at 9 am:
John Holmes (Silver Fox) vs Clair Sweet (Maple Leaf)
Ted MacFadyen (Ch'town) vs Larry Dewar (Montague)
Peter MacDonald (Silver Fox) vs Louis Walsh (Silver Fox)
Charlie Wilkinson (Ch'town) vs Rupert Sweetapple (Cornwall)
Friday Feb. 15th at 4 pm:
Matt Smith (Charlottetown) vs winner Stewart/Deluca game from 8 pm Thursday.
Leslie Hardy (Western) vs winner Nowlan/Jay game from 8 pm Thursday.
Draw times: Thursday at 2 and 8 pm, Friday and Saturday at 9 am and 1, 4 and 7 pm, Sunday and Monday at 9 am, 2 and 7 pm.
Complete draw, full team rosters, and end-by-end results are available at peicurling.com/seniors.
John Likely to play Peter Gallant for the Labatt Tankard
Posted Sunday, February 10, 2008 by derekm
The teams are set for the PEI Labatt Tankard finals at 3 pm at the Crapaud Community Curling Club. In this morning's semi-final, John Likely doubled Charlottetown clubmate Kyle Stevenson 10-5 to advance to the championship game against defending champion Peter Gallant, who also curls out of the Charlottetown Curling Club. Gallant beat Likely 6-5 in the 1st place vs 2nd place Page game yesterday to advance directly to today's final. Playing with Likely are Phil Gorveatt, Mark Butler, Mike Dillon, and 5th player/coach Robert Campbell. Rounding out the Gallant squad are Kevin Champion, Mark O'Rourke, and John Desrosiers.
In this morning's semi, the teams were tied at two after the second end. Stevenson picked up a deuce in the third after a key miss by the Likely rink.
Likely rallied back in the 4th with a clean takeout to score a deuce and tie things up.
Stevenson made a single take-out against several Likely counters to take a single point in the 5th.
The Stevenson rink missed a takeout on their last rock, allowing Likely rink to draw in for a decisive 3 points in the 6th.
The Likely foursome kept lots of rocks in the house in end seven, and managed to steal a single.
It was handshake time after Likely stole another deuce in the 8th end.
The winning rink from today's 3 pm final will advance to the Tim Horton's Brier, March 8-16 in Winnipeg.
Cdn. Jrs. - both semis came down to last rock - finals on CBC today
Posted Sunday, February 10, 2008 by derekm
It'll be Saskatchewan vs Manitoba in women's; Ontario vs Quebec in men's at Juniors
Saturday, February 09, 2008
Source: Canadian Curling Association
SAULT STE. MARIE, February 9�.Ontario advanced to the men�s final while Saskatchewan will compete for the women�s crown at the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors, after exciting semi-final action Saturday night at Soo Curlers Association.
Ontario (Travis Fanset of St. Thomas) won a well-curled, defensive game against last year�s runner-up, Prince Edward Island (Brett Gallant of Charlottetown), 4-3, with a last rock hit which moved an opposition counter enough for the win.
It was a game which included three consecutive blank ends (four overall) in the fourth, fifth and sixth, yet featured some excellent shot-making on both sides.
It was the second victory of the day for Ontario, which had eliminated Saskatchewan, 7-2 in the afternoon tiebreaker for third place.
Ontario now faces Quebec (William Dion of Drummondville) in the final Sunday at 1:30 pm ET. Quebec finished first with a 10-2 round robin record, one win better than Ontario�s 9-3 mark. However, Ontario beat Quebec, 7-4 in Draw 3.
Ontario has won eight junior men�s titles since 1950, the latest in 1999 by John Morris. Quebec has only two wins, in 1980 by Denis Marchand and in 1992 by Michel Ferland.
Saskatchewan (Stephanie McVicar of Saskatoon) continued to roll, winning its third game of the day, 8-7 over Nova Scotia (Danielle Parsons of Halifax). Unlike the men�s semi-final, the women�s was a shootout, with scoring in every end.
It came down to a hit and stay for McVicar with her last rock in the 10th end, as Saskatchewan counted a deuce for the victory. Earlier in the day, Saskatchewan had first eliminated Alberta, 8-7, then Northern Ontario, 6-5.
Saskatchewan will meet first place Manitoba (Kaitlyn Lawes of Winnipeg) in Sunday�s final at 12 Noon, Manitoba finished first with a 10-2 mark and also defeated Saskatchewan, 7-4 in Draw 4.
Saskatchewan leads all provinces with 10 junior women�s crowns, the last in 2006 by Mandy Selzer, while Manitoba has won the title seven times since 1971, the last by Kelly Scott (nee MacKenzie) in 1995.
Both finals at Soo Curlers Association will be televised live across Canada on CBC-TV. The women�s final will start at 12 noon, with the men�s final beginning at 1:30 pm ET.
The winners will then represent Canada at the world junior curling championships, March 1-9 in �stersund, Sweden. Canada has won a leading 16 world junior men�s titles since 1975 and eight women�s crowns since 1988.
Brett Gallant rink loses Canadian Juniors Semi-final
Posted Saturday, February 9, 2008 by derekm
The Brett Gallant rink, who lost in an extra end in last year's Canadian Juniors final, will not get a chance for the title this year. This evening in Sault Ste. Marie, they lost the semi-final 4-3 to Ontario's Travis Fanset rink.
The low-scoring game saw the two teams knotted at 1-1 after six ends and many blanks. Gallant stole the seventh end to lead 2-1, but Fanset took a deuce in the eighth end to pull ahead. Gallant tied it up in the ninth, but Fanset scored with 10th end hammer for the win. Fanset now plays Quebec's William Dion rink in Sunday's championship game, live on CBC television beginning at 2:30 pm Atlantic.
ON the junior women's side, Saskatchewan's Stephanie McVicar foursome edged out Nova Scotia's Danielle Parsons rink by an 8-7 score in tonight's close semi-final. McVicar now plays Manitoba's Kaitlin Lawes rink in the final, Sunday at 1 pm Atlantic, live on CBC TV.
Peter Gallant advances to Tankard final; Likely vs Stevenson in semi
Posted Saturday, February 9, 2008 by derekm
The defending champion Peter Gallant rink edged the John Likely foursome by a 6-5 score this evening to win the Page 1st place vs 2nd place playoff game at the Labatt Tankard Provincial Men's Curling Championship at the Crapaud Community Curling Club. This win advances Gallant to the 3 pm Sunday final. Likely will now play in the 10 am Sunday semi-final. His opponent in that game will be Kyle Stevenson, who eliminated last year's runner-up, Rod MacDonald of Summerside in the Page 3rd vs 4th place game tonight by a 10-3 score. The semi-final winner will then play Gallant for the title. All three teams in tomorrow's games are from the Charlottetown Curling Club.
In the 1 vs 2 game, the first half was played very conservatively, with Gallant leading 3-2 after 5. Likely moved ahead with a deuce in the sixth. Gallant blanked the seventh, and scored a pair in the eighth end to grab a 5-4 lead. Likely hit and rolled out to tie things up in the ninth, giving Gallant the crucial final end hammer. Gallant earned his trip to tomorrow's final with a draw to the four foot for a single point and the win.
In the Stevenson vs MacDonald game, the two teams were tied after three ends of play, but Stevenson kept the MacDonald foursome off the scoreboard for the remainder of the game, blanking the fourth end, taking deuces in ends five and six, and stealing a single and a deuce in ends seven and eight to put the game out of reach for MacDonald.
The winner of Sunday's final will advance to the Tim Horton's Brier, March 8-16 in Winnipeg.
Brett Gallant rink to face Ontario in 8 pm AT semi-final at Juniors
Posted Saturday, February 9, 2008 by derekm
Ontario men, Saskatchewan women advance to semi-finals at M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors
Saturday, February 09, 2008
Source: Canadian Curling Association
SAULT STE. MARIE, February 9�Ontario (Travis Fanset of St. Thomas) and Saskatchewan (Stephanie McVicar of Saskatoon) won third place tiebreakers Saturday afternoon at the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors to advance to their respective semi-finals tonight.
Ontario proved a comfortable winner over Saskatchewan (Brennen Jones of Regina), taking the contest, 7-2. Although Saskatchewan took an early 1-0 in the second after a blanked first end, it was all Ontario the rest of the way.
Ontario took a deuce in the third, then stole singles in the fourth and sixth ends to go up 4-1. After a Saskatchewan single in the seventh, Ontario answered with a pair in the eighth and a theft of one in the ninth end to seal it.
Next up for Ontario is last year�s runner-up Prince Edward Island (Brett Gallant of Charlottetown) in the semi-final at 7:00 pm, with the winner advancing to Sunday�s final to battle Quebec (William Dion of Drummondville). Both teams finished the round robin with 9-3 marks. Ontario decisioned Prince Edward Island, 8-6, back in Draw 2 last Sunday.
Tonight's game between PEI and Ontario will be webcast live to CurlTV subscribers.
Meanwhile, Saskatchewan kept the fires going by knocking off Northern Ontario (Ashley Miharija of Thunder Bay), 6-5. It was the second win of the day for Saskatchewan after eliminating Alberta, 8-7 in the first tiebreaker this morning.
A steal of three in the third end put McVicar�s squad up 4-0 and from there, they never looked back. McVicar wound up shooting a red-hot 92%.
Now, Saskatchewan faces Nova Scotia (Danielle Parsons of Halifax) in the women�s semi-final, also at 7:00 pm, with the winner going against Manitoba (Kaitlyn Lawes of Winnipeg) on Sunday. Saskatchewan beat Nova Scotia, 9-7 in the first draw of the championship.
Both finals at Soo Curlers Association will be televised live across Canada on CBC-TV. The women�s final will start at 12 noon, with the men�s final beginning at 1:30 pm ET.
The winners will then represent Canada at the world junior curling championships, March 1-9 in �stersund, Sweden. Canada has won a leading 16 world junior men�s titles since 1975 and eight women�s crowns since 1988.
Kyle Stevenson rink advances to Tankard Page Playoff
Posted Saturday, February 9, 2008 by derekm
The fourth team in the Page Playoff round at the Labatt Tankard Provincial Men's Curling Championships at the Crapaud Community Curling Club has been determined.
Kyle Stevenson defeated Charlottetown clubmate Robert Shaw by a 9-6 score this afternoon in a tiebreaker to resolve fourth place, and plays 3rd place finisher Rod MacDonald of Summerside in tonight's 7 pm Page playoff 3rd vs 4th game. John Likely and defending champion Peter Gallant of Charlottetown are playing in the 1st vs 2nd place Page game at the same time. The winner from that game will advance directly to the 3 pm Sunday final, while the loser will play the winner of the MacDonald/Stevenson game in the semi-final Sunday morning at 10, with the winner advancing to the final.
In this afternoon's game, the Stevenson rink, which includes third Pat Lynch, second Kyle MacDonald, and lead Andrew MacDougall, trailed 5-2 after the fourth end, in which Shaw stole a single when Stevenson came up short on his draw. Stevenson tied things up in the fifth when a takeout jam on a frozen rock left him with a tight nose hit to count 3. In the sixth end, Shaw just missed a raised takeout for three, and instead gave up a single.
Shaw got in real trouble in the seventh when, heavy on a draw to the button, he gave up three to trail 9-5. The game then switched from many rocks in play to Stevenson hitting everything in sight. Shaw was forced to hit and stay for one in the eighth. Stevenson blanked the ninth to retain the hammer coming home, and ran Shaw out of rocks in the closing end.
The Labatt Tankard winner will advance to the Tim Horton's Brier, March 8-16 in Winnipeg.
Anson Carmody and Alex MacFadyen on 1st Juniors All-Star team
Posted Saturday, February 9, 2008 by derekm
SAULT STE. MARIE, February 9�
The 2008 M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors All-Star Awards, as determined by shooting percentages during the round robin, have been announced.
Two members of PEI's Brett Gallant have been named to the first all-star team. Anson Carmody has been named all-star second with a shooting percentage of 77 percent, while the all-star lead honour goes to Alex MacFadyen who scored 80 percent. Second Spencer Wicks of St. John's, whose grand-parents are Gordon and Wilna Yeo from Summerside, was named to the second all-star team. His shooting percentage was the same as Carmody's, but the PEI second received the first-team honours due to tie-breaking rules.
Here are the complete first and second teams:
Men
First Team
Skip Aaron Sluchinski, Alberta (74%)
Third Jean-Michel Arsenault, Quebec (80%)
Second Anson Carmody, Prince Edward Island (77%)*
Lead Alex MacFadyen, Prince Edward Island (80%)*
Second Team
Skip William Dion, Quebec (72%)*
Third Mitch Criton, Saskatchewan (77%)
Second Spencer Wicks, Newfoundland and Labrador (77%)*
Lead Alex Kyle, New Brunswick (80%)*
Women
First Team
Skip Danielle Parsons, Nova Scotia (74%)
Third Megan McGuire, New Brunswick (78%)
Second Liz Peters, Manitoba (77%)
Lead Sarah Wazney, Manitoba (80%)*
Second Team
Skip Stephanie McVicar, Saskatchewan (73%)*
Third Jenna Loder, Manitoba (76%)
Second Jenna Enge, Northern Ontario (75%)
Lead Jennifer Allen, British Columbia (80%)*
*In the case of a percentage tie, the all-star position goes to the player with the highest plus/minus for the week (a player receives a +1 for every game in which he/she outcurls the positional opponent by 5% or more). Should they still be tied, the pre-event draw to the button results are used to determine the all-star.
Wellington Gay rink are Firefighters champs
Posted Saturday, February 9, 2008 by derekm
The rink of Wellington Gay, Ken McGregor, Ron Young and lead Charlie Murdock, from the Crossroads Community Fire Department, won the Provincial Firefighters Curling Championship last weekend in Charlottetown, and now advance to the Canadian Firefighters Curling Championships, March 25-April 5 in Richmond BC.
return to headlines
Brett Gallant rink advances to Canadian Juniors Semi-final
Posted Friday, February 8, 2008 by derekm
PEI's Brett Gallant rink, last year's M&M Canadian Juniors runner-up, will have another run at the Canadian championship this year. The Gallant foursome, which includes third Adam Casey, second Anson Carmody, and lead Alex MacFadyen won their final two round robin games on Friday, to earn a spot in the semi-final by finishing in second place with a 9-3 win-loss record, behind first place Quebec, who ended at 10-2. In play Friday, Gallant beat New Brunswick 7-2, and edged BC 7-6.
Saskatchewan and Ontario also finished at 9-3, and will play off in a tie-breaker Saturday at 3 pm Atlantic, with the winner facing Gallant in the semi-final at 8 pm Saturday.
The winner of the semi-final will play Quebec in the Sunday afternoon final at 2:30 Atlantic.
On the women's side, PEI's Erin Carmody rink finished play with a 5 and 7 win-loss record, winning both Friday games, 8-3 against Mary Jane McGuire of New Brunwswick, and 10-8 in an extra end against BC.
Manitoba finished first at 10-2 and will play in the final. Nova Scotia, next at 9-3 is in the semi-final against the winner of two tie-breakers, with the winner of an Alberta/Saskatchewan tiebreaker playing Northern Ontario for the right to advance to the semi. The women's final is Sunday at 1 pm Atlantic.
Both finals at Soo Curlers Association will be televised live across Canada on CBC-TV.
Likely, Gallant, MacDonald advance to Tankard playoff round
Posted Friday, February 8, 2008 by derekm
Round robin play wrapped up this evening at the Labatt Tankard Provincial Men's curling championships at the Crapaud Community Curling Club. Three teams - defending champion Peter Gallant, John Likely, and last year's runner-up Rod MacDonald, all advanced to the Page playoff round by virtue of their 5 and 2 win-loss records. When tie-breaking rules were applied, Likely and Gallant came out as the top two teams, and will square off in the Page 1 vs 2 playoff game Saturday at 7 pm, with the winner advancing directly to the 3 pm Sunday final. Third-place MacDonald will play the winner of a 2 pm Saturday tie-breaker game between Kyle Stevenson and Robert Shaw, in the 3 vs 4 Page playoff game Saturday evening at 7. Shaw and Stevenson both finished round robin play witn 4-3 records. Nineteen year old Tim Cullen ended play in his team's inaugural Tankard at 3 and four, while tankard veteran Ted MacFadyen checked out with a 2 and 5 record, and Eddie MacKenzie did not manage to pick up a win during the Final Eight. All teams are from the Charlottetown Curling Club, except for Rod MacDonald's Silver Fox foursome.
The semi-final, featuring the winner of the Page 3 vs 4 game vs the loser of the Page 1 vs 2 game betwen Likely and Gallant, will take place Sunday at 10 am, with the winner advancing to the 3 pm Sunday final.
In play this afternoon, MacDonald beat MacKenzie 5-3, Stevenson handed Gallant his first loss, by a 7-6 score, Shaw doubled Cullen 6-3, and Likely beat MacFadyen, also by a 6-3 score.
In the evening draw, Gallant, who was already assured a spot in the 1 vs 2 game, lost 8-0 to MacDonald in a game which saw only five ends of play. Stevenson beat MacKenzie 5-3, MacFadyen got by Shaw by a 9-8 score, and Likely lost 8-7 to the young Cullen foursome.
The winning team from Sunday's 3 pm final will advance to the Tim Horton's Brier, March 8-16 in Winnipeg.
Maritime Masters starts Monday at the Silver Fox
Posted Friday, February 8, 2008 by derekm
Defending champions Jeanne Duffenais and Lou Nowlan will be on home ice as the Maritime Masters Curling Championships, for curlers age 60 and over, get underway Monday at Summerside's Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club. Duffenais won her fifth-straight PEI Masters title last month, while Nowlan, who was looking for his sixth-straight title, lost out to Cornwall's Bob MacWilliams in the final, but still gets to defend his Maritime title, as both winners and runners-up from the three Maritime provinces earn the right to compete in this annual event. Along with MacWilliams, Cornwall clubmate Chick Morrison, who came third in the PEI event, will also be at the Maritimes, substituting for the Nova Scotia runner-up rink, who are not attending. Summerside's Marg Nowlan, the runner-up PEI women's skip, is also in the event.
First draw in the round robin is Monday at 10 am, with further draws at 2 pm, Tuesday at 10 and 2, and the final round robin draw Wednesday at 10 am. A draw to the button contest will be held Wednesday at noon if any tiebreaking is required to determine a winner after the round robin is complete.
Results will be available at the Silver Fox website: www.silverfox-pei.com
PEI plays NB and BC today as round robin play concludes at Jrs.
Posted Friday, February 8, 2008 by derekm
Ontario, Quebec lead men, Manitoba tops women at M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Source: Canadian Curling Association
SAULT STE. MARIE, February 7�.With one day to go in the round robin at the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors, Ontario and Quebec are perched atop the men�s leaderboard, while Manitoba continues to lead the way in the women�s championship.
Thursday evening, Ontario, skipped by Travis Fanset of St. Thomas, climbed into a tie with idle Quebec (William Dion of Drummondville) by clipping Alberta, 7-5, stealing singles in the ninth and 10th ends for the win.
Ontario and Quebec now boast 8-2 marks. Ontario plays British Columbia (5-5) and Yukon (2-8) on Friday, while Quebec meets Alberta (6-4) and Yukon.
Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan are a game behind with 7-3 records.
Skipped by last year�s runner-up Brett Gallant of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island got by Yukon, 6-2, while Saskatchewan (Brennen Jones of Regina) was dropped by Northern Ontario (5-5), 11-7, its second loss of the day.
In other Draw 15 games, Newfoundland and Labrador (5-5) defeated British Columbia (5-5), 7-4, while Northwest Territories (Colin Miller of Yellowknife) won its first game of the week, an 8-7 squeaker over Manitoba (5-5)
In women�s, Manitoba (Kaitlyn Lawes of Winnipeg) continues to lead the way with a 9-1 mark, after dismantling Northwest Territories, 10-2. Second place Nova Scotia (Danielle Parsons of Halifax) had an evening bye to remain at 8-2, while Alberta, New Brunswick and Northern Ontario are deadlocked in third with 7-3 records.
Manitoba finishes up with Northern Ontario and Alberta, while Nova Scotia faces Northwest Territories (1-9) and Northern Ontario.
Alberta (Maria Bushell of Calgary) pulled one out of the fire, stealing one in the 10th end to defeat Ontario, while Northern Ontario (Ashley Miharija of Thunder Bay) got back on the winning track after dropping three straight by edging Saskatchewan (6-4), 4-3. In other matches, Prince Edward Island (3-7) beat winless Yukon, 9-6 and Newfoundland and Labrador (4-6) was a 9-4 winner over British Columbia (4-6). New Brunswick had a bye.
Round robin play concludes at both Soo Curlers Association and Tarentorus Sports Club on Friday with three draws, at 9:00 am, 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm ET.
PEI's Gallant and Carmody wrap up round robin action against New Brunswick in the morning, and BC in the evening.
At the conclusion of the round robin, the first place teams advance to their respective finals on Sunday, while the second and third place teams meet in semi-finals on Saturday evening.
Both finals at Soo Curlers Association will be televised live across Canada on CBC-TV. The women�s final will start at 12 noon, with the men�s final beginning at 1:30 pm ET. The winners will then represent Canada at the world junior curling championships, March 1-9 in �stersund, Sweden. Canada has won a leading 16 world junior men�s titles since 1975 and eight women�s crowns since 1988.
Alberta leads all provinces with 15 junior men�s titles, while Saskatchewan is next with 13. Saskatchewan has won a leading 10 Canadian junior women�s crowns since the event began in 1971 in Vancouver.
CurlTV (www.curltv.com) is also providing extensive event coverage of the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors to its subscribers.
Brett Gallant continues Canadian Juniors Title Hunt (Transcontinental)
Posted Friday, February 8, 2008 by derekm
SAULT STE. MARIE, ONT. � Brett Gallant�s Charlottetown rink won two more games Thursday as his team continued a late-week rally trying to reach the playoffs at the Canadian junior curling Championships.
Victories by counts of 7-2 and 6-2 over Saskatchewan and Yukon respectively improved the team�s record to 7-3, good enough for a third-place tie. Erin Carmody is out of playoff contention on the women's side.
Click to read this special to Transcontinental Media story at The Guardian.
Peter Gallant stays on top-John Likely close behind at Tankard (Transcontinental)
Posted Friday, February 8, 2008 by derekm
CRAPAUD � Peter Gallant of the Charlottetown Curling Club remains the only unbeaten team at the Labatt Tankard provincial men's curling championship.
Gallant, who improved to 5-0, beat Tim Cullen of Charlottetown 9-4 in the Thursday afternoon draw at the Crapaud Community Curling Club, and then found himself in a nail-biter with Eddie MacKenzie in the evening.
Click to read this Transcontinental Media story at The Guardian.
Gallant two games off new leader Quebec at Juniors
Posted Thursday, February 7, 2008 by derekm
Quebec moves to the front in men's, Manitoba still leads women's at Juniors
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Source: Canadian Curling Association
SAULT STE. MARIE, February 7�Quebec, skipped by William Dion of Drummondville, has moved to the top of the men�s standings at the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors.
Thursday afternoon, Quebec crushed British Columbia, 9-1 to improve its record to 8-2, good enough for sole possession of first place.
Ontario (Travis Fanset of St. Thomas) and Saskatchewan (Brennen Jones of Regina) sit a game back in second, with 7-2 marks, after enjoying a bye in Draw 14. Right behind those two are Alberta (Aaron Sluchinski of Drayton Valley) and Prince Edward Island (Brett Gallant of Charlottetown) at 6-3.
Other results this afternoon saw Manitoba defeat Yukon, 10-6, New Brunswick wallop Northwest Territories, 11-3 and Alberta take care of Nova Scotia, 7-2.
Meanwhile, on the women�s side, Manitoba (Kaitlyn Lawes of Winnipeg) maintained its hold on first place with a 9-4 decision over Yukon to move to 8-1.
Nova Scotia (Danielle Parsons of Halifax) kept up its red-hot pace, though, besting Alberta (Maria Bushell of Calgary) 6-5 in a nail-biter to go to 8-2, its seventh win in a row. New Brunswick (Mary Jane McGuire of Fredericton) also kept the fire going, winning a seventh game in its last eight, with a 11-1 thrashing of Northwest Territories to improve to 7-3, good enough for third place. The other game saw Quebec move to 5-5 after defeating British Columbia, 7-5.
Right behind New Brunswick are Northern Ontario (Ashley Miharija of Thunder Bay) and Saskatchewan (Stephanie McVicar of Saskatoon) at 6-3.
Draw 15 at Soo Curlers Association and Tarentorus Sports Club gets underway at 7:00 pm ET tonight, followed by another full day of round robin games on Friday, at 9:00 am, 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm.
PEI rinks play the Yukon on Thursday evening.
At the conclusion of the round robin, the first place teams advance to their respective finals on Sunday, while the second and third place teams meet in semi-finals on Saturday evening.
Both finals at Soo Curlers Association will be televised live across Canada on CBC-TV. The women�s final will start at 12 noon, with the men�s final beginning at 1:30 pm ET. The winners will then represent Canada at the world junior curling championships, March 1-9 in �stersund, Sweden. Canada has won a leading 16 world junior men�s titles since 1975 and eight women�s crowns since 1988.
Gallant one game out of Cdn. Jrs lead
Posted Thursday, February 7, 2008 by derekm
Three-way tie for lead in men's, Manitoba leads women's after morning draw M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Source: Canadian Curling Association
SAULT STE. MARIE, February 7�There�s now a three-way tie for the lead in the men�s championship at the 2008 M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors.
Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan are now equal with 7-2 records through Draw 13, with Prince Edward Island breathing down their necks at 6-3.
Thursday morning, Prince Edward Island, skipped by last year�s runner-up Brett Gallant of Charlottetown, upended leader Saskatchewan (Brennen Jones of Regina), 7-2, Ontario (Travis Fanset of St. Thomas) won a tight one over New Brunswick, 7-5 while Quebec (William Dion of Drummondville) was forced to an extra end before decisioning Northern Ontario, 9-8. In the other game, Newfoundland and Labrador got by Nova Scotia, 8-5.
On the women�s side, leader Manitoba (Kaitlyn Lawes of Winnipeg) enjoyed a morning bye to remain at 7-1. However, Nova Scotia (Danielle Parsons of Halifax) has joined the fray, now at 7-2, after a 7-5 win over Newfoundland and Labrador. It was the �bluenosers� sixth win in a row.
In third place is Alberta (Maria Bushell of Calgary), idle this morning at 6-2, while three others are within striking distance at 6-3�New Brunswick, Northern Ontario and Saskatchewan.
In other Draw 13 action, Saskatchewan rebounded from a crushing last-end loss Wednesday night to Alberta by defeating Prince Edward Island, 6-3; Northern Ontario (Ashley Miharija of Thunder Bay) lost its third straight game, 8-6 to Quebec while New Brunswick (Mary Jane McGuire of Fredericton) continued its roll, a 9-1 winner over Ontario, the sixth victory in its last seven games.
Stick Curling Day in Cornwall
Posted Thursday, February 7, 2008 by derekm
The Cornwall Curling Club is holding a Stick Curling day on Thursday February 21 from 9:30 am to 3 pm. This is a team entry event for two-person stick curling teams, and is open to everyone. Entry fee is just $5 per person. Lunch is provided. Advance registration is preferred, but not necessary. For more information, or to register, contact Ernie Stavert at 566-2467, or email [email protected]. For more information on Stick Curling visit www.stickcurling.ca.
Youth Rocks at Tankard - Tim Cullen rink at Tankard (Guardian)
Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2008 by derekm
Tim Cullen rink is challenging the more experienced teams at the provincial men's championship in Crapaud
JACLYN KILLINS
The Guardian
It�s a battle of vast experience versus young rising stars on the P.E.I. curling scene this week at the Labatt Tankard provincial men�s championship in Crapaud.
A team of 19-year-olds led by skip Tim Cullen has made it to the Final Eight round and is one of the youngest teams to ever play in the championship.
Click to read this story from The Guardian
Good Day for Gallant rink, not so good for Carmody at Jrs. (Guardian)
Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2008 by derekm
SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. � It was a good and bad day for Prince Edward Island�s hopes at the Canadian junior curling championships Wednesday.
The Island junior men�s team won both of its games to remain in playoff contention, but the women�s rink lost two matches to virtually end any hope of advancing to the playoffs.
Brett Gallant�s Charlottetown rink improved its hopes of making the playoffs with 7-4 and 7-6 victories over Nova Scotia and Alberta, respectively.
Click the link to read this story from Tim Gall, special to Transcontinental Media
Manitoba leads women's, Saskatchewan tops men's at Juniors
Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2008 by derekm
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Source: Canadian Curling Association
SAULT STE. MARIE, February 6�Manitoba, skipped by Kaitlyn Lawes of Winnipeg, has now assumed top spot in the women�s competition at the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors.
Wednesday evening, Manitoba scored a 6-4 decision over British Columbia to improve to 7-1, while Northern Ontario (Ashley Miharija of Thunder Bay) dropped its second straight game, this time to Ontario, 10-4, to fall back into a three-way tie for second with Alberta and Nova Scotia.
Alberta (Maria Bushell of Calgary) came up with three in the 10th end to shock Saskatchewan, 6-5, while Nova Scotia (Danielle Parsons of Halifax) was taking care of business with a 10-6 win over Yukon, scoring a decisive five in the eighth end. In the other game, New Brunswick (Mary Jane McGuire of Fredericton) improved to 5-3 with a 9-7 victory over Quebec.
Over on the men�s side, Saskatchewan (Brennen Jones of Regina) won a hard-fought battle with Alberta, 10-6 to up its record to 7-1 as well, good enough for sole possession of first place.
Ontario (Travis Fanset of St. Thomas) and Quebec (William Dion of Drummondville) both kept pace with victories as well to move to 6-2, while Alberta (Aaron Sluchinski of Drayton Valley), British Columbia (Jay Wakefield of New Westminster) and Prince Edward Island (Brett Gallant of Charlottetown) are a game back at 5-3.
In Draw 12 results, Ontario defeated Northern Ontario, 8-4, while Quebec was a 5-1 winner over New Brunswick. In other matches, Nova Scotia took two in the 10th end to edge Yukon, 6-5, while Manitoba rebounded after a couple of losses to beat British Columbia, 9-4.
Round robin play continues at both Soo Curlers Association and Tarentorus Sports Club through Friday, with draw times at 9:00 am, 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm ET.
On thursday, PEI's Brett Gallant and Erin Carmody rinks play Saskatchewan in the morning, and the Yukon in the evening.
At the conclusion of the round robin, the first place teams advance to their respective finals on Sunday, while the second and third place teams meet in semi-finals on Saturday evening.
Both finals at Soo Curlers Association will be televised live across Canada on CBC-TV. The women�s final will start at 12 noon, with the men�s final beginning at 1:30 pm ET. The winners will then represent Canada at the world junior curling championships, March 1-9 in �stersund, Sweden. Canada has won a leading 16 world junior men�s titles since 1975 and eight women�s crowns since 1988.
Alberta leads all provinces with 15 junior men�s titles, while Saskatchewan is next with 13. Saskatchewan has won a leading 10 Canadian junior women�s crowns since the event began in 1971 in Vancouver.
CurlTV (www.curltv.com) is also providing extensive event coverage of the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors to its subscribers.
Peter Gallant rink only undefeated Tankard team
Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2008 by derekm
The defending champions, the Peter Gallant rink are now the only undefeated rink at the Labatt Tankard Final Eight Provincial Men's curling Championship in Crapaud.
In round-robin action Wednesday evening, they controlled the play in the final ends, scoring a deuce in end seven, a single in the eighth and a triple in the 9th to win 10-4 over Robert Shaw.
Other winners were Kyle Stevenson, downing top qualifier Tim Cullen by an 8-2 score, Ted MacFadyen, doubling Summerside's Rod MacDonald 10-5, and John Likely, beating Eddie MacKenzie 8-5. All rinks except the MacDonald foursome are from the Charlottetown Curling Club.
After three draws, Gallant leads with a 3-0 win-loss record, followed by Likely, Stevenson, and MacDonald at 2-1, Cullen, MacFadyen and Shaw at 1-2, and MacKenzie at 0-3.
The opening ceremonies preceded the Wednesday night draw, with Labatt representative David Mitchell on hand to throw out the ceremonial first rock, with Tankard veteran Ted MacFadyen holding the broom. Sweepers were Rod MacDonald, and Tim Cullen, who is making his inaugural Tankard appearance.
Round-robin play continues Thursday and Friday with draws at 2 and 7 pm. Admission is $4 per game, $6 per day, or $25 for a full event pass.
The winning rink, to be determined Sunday afternoon, will advance to the Tim Horton;s Brier, March 8-16 in Winnipeg.
Entry deadlines approaching for PEICA championships
Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2008 by derekm
The following are upcoming entry deadlines for PEI curling championships:
February 7th for Provincial Intermediate, February 28-Mar 2nd at Maple Leaf. Entry fee is $30 per player.
February 13 for M&M Meat Shops 15 and Under, March 5th to 9th at Crapaud. Entry fee is $30 per player.
February 14 for M&M Meat Shops Mixed, March 6-10 at Cornwall. Entry fee is $40 per player plus $25 per player for CCA Competitor Card.
February 19 for Provincial Stick Curling C'ship, March 4-5 at Western. Entry fee is $30 per player.
All entries must be on an official PEICA entry form, available at all PEI curling clubs, and online at peicurling.com.
Send entries to: PEI Curling Association, PO Box 302, Ch�town, PEI C1A 7K7
All entry forms must be MAILED to the above address and postmarked by the entry deadline.
The PEICA will NOT accept drop-offs of any kind, e-mails or faxes.
Gallant wins, Carmody loses this afternoon
Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2008 by derekm
This afternoon at the M&M Canadian Juniors in Sault Ste Marie, PEI's Brett Gallant edged Alberta 7-6 to move to 5-3 while Erin Carmody lost 10-5 to move to 2-6.
Only two teams remain undefeated at Tankard
Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2008 by derekm
After two draws at the Labatt Tankard Final Eight in Crapaud, only last year's winner and runner-up, the Peter Gallant and Rod MacDonald rinks, respectively, remain undefeated.
This afternoon, Gallant downed five-time Tankard winner and five-time Seniors winner Ted MacFadyen 9-2, and MacDonald beat top qualifier Tim Cullen 7-1.
John Likely beat Kyle Stevenson 9-3, and Robert Shaw defeated Eddie MacKenzie 9-5. MacDonald is from the Silver Fox, while all other teams are from Charlottetown.
Cullen, Likely and Stevenson are 1 and 1, while MacKenzie and MacFadyen are 0-2.
Play continues tonight, with opening ceremonies at 7 pm, and the draw beginning at 8.
Montague's Touch of Gold opening draw
Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2008 by derekm
Here are the opening draws for the Touch of Gold bonspiel, Feb 8 -10 at the Montague Curling Club:
Friday at 6:00pm
Mike Clarey vs Kenny Mutch
Stuart Dickie vs Clayton Martin
Freeman Trowbridge vs Howard Kerwin
Bob Leard vs Steven MacLeod
Friday at 8:00pm
Wayne Chaisson vs James MacPhee
Larry Dewar vs Darren MacLean
Sterling Higginbotham vs Terry Brennan
Darren MacKinnon vs George Koke
Saturday at 9:00am
Michel Lemieux vs Larry Richards
Barry MacDonald vs Donald Clarey
Jim Sanders vs David Rice
return to headlines
Gallant wins, Carmody loses against NS this morning at Juniors
Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2008 by derekm
Brett Gallant beat Nova Scotia 7-4 this morning, while Erin Carmody lost 11-2. Gallant's record improves to 4-3, while Carmody's slips to 2-5.
The Island rinks play Alberta at 3 pm Atlantic.
Gallant still eyeing big prize at Cdn. Jrs. (Guardian)
Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2008 by derekm
SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. � Brett Gallant�s Charlottetown team still has its eyes on the playoffs despite a roller coaster day Tuesday at the Canadian junior curling
championships.
Click the link to read this story at The Guardian.
return to headlines
Island rinks both lose in extra ends against N. Ont. at Juniors
Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2008 by derekm
Three-way tie in men's, Northern Ontario women still unbeaten at Juniors
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Source: Canadian Curling Association
SAULT STE. MARIE, February 5...Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan are tied again for first place in men�s, while Northern Ontario remained perfect in women�s at the 2008 M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors.
Alberta (Aaron Sluchinski of Drayton Valley) climbed into a three-way tie for the lead after whipping New Brunswick, 9-2 in Tuesday evening�s ninth draw. Its record is now 5-1, identical to Ontario (Travis Fanset of St. Thomas) and Saskatchewan (Brennen Jones of Regina), both of whom had byes.
Other scores saw Quebec (William Dion of Drummondville) defeat Newfoundland and Labrador, 7-3, Yukon (Thomas Scoffin of Whitehorse) edge rival Northwest Territories, 9-8, Northern Ontario (Kory Carr of Thunder Bay) clip Prince Edward Island, 6-4, stealing a deuce in the 11th end and Nova Scotia (Kelsey Amero of Halifax) winning its first game by eclipsing British Columbia, 8-7, also in an extra end.
Behind the three leaders are three others at 4-2: British Columbia (Jay Wakefield of New Westminster), Northern Ontario and Quebec.
It was a familiar story on the women�s side, as Northern Ontario (Ashley Miharija of Thunder Bay) continued to roll, now at 6-0, although it was pushed to an extra end before edging Prince Edward Island, 9-8. Northern Ontario has never won a Canadian junior women�s crown.
Manitoba (Kaitlyn Lawes of Winnipeg) had a bye to remain the runner-up at 5-1, while three teams are now tied for third with 4-2 marks�.Alberta (Maria Bushell of Calgary), Nova Scotia (Danielle Parsons of Halifax) and Saskatchewan (Stephanie McVicar of Saskatoon), which also had an evening bye.
In other games, Newfoundland and Labrador (Julie Devereaux of St. John�s) took a deuce in the 10th end to defeat Quebec, 8-6, New Brunswick (Mary Jane McGuire of Fredericton) beat Alberta, 7-3, Northwest Territories (Valiso Aho of Yellowknife) won its first game, 8-5 over Yukon, while Nova Scotia prevailed over British Columbia, 5-4.
Round robin play continues at both Soo Curlers Association and Tarentorus Sports Club through Friday, with draw times at 9:00 am, 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm ET.
PEI rinks play Nova Scotia in the morning draw, and Alberta in the afternoon on Wednesday. Brett Gallant currently sits at 3-3, while Erin Carmody is 2-4.
At the conclusion of the round robin, the first place teams advance to their respective finals on Sunday, while the second and third place teams meet in semi-finals on Saturday evening.
Both finals at Soo Curlers Association will be televised live across Canada on CBC-TV. The women�s final will start at 12 noon, with the men�s final beginning at 1:30 pm ET. The winners will then represent Canada at the world junior curling championships, March 1-9 in �stersund, Sweden. Canada has won a leading 16 world junior men�s titles since 1975 and eight women�s crowns since 1988.
Alberta leads all provinces with 15 junior men�s titles, while Saskatchewan is next with 13. Northern Ontario has won four times, the last by Jeff Currie in 1996 in Edmonton. Saskatchewan has won a leading 10 Canadian junior women�s crowns since the event began in 1971 in Vancouver.
CurlTV (www.curltv.com) is also providing extensive event coverage of the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors to its subscribers.
Top qualifier Cullen and defending champ Gallant among Tankard opening draw winners
Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2008 by derekm
The opening draw is in the books at the 2008 Labatt Tankard Final Eight provincial men's curling championshops at the Crapaud Community Curling club. Winners included the youngest team in the competition, the Tim Cullen rink, who edged Eddie MacKenzie 9-8 in an extra end, Rod MacDonald, the only Silver Fox qualifier for the Eights (all others are from the Charlottetown Curling Club) ,scoring two points in an extra end to beat Robert Shaw by a 9-7 score, defending champion Peter Gallant, beating John Likely 7-5, and Kyle Stevenson edging Ted MacFadyen 11-10.
Round-robin play continues Wednesday, with a draw at 2 pm, and another at 8, following the 7 pm opening ceremonies. Admission for this event is only $4 per draw, $6 per day, or $25 for a full event pass. The winning team, to be decided in the 3 pm Sunday final, will advance to the Tim Horton's Brier, March 8-16 in Winnipeg.
Cdn Jrs: Gallant picks up win, Carmody loses in extra end in afternoon draw
Posted Tuesday, February 5, 2008 by derekm
Northern Ontario women still perfect at M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Source: Canadian Curling Association
SAULT STE. MARIE, February 5�The Northern Ontario women, skipped by Ashley Miharija of Thunder Bay, won their fifth straight game at the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors Tuesday afternoon, a 10-3 dismantling of British Columbia (Kelly Thompson of Richmond).
Thus, Northern Ontario improved its record to 5-0 after eight draws, but is being chased by Manitoba (Kaitlyn Lawes of Winnipeg), which kept pace by winning a 6-5 extra-ender over Prince Edward Island, stealing singles in the 10th and 11th ends to move to 5-1. Alberta (Maria Bushell of Calgary) had an afternoon bye to remain in third place at 4-1.
In other Draw 8 games, Nova Scotia (Danielle Parsons of Halifax) stole one in the 10th end to defeat Ontario (Danielle Inglis of Burlington), 7-6 while Saskatchewan (Stephanie McVicar of Saskatoon) also stole a single, in the 11th end, to edge Quebec (Kristen Richard of Lachine), 5-4.
In men�s, Ontario and Saskatchewan are currently knotted with 5-1 records, after both recorded tight wins this afternoon.
Ontario (Travis Fanset of St. Thomas) took two in the 10th end to clip winless Nova Scotia (Kelsey Amero of Halifax), 7-6, while Saskatchewan (Brennen Jones of Regina) was forced to an extra end before shading Quebec (William Dion of Drummondville), 6-5.
Behind the top pair are Alberta (Aaron Sluchinski of Drayton Valley) and British Columbia (Jay Wakefield of New Westminster). Alberta had a bye but British Columbia squeaked out an 8-7 decision over Northern Ontario (Kory Carr of Thunder Bay).
In the other game, Prince Edward Island (Brett Gallant of Charlottetown) had no trouble with Manitoba (Kyle Peters of Winnipeg), winning 8-1 to improve last year�s runner-up team�s record to 3-2.
Draw 9 is scheduled for 7:00 pm ET.
Round robin play continues at both Soo Curlers Association and Tarentorus Sports Club through Friday, with draw times at 9:00 am, 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm ET. At the conclusion of the round robin, the first place teams advance to their respective finals on Sunday, while the second and third place teams meet in semi-finals on Saturday evening.
Both finals at Soo Curlers Association will be televised live across Canada on CBC-TV. The women�s final will start at 12 noon, with the men�s final beginning at 1:30 pm ET. The winners will then represent Canada at the world junior curling championships, March 1-9 in �stersund, Sweden. Canada has won a leading 16 world junior men�s titles since 1975 and eight women�s crowns since 1988.
CurlTV (www.curltv.com) is also providing extensive event coverage of the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors to its subscribers.
N. Ont. women only unbeaten team at Cdn Jrs. Carmody to play them tonight (webcast on CurlTV)
Posted Tuesday, February 5, 2008 by derekm
Source: Canadian Curling Association
SAULT STE. MARIE, February 4�There�s now only one unbeaten team at the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors.
That�s the Northern Ontario women�s team, skipped by Ashley Miharija. Monday night, the Thunder Bay squad remained perfect by defeating Newfoundland and Labrador�s Julie Devereaux of St. John�s, 10-6, notching five in the sixth end, to move to 4-0 after six draws.
Alberta, British Columbia and Manitoba are right behind, all knotted at 3-1. Alberta (Maria Bushell of Calgary) kept Northwest Territories� Valiso Aho of Yellowknife winless with a 12-1 pounding, while Manitoba (Kaitlyn Lawes of Winnipeg) disposed of Ontario�s Danielle Inglis of Burlington, 10-4. British Columbia (Kelly Thompson of Richmond) had a bye.
In other games, Nova Scotia (Danielle Parsons of Halifax) defeated Quebec (Kristen Richard of Lachine), 5-3 and New Brunswick (Mary Jane McGuire of Fredericton) won its second straight game, 10-3 over winless Yukon (Sarah Koltun of Whitehorse).
Behind the top four come six teams at 2-2: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island (Erin Carmody of Summerside), Quebec and Saskatchewan (Stephanie McVicar of Saskatoon). Newfoundland and Labrador is at 1-3, while Northwest Territories and Yukon are 0-4.
In men�s, there are now seven teams tied for the lead with 3-1 marks, after the sole remaining undefeated squad, Ontario�s Travis Fanset of St. Thomas, suffered its first loss, a 9-2 decision to Manitoba�s Kyle Peters of Winnipeg.
Other scores saw Alberta (Aaron Sluchinski of Drayton Valley) pummel Northwest Territories (Colin Miller of Yellowknife), 11-1, Quebec (William Dion of Drummondville) whip Nova Scotia (Kelsey Amero of Halifax), 8-1, Northern Ontario (Kory Carr of Thunder Bay) defeat Newfoundland and Labrador�s Colin Thomas of St. John�s, 10-7 and Yukon�s Thomas Scoffin of Whitehorse win his first game, taking two in the 10th end in scoring an 8-7 squeaker over New Brunswick (Jon Rennie of Rothesay).
The results left Alberta, British Columbia (Jay Wakefield of New Westminster), Manitoba, Northern Ontario, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan (Brennen Jones of Regina) all deadlocked with 3-1 records. Prince Edward Island (Brett Gallant of Charlottetown) is at 2-2, while New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and Yukon are 1-3. Northwest Territories and Nova Scotia are still looking for their first victories at 0-4.
Round robin play continues at both Soo Curlers Association and Tarentorus Sports Club through Friday, with draw times at 9:00 am, 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm ET.
PEI's next games are Tuesday afternoon against Manitoba, and evening against Northern Ontario. Carmody's evening game against the only undefeated team will be webcast on CurlTV.
At the conclusion of the round robin, the first place teams advance to their respective finals on Sunday, while the second and third place teams meet in semi-finals on Saturday evening.
Both finals at Soo Curlers Association will be televised live across Canada on CBC-TV. The women�s final will start at 12 noon, with the men�s final beginning at 1:30 pm ET. The winners will then represent Canada at the world junior curling championships, March 1-9 in �stersund, Sweden. Canada has won a leading 16 world junior men�s titles since 1975 and eight women�s crowns since 1988.
Alberta leads all provinces with 15 junior men�s titles, while Saskatchewan is next with 13. Northern Ontario has won four times, the last by Jeff Currie in 1996 in Edmonton.
Northern Ontario has yet to win a Canadian junior women�s crown since the event began in 1971 in Vancouver. Saskatchewan leads with 10 victories.
CurlTV (www.curltv.com) is also providing extensive event coverage of the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors to its subscribers.
MacFadyen rink local favorite as Tankard Final Eight begins tonight in Crapaud
Posted Tuesday, February 5, 2008 by derekm
The stage is set for the Labatt Tankard provincial men's curling championship.
The Final 8 begins at the Crapaud Community Curling Club on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Play will continue throughout the week, with a winner declared Sunday afternoon. The winning team will represent P.E.I. at the Tim Hortons Brier in Winnipeg, Man., March 8-16.
Click to read this story at the Journal-Pioneer.
PEI teams beat NWT at Canadian Juniors
Posted Monday, February 4, 2008 by derekm
Northern Ontario leads women, Ontario tops men at M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors
Monday, February 04, 2008 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
SAULT STE. MARIE, February 4�The Northern Ontario women and the Ontario men are the only unbeaten teams as they top the leaderboards at the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors after the completion of Draw 5 Monday afternoon.
Northern Ontario, skipped by Ashley Miharija of Thunder Bay, had an afternoon bye to remain perfect at 3-0, while British Columbia (Kelly Thompson of Richmond) moved to 3-1 after defeating Saskatchewan (Stephanie McVicar of Saskatoon), 9-4.
In other games, New Brunswick (Mary Jane McGuire of Fredericton) won its first, edging Nova Scotia (Danielle Parsons of Halifax) 6-5 in an extra end, while Prince Edward Island (Erin Carmody of Summerside) blitzed winless Northwest Territories (Valisa Aho of Yellowknife), 12-3.
Behind the two leaders are four teams at 2-1: Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec.
On the men�s side, Ontario (Travis Fanset of St. Thomas) also had a bye to stay at 3-0, but previously-unbeaten British Columbia (Jay Wakefield of New Westminster) gave up steals in the ninth and 10th ends in dropping a 9-7 decision to Saskatchewan (Brennen Jones of Regina).
In other games, New Brunswick (Jon Rennie of Rothesay) hammered winless Nova Scotia (Kelsey Amero of Halifax), 9-2 while Prince Edward Island, skipped by last year�s runner-up Brett Gallant of Charlottetown, took an 8-4 decision over winless Northwest Territories (Colin Miller of Yellowknife).
British Columbia and Saskatchewan are now deadlocked with 3-1 marks. Alberta, Manitoba, Northern Ontario and Quebec are next at 2-1.
PEI men and women are both at 2-2.
The next draw is at 7:00 pm, as round robin play continues at both Soo Curlers Association and Tarentorus Sports Club through Friday, with draw times at 9:00 am, 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm ET.
PEI's next games are Tuesday afternoon against Manitoba, and evening against Northern Ontario. Carmody's evening game will be webcast on CurlTV.
At the conclusion of the round robin, the first place teams advance to their respective finals on Sunday, while the second and third place teams meet in semi-finals on Saturday evening.
Both finals at Soo Curlers Association will be televised live across Canada on CBC-TV. The women�s final will start at 12 noon, with the men�s final beginning at 1:30 pm ET. The winners will then represent Canada at the world junior curling championships, March 1-9 in �stersund, Sweden. Canada has won a leading 16 world junior men�s titles since 1975 and eight women�s crowns since 1988.
CurlTV (www.curltv.com) is also providing extensive event coverage of the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors to its subscribers.
PEI rinks slip to 1-2 at Cdn. Jrs.
Posted Monday, February 4, 2008 by derekm
In Canadian Juniors action this morning against Quebec, the William Dion rink scored four points in the 9th end to defeat PEI's Brett Gallant 9-5, while Kristin Richard lead 9-0 after 3 ends as she went on to defeat Summerside's Erin Carmody 12-2.
Northern Ontario leads the women's side at 3-0, while BC and N. Ont are 3-0 for the men.
PEI plays Northwest Territories at 3 Atlantic, with the Gallant game to be webcast on CurlTV.
No doubt about P.E.I.'s goal at Cdn. Jr Curling ch'ships (Sault Star)
Posted Monday, February 4, 2008 by derekm
You might think the weight of carrying the �Gallant� name would exceed the weight of the average curling stone.
Not so, says Brett Gallant, who entered Sunday�s start of the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors with an impressive family legacy to live up to.
Click to read this story from today's Sault Star.
Tankard gets underway Tuesday
Posted Monday, February 4, 2008 by derekm
The Labatt Tankard Final Eight provincial men's curling championships get underway Tuesday at the Crapaud Community Curling Club. Admission prices are just four dollars per draw or six dollars a day, or $25 for the entire event.
First draw is Tuesday at 7 pm, with Wednesday draws at 2 and 8 pm. The opening ceremonies will take place on Wednesday at 7 pm. Thursday and Friday draws are at 2 and 7.
Saturday tiebreakers, if necessary, go at 10 am (if two needed) and 2 pm (if one or two needed). Page Playoffs are Saturday at 7 pm, with semis Sunday at 10 am and the final Sunday at 3 pm.
Food will be available fron Wednesday through Saturday from 2-6 pm with sandwiches and subs at the bar.
The winning team from this event will advance to the Tim Horton's Brier, March 8-16 in Winnipeg.
Gallant and Carmody rinks win against Nfld to go to 1-1 at Cdn. Jrs.
Posted Monday, February 4, 2008 by derekm
Day 1 complete at M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Source: Canadian Curling Association
SAULT STE. MARIE, February 3�Day 1 drew to a close Sunday at the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors with seven teams still unbeaten through three draws.
On the men�s side, Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Saskatchewan enjoy perfect 2-0 marks, while in women�s, British Columbia, Northern Ontario and Saskatchewan share the same 2-0 records.
In men�s Draw 3 action, Manitoba (Kyle Peters of Winnipeg) defeated Nova Scotia (Kelsey Amero of Halifax), 10-6, Alberta (Aaron Sluchinski of Drayton Valley) pulled out a 9-8 win over Northern Ontario (Kory Carr of Thunder Bay), last year�s runner-up Brett Gallant of Charlottetown, PEI took out Newfoundland and Labrador�s Colin Thomas of St. John�s, 7-3, Ontario�s Travis Fanset of St. Thomas beat Quebec�s William Dion of Drummondville, 7-4 and British Columbia�s Jay Wakefield of New Westminster had an easy time with New Brunswick�s Jon Rennie of Rothesay, an 8-1 decision which ended after six ends.
On the women�s side, British Columbia�s Kelly Thompson of Richmond defeated New Brunswick�s Mary Jane McGuire of Fredericton, 9-3, Northern Ontario (Ashley Miharija of Thunder Bay) beat Alberta�s Maria Bushell of Calgary, 11-4, Prince Edward Island�s Erin Carmody of Summerside thrashed Newfoundland and Labrador�s Julie Devereaux of St. John�s, 10-2, Quebec�s Kristen Richard of Lachine edged Ontario�s Danielle Inglis of Burlington, 5-4, while Nova Scotia�s Danielle Parsons of Halifax stole singles in the 10th and 11th ends to prevail over Manitoba (Kaitlyn Lawes of Winnipeg), 6-5.
Round robin play continues at both Soo Curlers Association and Tarentorus Sports Club Monday through Friday, with draw times at 9:00 am, 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm ET.
Monday's schedule sees the PEI rinks play Quebec in the morning, and the Northwest Territories in the afternoon.
At the conclusion of the round robin, the first place teams advance to their respective finals on Sunday, while the second and third place teams meet in semi-finals on Saturday evening.
Both finals at Soo Curlers Association will be televised live across Canada on CBC-TV. The women�s final will start at 12 noon, with the men�s final beginning at 1:30 pm ET. The winners will then represent Canada at the world junior curling championships, March 1-9 in �stersund, Sweden. Canada has won a leading 16 world junior men�s titles since 1975 and eight women�s crowns since 1988.
This is the third year of title sponsorship by M&M Meat Shops, Canada's largest retail chain of specialty frozen foods, which signed a new agreement with the Canadian Curling Association to sponsor the Canadian junior men�s and women�s curling championships through 2009.
Alberta leads all provinces with 15 junior men�s titles, while Saskatchewan is next with 13. Northern Ontario has won four times, the last by Jeff Currie in 1996 in Edmonton.
Northern Ontario has yet to win a Canadian junior women�s crown since the event began in 1971 in Vancouver. Saskatchewan leads with 10 victories.
The men�s and women�s championships were conducted separately until being combined in 1987 in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.
CurlTV (www.curltv.com) is also providing extensive event coverage of the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors to its subscribers.
CurlTV will carry Monday's game between Brett Gallant and the Northwest Territories team at 3 pm Atlantic, and Tuesday's game between the Erin Carmody rink and Northern Ontario at 8 pm Atlantic.
Islanders drop openers at Canadian Juniors
Posted Sunday, February 3, 2008 by derekm
Both PEI rinks lost their opening games to Ontario this afternoon at the M&M Canadian Juniors in Sault Ste. Marie. Brett Gallant of Charlottetown, considered the favorite in the men's section, lost his game 8-6 to Travis Fanset, while Erin Carmody of Summerside lost 8-5 to Danielle Inglis.
After two rounds, Saskatchewan has won two games in the men's section, while BC, Nfld., N. Ontario, Ontario, and Quebec all have one win. Alberta, BC, Manitoba, Nfld., N. Ont. and Ontario are all winners on the women's side.
The Island rinks take on Newfoundland and Labrador tonight at 8:30 Atlantic. Julie Deveraux skips the Newfoundland women's team, while the Colin Thomas foursome from St. John's are the men's representatives. Spencer Wicks, second on the Thomas rink, is the grandson of Gordon and Wilna Yeo of Summerside.
News and Media ReleasesJunior Men's TeamsJunior Women's TeamsScores and StatisticsDraw ScheduleTelevision and Webcast ScheduleAbout the JuniorsDraw SchedulePhoto GalleryContact UsHost Committee Saskatchewan the early leader at M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Source: Canadian Curling Association
SAULT STE. MARIE, February 3�.Saskatchewan stands atop the leaderboard in both men�s and women�s play after two draws of the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors.
The Brennen Jones team from Regina and the Stephanie McVicar foursome from Saskatoon enjoyed a perfect day, winning both their games, as the Canadian junior men�s and women�s curling championships got underway at Soo Curlers Association and Tarentorus Sports Club.
Sunday afternoon, Jones defeated New Brunswick�s Jon Rennie of Rothesay, 10-3, while McVicar was an 8-5 winner of Mary Jane McGuire from Fredericton, New Brunswick, taking three in the 10th end.
Six other teams are also unbeaten in both men�s and women�s, all with 1-0 marks, heading into tonight�s Draw 3, slated for 7:30 pm ET.
In other games this afternoon, Ontario�s Travis Fanset of St. Thomas upset last year�s runner-up, Brett Gallant of Charlottetown, 8-6, Newfoundland and Labrador�s Colin Thomas of St. John�s was a 9-6 winner over Colin Miller of Yellowknife, NWT and Alberta�s Aaron Sluchinski of Drayton Valley edged Yukon�s Thomas Scoffin of Whitehorse, 8-7.
In other women�s games, Ontario�s Danielle Inglis of Burlington defeated Prince Edward Island�s Erin Carmody of Summerside, 9-5, Newfoundland and Labrador�s Julie Devereaux, who won last year�s Juniors as lead for her sister Stacie, defeated Valiso Aho of Yellowknife, NWT, 11-5 and Alberta�s Maria Bushell of Calgary opened with a 9-3 win over Sarah Koltun of Whitehorse, Yukon.
Kinsmen holding public funspiel to raise money for cancer
Posted Saturday, February 2, 2008 by derekm
The first annual J. Ken MacDonald Memorial Curling Funspiel will be held March 14-15 at the Cornwall Curling Club. This event, sponsored by the Charlottetown Kinsmen with the support of BMO Bank of Montreal is a public fundraiser in support of cancer, and was inspired by former Kinsmen president MacDonald, who succumbed to cancer last year.
Entry fee for the event, which guarantees three games, promises lots of fun and prizes, and includes breakfast Saturday morning, is $120 per team. Entry deadline is March 1st.
For more information, or to register, contact Chris Hodgson at 628-6475, or email [email protected].
Sault Star: In search of gold; Brett Gallant's rink from P.E.I. is the heads-on favourite to win Jr. men's title
Posted Friday, February 1, 2008 by derekm
On most days, the Gallant house in Charlottetown, P.E.I., measures 25 feet and is kept spic and span by a family that knows all too well the value of a good broom.
Click to read this story from The Sault Star
Countdown to the 2008 Tim Horton's Brier begins next week
Posted Friday, February 1, 2008 by derekm
February 1, 2008... The countdown to the 2008 Tim Hortons Brier, March 8-16 at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, begins next week.
By February 17, all 12 teams for the 79th edition of the Canadian men's curling championship will be determined after the completion of Labatt
Tankards in Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island, Keith's Tankards in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Safeway Championship in Manitoba,
Saskatchewan�s SaskTel Tankard, TSC Stores Tankard in Ontario, Dominion of Canada Northern Ontario championship, Alberta�s Boston Pizza Cup, Canadian
Direct Insurance British Columbia championship and the Quebec and Yukon/Northwest Territories championships.
This is the fourth year that Tim Hortons, the largest quick service restaurant chain in Canada, has sponsored the Brier. Winnipeg last hosted
the Brier in 1998, when it was won by Ontario�s Wayne Middaugh, who also went on to capture the Ford Worlds title that year in Kamloops.
The Canadian Curling Association website (www.curling.ca or www.seasonofchampions.ca) will provide summaries of each championship as the winners are declared. Provincial curling association/federation websites offer links to draw results and other event information.
Date/Province or Territory/Location/Website:
Feb. 4-9
Northern Ontario
Englehart Sports Complex
curlnoca.ca
Feb. 4-10
Ontario
Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex
ontcurl.com
Feb. 4-10
British Columbia
Penticton Curling Club
curlbc.ca
Feb. 5-10
Newfoundland &
Labrador
Carol Curling Club, Labrador City
curlingnl.ca
Feb. 5-10
Prince Edward Island
Crapaud Community Curling Club
peicurling.com
Feb. 5-12
Quebec
Colis�e de Trois-Rivi�res
curling-quebec.qc.ca
Feb. 6-10
Nova Scotia
Wolfville Curling Club
nscurl.com
Feb. 6-10
Saskatchewan
Balgonie Arena
saskcurl.com
Feb. 12-17
Alberta
The Agrena, Spruce Grove
albertacurling.ab.ca
Feb. 13-17
Manitoba
Keystone Centre, Brandon
curlmanitoba.org
Feb. 13-17
New Brunswick
Capital Winter Club, Fredericton
nbcurling.nb.ca
Feb. 14-17
Yukon/NWT
Whitehorse Curling Club
yukoncurling.ca
return to headlines
Labatt Tankard Final Eight Draw times change
Posted Friday, February 1, 2008 by derekm
At the request of the host Crapaud Community Curling Club, and with the approval of the PEICA Board of Directors, draw times have been changed from 3 and 8 pm to 2 and 7 pm for the Labatt Tankard Final Eight draws, with the exception of the draw following the 7 pm Wednesday opening ceremonies, which will remain at 8 pm.
The new draw times are now reflected on the event website at peicurling.com/tankard.
Here are the revised draw times:
Tuesday February 5th: 7 pm
Wednesday February 6th: 2 and 8 pm (opening ceremonies at 7)
Thursday February 7th, Friday February 8th: 2 and 7 pm.
Saturday, February 9th: 10 am, 2 pm, 7 pm (10 am may not be needed, depending on tiebreakers)
Sunday February 10th: 10 am and 3 pm.
Schedule for Carmody and Gallant at Canadian Jrs.
Posted Friday, February 1, 2008 by derekm
The M&M Juniors get underway on Sunday in Sault Ste. Marie. Here is the schedule for PEI teams Brett Gallant and Erin Carmody:
PEI Firefighters hit the ice this weekend
Posted Thursday, January 31, 2008 by derekm
M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors start Sunday
Posted Wednesday, January 30, 2008 by derekm
(CCA) January 29, 2008�The M&M Meat Shops Canadian junior men�s and women�s curling championships, the first event in the 2008 Season of Champions, get underway Sunday in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
Thirteen men�s and 13 women�s teams (10 provinces plus Northern Ontario, Northwest Territories and Yukon) will play round robin games at two venues, Soo Curlers Association and Tarentorus Sports Club. At the conclusion of the round robin, the first place teams advance to their respective finals, while the second and third place finishers meet in semi-finals on Saturday evening.
Both the women�s and men�s finals will take place on Sunday, February 10 at Soo Curlers Association, starting at 12:00 noon ET, live across Canada on CBC-TV in a special five-hour presentation. The women�s game will begin first, with the men�s final starting roughly an hour and a half later. CurlTV (www.curltv.com) will also be offering extensive event internet coverage to its subscribers.
The winners will then represent Canada at the world junior curling championships, March 1-9 in �stersund, Sweden. Canada has won a leading 16 world junior men�s titles since 1975 and eight women�s crowns since 1988.
This is the third year of title sponsorship by M&M Meat Shops, Canada's largest retail chain of specialty frozen foods, which signed a new agreement with the Canadian Curling Association to sponsor the Canadian junior men�s and women�s curling championships through 2009.
Heading this year�s men�s line-up is Prince Edward Island�s Brett Gallant, who finished the runner-up to Alberta�s Charley Thomas last year in St. Catharines, losing the final in an extra end. Also returning is the youngest skip in Canadian Juniors history, Thomas Scoffin of Whitehorse, Yukon, who was 12 years old last year when skipping at the 2007 M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors. Carrying the colours of host Northern Ontario will be Kory Carr and his Fort William Curling Club team from Thunder Bay.
The women�s roster is headed by last year�s winner, Julie Devereaux of St. John�s, who is skipping a team this year after playing lead for Newfoundland and Labrador�s Stacie Devereaux last year. Also returning is Yukon�s Sarah Koltun, who also became the youngest skip in Canadian junior women�s history last year at age 13. Northern Ontario will be represented by Thunder Bay�s Ashley Miharija.
Alberta leads all provinces with 15 junior men�s titles, while Saskatchewan is next with 13. Northern Ontario has won four times, the last by Jeff Currie in 1996 in Edmonton.
Northern Ontario has yet to win a Canadian junior women�s crown since the event began in 1971 in Vancouver. Saskatchewan leads with 10 victories.
The men�s and women�s championships were conducted separately until being combined in 1987 in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.
The Opening Ceremonies begin at 1:30 pm on Sunday at Soo Curlers Association, prior to the afternoon�s second draw at 3:00 pm.
Sault Ste. Marie has previously staged several Canadian curling championships, highlighted by the 1990 Labatt Brier, won by Ontario�s Ed Werenich. It also hosted the 1978 Canadian women�s, 1980 Canadian junior men�s and 1998 Canadian Seniors curling championships.
Corporate teams to curl with celebrity skips at Ch'town Corporate Bonspiel
Posted Tuesday, January 29, 2008 by derekm
The Charlottetown Corporate Bonspiel will take place Feb. 29 and March 1 at the Charlottetown Curling Club. Prior to the main event, a Family and Practice Day, in which employees and families of any company participating in the bonspiel can come to the Club for instructions on the game of curling and a fun game, will be held on February 10th from 10 am until noon.
On Friday the 29th, teams entered will draw for a celebrity skip from a list which includes Olympic Gold Medallist Jamie Korab, 2001 World Junior champion and reigning PEI women's champ Suzanne Gaudet, and members of her team, 2007 PEI Tankard champ Peter Gallant and his teammates, current Junior champion skip Brett Gallant and his team, and members of the 2007 Tankard runner-up team skipped by Rod MacDonald.
The event, which also includes darts and draw to the button competitions, will conclude Saturday evening with an awards banquet.
Entry fee is $500 per three-person team. Funds raised at this event are destined for capital improvements at the Charlottetown Curling Club and the support of local curling championship teams.
For more info, or to signup, contact Rob Warren at 892-7467 or Gil Jubainville 629-3615.
Click for more details and entry form.
Shaw and MacKenzie complete the Final Eight
Posted Monday, January 28, 2008 by derekm
The Final Eight competitors have now been determined for the Labatt Tankard provincial men's curling championships, Feb. 5-10 at the Crapaud Community Curling Club. This evening in Montague, the final two qualifiers were determined.
Qualifier number seven went to the Charlottetown Curling Club rink of Robert Shaw, Sandy MacPhee, Robbie Younker and Tom Fetterly, who beat the Blair Jay foursome from the Silver Fox 8-7 in an extra end. The Eddie MacKenzie rink, also from Charlottetown, beat clubmate and 2000 Tankard winner Andrew Robinson by an 8-3 score to grab the final qualifying spot. Playing with MacKenzie are Dennis Watts, Doug MacGregor and Sean Clarey.
Seven of the eight qualifiers are from Charlottetown, with the Rod MacDonald foursome from the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside the only exception.
Here are the Final Eight (skip to lead):
| Q1: | Tim Cullen, Mitch O'Shea, Robbie Doherty, Patrick Callback, Brent Campbell (5th), Robbie Roberts (Coach) | Charlottetown |
| Q2: | Rod MacDonald, Jamie Newson, Mike Gaudet, Peter MacDonald | Silver Fox |
| Q3: | Peter Gallant, Kevin Champion, Mark O'Rourke, John Desrosiers | Charlottetown |
| Q4: | Ted MacFadyen, Craig Mackie, Sandy Foy, Mike Coady, Al Ledgerwood (coach) | Charlottetown |
| Q5: | Kyle Stevenson, Pat Lynch, Kyle MacDonald, Andrew MacDougall | Charlottetown |
| Q6: | John Likely, Phil Gorveatt, Mark Butler, Mike Dillon | Charlottetown |
| Q7: | Robert Shaw, Sandy MacPhee, Robbie Younker, Tom Fetterly | Charlottetown |
| Q8: | Eddie MacKenzie, Dennis Watts, Doug MacGregor, Sean Clarey | Charlottetown |
The Final Eight competition in Crapaud will be a round robin with a Page playoff, and gets underway at 8 pm on Tuesday February 5th. The complete draw is now available, and end by end results will be available, at peicurling.com/tankard. The championship game will take place at 3 pm on Sunday the 10th.
The PEI champion will advance to the Tim Horton's Brier, March 8-16 in Winnipeg Manitoba.
Tankard Playdowns down to one draw and two qualifiers
Posted Sunday, January 27, 2008 by derekm
Only two qualifiers for the Labatt Tankard Final Eight remain to be determined, as the Tankard Playdowns wind down in Montague.
The final draw goes Monday at 3 pm, with Summerside's Blair Jay playing Robert Shaw of Charlottetown for Qualifier #7, and Andrew Robinson meeting Charlottetown clubmate Eddie MacKenzie for the eighth and final spot. In the Sunday evening draw, Robinson beat Kevin Ellsworth of the Silver Fox 9-5, Jay downed Charlottetown's Charlie Wilkinson rink 10-1, and MacKenzie edged Larry Dewar of Montague 6-5.
Here are the other six qualifiers:
| Q1: | Tim Cullen, Mitch O'Shea, Robbie Doherty, Patrick Callback, Brent Campbell (5th), Robbie Roberts (Coach) | Charlottetown |
| Q2: | Rod MacDonald, Jamie Newson, Mike Gaudet, Peter MacDonald | Silver Fox |
| Q3: | Peter Gallant, Kevin Champion, Mark O'Rourke, John Desrosiers | Charlottetown |
| Q4: | Ted MacFadyen, Craig Mackie, Sandy Foy, Mike Coady, Al Ledgerwood (coach) | Charlottetown |
| Q5: | Kyle Stevenson, Pat Lynch, Kyle MacDonald, Andrew MacDougall | Charlottetown |
| Q6: | John Likely, Phil Gorveatt, Mark Butler, Mike Dillon | Charlottetown |
The round-robin Final Eight championship rounds takes place February 5-10 at the Crapaud Community Curling Club, with the winner of that event advancing to the Tim Horton's Brier, March 8-16 in Winnipeg.
Cross-Canada Scotties wrapup
Posted Sunday, January 27, 2008 by derekm
MacFadyen, Stevenson, Likely are next three Tankard qualifiers
Posted Sunday, January 27, 2008 by derekm
Qualifiers four through six for the Final Eight were decided this afternoon as the Playdowns continue in Montague for the Labatt Tankard Provincial Men's Curling Championships. All of today's contenders were from the Charlottetown Curling Club.
Five-time Tankard and five-time Seniors champ Ted MacFadyen grabbed spot number four, with a 10-7 win over Eddie MacKenzie. MacFadyen is playing with Craig Mackie and longtime teammates Mike Coady and Sandy Foy.
Mixed champion Kyle Stevenson doubled 2000 Tankard skip Andrew Robinson 8-4 for the fifth qualifying position in the Final Eight. Rounding out the Stevenson foursome are Pat Lynch, Kyle MacDonald, and Andrew MacDougall.
Top seed John Likely, who lost out to the unseeded Tim Cullen junior rink in the A qualifiers, was tied with Robert Shaw coming home, but scored three points in the tenth end to win his game 7-4 and grab the sixth qualifying spot. Playing with Likely are Phil Gorveatt, Mark Butler and Mike Dillon.
Two draws and two spots remain. Tonight at 6, Robinson plays Summerside's Kevin Ellsworth, Blair Jay of the Silver Fox faces Charlie Wilkinson of Charlottetown, and MacKenzie meets Montague's Larry Dewar rink.
The final two qualifying games go Monday at 3 pm, with the winning rink from tonight's game between Jay and Wilkinson playing Shaw for Qualifier #7, and the winner of the Robinson/Ellsworth game playing the victor of the MacKenzie/Dewar contest for the eighth and final spot.
The round-robin Final Eight championship round goes Feb. 5-10 at the Crapaud Community Curling Club.
The winner of that event will advance to the Tim Horton's Brier, March 8-16 in Winnipeg.
Matchups set for today's B Qualifiers at Tankard Playdowns
Posted Sunday, January 27, 2008 by derekm
Qualifiers 4 through 6 will be chosen in the 2 pm draw this afternoon at the Labatt Tankard playdowns in Montague. Qualifying on Saturday were Tim Cullen and defending champion Peter Gallant from Charlottetown, and Rod Macdonald from Summerside.
This afternoon's matchups see six Charlottetown Curling Club teams squaring off, with five-time Tankard and five time Seniors champ Ted MacFadyen playing Eddie MacKenzie, Mixed champ Kyle Stevenson playing 2000 Tankard winner Andrew Robinson, and top seed John Likely, who lost out to the young Cullen rink in the A finals yesterday, facing Robert Shaw.
The C division finals in this triple-knockout event go Monday at 3 pm.
The eight finalists from this event move on to the Final Eight championship round-robin event, Feb. 5-10 at the Crapaud Community Curling Club. The winner of that event will advance to the Tim Horton's Brier, March 8-16 in Winnipeg.
Cullen defeats top seed as 1st 3 Tankard Qualifiers determined
Posted Saturday, January 26, 2008 by derekm
The young Tim Cullen rink continued their impressive PEI Labatt Tankard Playdowns debut today in Montague, trouncing number one seed John Likely by a 10-4 score in just seven ends to grab the first qualifying spot for the Final Eight championship round. The Cullen rink, who also competed in the Pepsi Juniors earlier this season, and weren't born when Likely won his first Tankard (as a second) in 1985, includes Mitch O'Shea at third, Robbie Doherty at second, and lead Patrick Callbeck, with 5th player Brent Campbell, and coach Robbie Roberts. To advance to the qualifier, the unseeded Cullen team, who curl out of the Charlottetown Curling Club, clobbered Calvin Smith of Crapaud 13-4, and Blair Jay of Summerside by a 10-1 score.
Qualifier number 2 went to the number two seed. last year's runner-up and 2005 and 2006 champion Rod MacDonald of Summerside, whose team includes Jamie Newson, and former Tankard winning skips Mike Gaudet and Peter MacDonald. They defeated the Kyle Stevenson rink of Charlottetown by a 7-4 score in today's qualifying match.
Two Tankard veterans squared off for the third qualifying position, with defending champion Peter Gallant, who has been on eight winning Tankard teams, defeating 5-time Tankard and 5-time Seniors champion Ted MacFadyen by a 10-3 score, taking four points in the first end, and stealing a single in the second to grab an early 5-0 lead. Playing with Gallant are Kevin Champion, Mark O'Rourke, and John Desrosiers.
The three B division qualifier games of this triple-knockout event, go Sunday at 2 pm, with the two C qualifiers set for Monday at 3.
The round-robin Final Eight championship round goes Feb. 5-10 at the Crapaud Community Curling Club.
The winner of that event will advance to the Tim Horton's Brier, March 8-16 in Winnipeg.
Teams determined for 1st three Tankard Qualifiers
Posted Friday, January 25, 2008 by derekm
The first three of the eight qualifiers for the Labatt Tankard Provincial Men's Curling Championship will be chosen in the 4 pm Saturday draw of the Tankard Playdowns at the Montague Curling Club. Eighteen teams from five PEI clubs are fighting for a spot in the Final Eight, February 5-10 in Crapaud.
The Qualifier #1 game on Saturday will see top seed John Likely face off against a young Tim Cullen rink, who are playing in both the Juniors and Men events this year. Charlottetown's Cullen clobbered Calvin Smith of Crapaud 13-4, and Blair Jay of Summerside 10-1 today, making for a very impressive Tankard debut. Likely, who won his first Tankard as a second in 1985, beat Charlottetown clubmate Eddie MacKenzie 7-3 in his opener to advance to the qualifier.
Qualifying match #2 will pit last year's runner-up and 2005 and 2006 champion Rod MacDonald of the Silver Fox against Kyle Stevenson of Charlottetown. MacDonald, seeded second, beat clubmate Kevin Ellsworth 9-4 to advance to the qualifier, while Stevenson, seeded fifth, beat out clubmate Robert Shaw, seeded 7th, by a 9-6 score to advance to the second qualifier.
The third A division qualifer in this triple-knockout draw will pit defending champion Peter Gallant, seeded third, against five-time Tankard and five-time Seniors champion Ted MacFadyen, seeded in eighth spot as a result of cashspiel winnings this season. Gallant doubled Charlottetown clubmate Nick Fraser 10-5 in his opener, while MacFadyen downed 2000 Tankard champ Andrew Robinson 8-1 to earn the right to compete for the third qualifier.
The three B division qualifier games go Sunday at 2 pm, with the two C qualifiers set for Monday at 3.
Draws Saturday are at 9 am and 12:30, 4, and 7:30 pm.
The eventual winner of the Labatt Tankard will advance to the Tim Horton's Brier, March 8-16 in Winnipeg.
Upcoming PEICA entry deadlines
Posted Friday, January 25, 2008 by derekm
The following entry deadlines are approaching for PEI curling championships. Note that all entries must be on a PEICA entry form, available at peicurling.com and all PEI curling clubs, and must be mailed, with entry fee,to the PEI Curling Assocaition at the address on the form.
The Provincial Intermediate Curling Championships will be held at the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O'Leary from Feb. 28-Mar. 2. Entry fee is $30 per player, and entry deadline is Feb. 7.
Tankard Playdowns start this morning
Posted Friday, January 25, 2008 by derekm
The Open Playdowns portion of the Labatt Tankard Provincial Men's Curling Championship gets underway at 9:30 this morning and wraps up on Monday at the Montague Curling Club. Eighteen teams, from five PEI curling clubs, are competing to be among the eight qualifiers to advance to the Final Eight championship round, February 5-10 at the Crapaud Community Curling Club. The winning rink from that event will advance to the Tim Horton's Brier, March 8-16 in Winnipeg.
MacWilliams dethrones king (Guardian)
Posted Friday, January 25, 2008 by derekm
CORNWALL � There is a new men�s masters curling champion for P.E.I.
The Bob MacWilliams rink from Cornwall dethroned Lou Nowlan of Summerside on Thursday, beating the five-time defending champion 6-4 in the men�s final.
Click to read this story at The Guardian
Date change for PEI Stick curling ch'ship
Posted Thursday, January 24, 2008 by derekm
The second annual Provincial Stick Curling Championship is set for Alberton's Western Community Curling Club in March. Due to a conflict with the Provincial +55 Games curling event, the dates for the Stick Curling Championship are being changed to March 4th and 5th 2008. Entry deadline remains February 19th, with an entry fee is $30 per player. Inaugural champions are the Sterling Stratton/Ernie Stavert rink from the Cornwall Curling Club.
Stick curling is an event with two curlers per team, who deliver their rocks with delivery sticks, with each team member delivering from opposite ends. Sweeping is allowed only from the hog line to the back of the house at the playing end. The two delivering curlers (one from each team) alternately deliver 6 stones each per end, while their teammate skips that end. Then roles are reversed, and the partners deliver the stones back. All games are six ends. For more information on stick curling, visit www.stickcurling.ca.
Bob MacWilliams unseats 5-time defending champ Lou Nowlan at PEI Masters
Posted Thursday, January 24, 2008 by derekm
The Bob MacWilliams rink from the host Cornwall Curling Club have become the first team in six years to beat Summerside's Lou Nowlan rink in a PEI Masters Curling Championship final, with a 6-4 win this afternoon. Both winner MacWilliams and runner-up Nowlan will now advance to the Maritime Masters championships, February 10-13th, at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club, home club of Nowlan, the defending Maritime Masters champion.
Photo (L-R): Jim Farquharson, Roy Coffin, Al MacCormac, Bob MacWilliams
Nowlan came out strong in today's eight-end final, taking a deuce with hammer in the first end, and stealing a single in the second. MacWilliams matched Nowlan's scores in the next two ends, and grabbed the lead by stealing a pair in the fifth end. The teams exchanged single in the next two ends, and the teams shook hands in the eighth end.
Playing with MacWilliams were Al MacCormac, Roy Coffin, and Jim Farquharson, while Doug Currie, Wayne Gardiner and Raymond Thompson round out the Nowlan foursome.
Nowlan advanced to the final with a 10-3 win this morning over Cornwall's Chick Morrison foursome, taking a triple in the fifth end, and bringing the game to a speedy conclusion with a four-point seventh end to win the B section of this double-knockout event. MacWilliams beat Morrison 5-2 yesterday to win the A side, but lost to Nowlan 6-4 in a B-section semi-final.
The Jeanne Duffenais rink from Summerside won the women's side yesterday, with clubmate Marg Nowlan also advancing to the Maritime Masters by virtue of her second place finish. Duffenais is defending Maritime champ.
Masters curlers are age 60 and over.
Lou Nowlan, looking for 6th-straight Masters title, plays Bob MacWilliams in 2:30 final
Posted Thursday, January 24, 2008 by derekm
Five-time defending PEI Masters, and current Maritime Masters champ Lou Nowlan will get a chance to make it six in a row, as he meets the Bob MacWilliams rink from the host Cornwall Curling Club, in the 2:30 men's final of the PEI Masters Curling Championship. Both teams are already assured berths in this year's Maritime Masters, Feb. 10-13 at Summerside's Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club, Nowlan's home club. Playing with Nowlan are Doug Currie, Wayne Gardiner and Raymond Thompson, while Al MacCormac, Roy Coffin, and Jim Farquharson round out the MacWilliams foursome.
Nowlan advanced to the final with a 10-3 win this morning over Cornwall's Chick Morrison foursome, taking a triple in the fifth end, and bringing the game to a speedy conclusion with a four-point seventh end to win the B section of this double-knockout event. MacWilliams beat Morrison 5-2 yesterday to win the A side, but lost to Nowlan 6-4 in a B-section semi-final.
The Jeanne Duffenais rink from Summerside won the women's side yesterday, with clubmate Marg Nowlan also advancing to the Maritime Masters by virtue of her second place finish. Duffenais is defending Maritime champ.
Masters curlers are age 60 and over.
Jeanne Duffenais makes it 5 years in a row; Bob MacWilliams advances to Men's Masters Final
Posted Wednesday, January 23, 2008 by derekm
The Jeanne Duffenais rink from the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club have won their 5th-straight PEI Women's Masters Championship, winning both their games in the three-team round robin, and making the final round unnecessary. In today's game, they defeated Diane MacKay of the host Cornwall Curling Club by an 8-4 score. Playing with Duffenais are Georgie Coulson, Marjorie Campbell, and Wanda MacLean. Campbell is from Montague, and stepped in this year to replace former team member Ann Currie, who passed away last month.
Photo: L-R Jeanne Duffenais, Georgie Coulson, Marjorie Campbell, Wanda MacLean
Runner-up in the women's section is the rink of Marg Nowlan, Mabel Gardiner, Pat Barrett and Doreen Gunn, also from the Silver Fox. Both winner and runner-up will advance to the Maritime Masters Curling Championships, February 10-13 at their home Club, the Silver Fox. Duffenais is the defending Maritime Masters champion.
Meanwhile, Bob MacWilliams from the host Cornwall Curling Club won the A event in the 12-team double-knockout PEI Master's men's section this morning, with a 5-2 win over clubmate Chick Morrison. Other members of the MacWilliams rink are Al MacCormac, Roy Coffin, and Jim Farquharson. The MacWilliams rink then lost their next game to five-time defending champion Lou Nowlan of Summerside by a 6-4 score, while Morrison doubled Bob Maynard of Summerside 8-4, coming from behind to score four points in the sixth end, and follow it up with a steal of three in the seventh.
Nowlan plays Morrison in the B event final, set for 10 am Thursday. The winner of that game faces MacWilliams in the 2:30 pm final, with both teams in the final advancing to the Maritime Masters, Feb. 10-13 in Summerside.
Masters curlers are age 60 and over.
Mel Bernard foursome wins Legions
Posted Wednesday, January 23, 2008 by derekm
Summerside's Mel Bernard rink captured its third consecutive Provincial Legion Curling Championship, over the weekend at the Western Community Curling Club in Alberton, defeating Leo Stewart, representing the Kensington legion, by a 7-6 score in the final. Blair Jay, Earle Proude, and Douglas Simmons are the other members of the Bernard rink. Playing with Stewart were Barry Cameron, Corey Montgomery, and Jim Arsenault. The winning Bernard rink will now represent PEI at the 2008 Dominion Legion Curling Championship, March 8-14 in Dauphin, Manitoba.
(L to R) Alan Leard, Legion West Prince zone commander, Blair Jay who throws skip rocks, third stone Doug Simmons, second stone Earle Proude, Mel Bernard who throws lead rocks and Alan Curtis, Royal Canadian Legion provincial president. Photo courtesy Western Community Curling Club.
Queen of Rings-Suzanne Gaudet wins 5th prov. women's ch'ship (Guardian)
Posted Wednesday, January 23, 2008 by derekm
by Charles Reid, The Guardian
(link to article, photo on Guardian website)
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Juggernaut is an apt description of the Suzanne Gaudet rink.
Gaudet picked up her third straight provincial women�s curling championship with an 8-3 victory over Charlottetown clubmate Shelly Bradley in the title game of the 2008 Scotties Tournament of Hearts Tuesday in Charlottetown.
It�s also Gaudet�s fifth women�s crown as skip since 2003.
The Summerside native reunited her 2001 world junior title-winning squad last season but wasn�t thinking of where to display the 2008 Scotties trophy until late in Tuesday�s contest.
�You never want to count yourself lucky until the very last shot is thrown, but once you get up a few points (you feel confident),� she said. �Our team has the ability to play a lot of peels and get rid of all the rocks in play. Once we were up four or five points we felt we were pretty positive.�
The win advances Gaudet, third Robyn MacPhee, second Carol Webb and lead Stefanie Clark for the Canadian championship, Feb. 16-24, in Regina, Sask.
Gaudet finished fourth at the nationals last year.
At the provincials, Gaudet went 7-1 (its only loss to Bradley on Saturday) and outscored the competition 61-40.
Bradley�s rink of lead Tricia Affleck second Janice MacCallum and Tammi Lowther started strong with two points in the first end in Tuesday�s final.
But it couldn�t hold fast as Gaudet recovered and rolled past its clubmate scoring eight points in the next seven ends. Lowther conceded after the eighth.
�We got our deuce in the first end and we held them to one in the second and then we struggled with placing the rocks,� said Lowther, who throws skips stones and calls the shots. �We were set up in the fourth end (after) Shelly makes two really nice shots hidden well behind cover and Suzanne makes a run-back double.
�They came to play. They�re a good team and they outplayed us.�
On Monday night, and already in Tuesday�s championship round, the Gaudet foursome, down 7-1 after five ends to Cornwall�s Donna Butler, made a stunning comeback.
Gaudet felt concession was useless and the rink scored three times in the sixth end and the eighth end for a 10-7 win.
With that in mind was Gaudet surprised Lowther conceded?
�It probably wasn�t out of reach if they had of gotten a good end, the next end, but . . . it�s tough.�
Noting Gaudet still had five ends left in the Butler game, Lowther looked at her game with Gaudet differently.
�We were down five. We would have had the hammer, (but) we weren�t playing well.�
The Gaudet squad will travel to Regina a few days before the event and get a day�s practice prior to the tourney kickoff.
But until then, it�s business as usual.
�Keep our practising schedule and practice hard and play hard for the next month or so before we go,� said Gaudet.
Morrison, MacWilliams, Duffenais still unbeaten at PEI Masters
Posted Tuesday, January 22, 2008 by derekm
Chick Morrison and Bob MacWilliams from the host club remain undefeated on the men's side, while four-time defending champ Jeanne Duffenais is the sole undefeated women's rink, as the 2008 PEI Masters Championships, for curlers age 60 and over, continue at the Cormwall Curling Club. In play today, Morrison handed five-time defending champ Lou Nowlan his first loss, by a 7-5 score, while MacWilliams doubled Summerside's Bob Maynard 8-4. MacWilliams and Morrison square off in the A division final of this double-knockout event, Wednesday at 10 am. Twelve men's rinks are in the competition.
In the three-team round robin women's division, Duffenais edged Silver Fox clubmate Marg Nowlan 6-5 in today's sole game. As Nowlan beat Diane MacKay of Cornwall yesterday, Duffenais is the only unbeaten rink. If Duffenais wins Wednesday's 3 pm game against MacKay, she would repeat as champion without the need for the two game finals, slated for Thursday.
Wednesday games are at 10 am and 3 pm, while Thursday play is at 10 and 2:30.
Both men's and women's winners and runners-up from the PEI Masters will advance to the Maritime Masters Championships at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club, the home club of Lou Nowlan and Jeanne Duffenais, who are the defending Maritime champs.
Gaudet wins 3rd-straight PEI Scotties (photo and more)
Posted Tuesday, January 22, 2008 by derekm
Defending Scotties champion Suzanne Gaudet had little trouble today defeating Shelly Bradley to win her fifth provincial title.
Photo (L-R): Robyn MacPhee, Suzanne Gaudet, Jocelyne Foster (representing title sponsor Kruger Inc.), Carol Webb, Stefanie Clark
The game started well for the Bradley foursome. They scored two in the first end and Gaudet was only able to reply with one point in the second end. But after that it was pretty much all Gaudet all the time. After a blank in the fourth, Gaudet stole one in the fifth and three in the sixth to take a commanding lead. Bradley scored one in the seventh, but Gaudet came right back with one in the eighth. The Bradley foursome conceded. The final score was 8-3.
Suzanne Gaudet and third Robyn MacPhee, second Carol Webb and lead Stefanie Clark now head to the national Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Regina February 16 -24.
(L-R) Tricia Affleck, Janice MacCallum, Shelly Bradley, Tammi Lowther, David Murphy (President, PEI Curling Association), Jocelyne Foster (representing title sponsor Kruger Inc.)
Thanks to the news media, including K-ROCK and Ocean 100 for their on-going coverage. Video from today is available at their websites www.krock1055.com and www.ocean100.com. Thanks also to the CBC for their feature stories, and to the Guardian and the Journal-Pioneer for their extensive web and print coverage.
Gaudet rink roars back (Guardian)
Posted Tuesday, January 22, 2008 by derekm
Defending champion to play the Bradley foursome for the provincial women's curling championship today.
Click to read this story from today's Guardian.
Gaudet comes back from 7-1 deficit to win Scotties C Final
Posted Monday, January 21, 2008 by derekm
The "C" event final at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts Provincial Women's Curling Championship was a wild ride.
It featured third seed Donna Butler from Cornwall challenging top seed and defending champion Suzanne Gaudet from the host Charlottetown Curling Club.
And Butler came to play. Cracking a big four points in the fourth end and stealing a point in the fifth, the Cornwall rink, which includes third Marie Molyneaux, second Melissa Andrews, and lead Carolyn Coulson, was ahead by six at the halfway mark and seemingly in complete control.
But Gaudet's team stayed with their game. They powered back with three points in the sixth, stole two in the seventh, three in the eighth and one more in the ninth to take a solid lead into the final end of the game. Gaudet's team hit everything in sight and ran Butler out of rocks. Final score was 10-7.
Suzanne Gaudet. Matt Smith photo.
The win puts Gaudet in a good position to reclaim the PEI Scotties title. A-Division winner Shelly Bradley's team already has two losses and will have to defeat Gaudet twice if they want the championship, while Gaudet, who has won both the B and C divisions of this triple-knockout event, will repeat as champion if she wins either of the two championship games against Bradley, which go at 3 and (if required) 8 pm Tuesday.
Other members of the Gaudet rink are Robyn MacPhee, Carol Webb, Stefanie Clark, and coach Kim Dolan, while Tammi Lowther, who plays third but throws skip stones, Janice MacCallum, and Tricia Affleck, with coach Al Ledgerwood round out team Bradley.
The 2008 PEI Scotties champion will advance to the national Scotties, Feb. 16-24 in Regina.
Day One over at PEI Masters
Posted Monday, January 21, 2008 by derekm
The PEI Masters Curling Championships, for curlers age 60 and over, got underway this morning and wrap up on Thursday at the Cornwall Curling Club.
In today's play in the 12 team double-knockout men's section, five-time defending champion, and Maritime Masters champion Lou Nowlan, from the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside, won his opener, picking up a 9-3 win over Leslie Hardy of Alberton. Two host-club teams, Bob MacWilliams and Chick Morrison are 2-0, with MacWilliams downing Earl Hayes of the Fox 10-2, and edging anolther Summersider, John Holmes 5-4. Morrison took four in the seventh as he doubled Jim Praught of Summerside 8-4, and then went on to beat Cornwall clubmate Geoff Scutt 5-1. Bob Maynard of the Fox is also undefeated at 1-0.
The one game in the three-team round robin women's section saw Marg Nowlan of the Silver Fox steal deuces in the last two ends to defeat Cornwall's Diane MacKay rink by an 8-5 score.
Four-time defending champion, and Maritime Masters champion Jeanne Duffenais plays Nowlan Tuesday at 3:30 pm. while Duffenais meets MacKay Thursday at 2 pm. The two-game championship round, if needed, goes Thursday at 10 am and 2:30 pm.
Tuesday play is at 9 am, 12:30 and 3:30 pm, while Wednesday draws are at 10 and 2, while Thursday draws are at 10 and, if needed 2:30.
Men's A and B section finals go Wednesday and Thursday at 10 am.
The men's and women's winners and runners-up advance to the Maritime Masters Championships, February 10-13 at the Silver Fox.
Gaudet vs Butler in tonight's Scotties C final
Posted Monday, January 21, 2008 by derekm
The much anticipated rematch this afternoon between Suzanne Gaudet and Shelly Bradley was anticlimatic. The Gaudet foursome took control early and outshot the Bradley team. Gaudet stole points in ends three and four and then took a big three-ender in the sixth to win by a decisive margin of 9-5.
In the other game, Donna Butler from Cornwall eliminated Rebecca Jean MacPhee in game that saw both teams have the lead at different points. By scoring a decisive two points in the last end, Butler won the game by a score of 7-4.
The "C" Event Final takes place tonight at the Charlottetown Curling Club at 8:00 with Donna Butler taking on defending champ Suzanne Gaudet. Meanwhile, the Shelly Bradley squad waits for the winner of tonight's game.
If Gaudet wins tonight's game, she will have a big advantage in the two-game playoff round, Tuesday at 3 and 8 pm, as she will repeat as champion if she wins either game, while her opponent, Bradley, would have to win both games. If Butler wins tonight's game, she would play Bradley in the first championship game, with the winner facing Gaudet in the second.
The 2008 PEI Scotties champion will advance to the Canadian Scotties, Feb. 16-24 in Regina.
Masters starts this morning at Cornwall
Posted Monday, January 21, 2008 by derekm
The PEI Masters Curling Championships, for curlers age 60 and over, get underway on Monday January 21st, and wrap up on Thursday the 24th at the Cornwall Curling Club.
Lou Nowlan will be trying for his sixth consecutive PEI Masters crown, while Jeanne Duffenais will vie for her fifth straight. Both teams are also defending Maritime Masters champions, and curl out of the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club, site of this season's Maritime Masters, February 10-13.
Winners and runners up from this PEI championship and from similar events in NB and NS will advance to the Maritime event.
The 12-team men's side of the PEI Masters will play a double-knockout format, while the three-team women's division will play a round robin, with a two-game championship round, if needed.
Larouche takes Quebec Scotties
Posted Sunday, January 20, 2008 by derekm
Gaudet wins Scotties B final
Posted Sunday, January 20, 2008 by derekm
The "B" Event final was played tonight at the PEI Scotties Tournament of Hearts, with top seed and defending champion Suzanne Gaudet defeating Charlottetown clubmate Rebecca Jean MacPhee. The Gaudet rink was in control most of the game, but in the tenth nearly gave it away. Gaudet was forced to make a double take-out on her last rock, facing four MacPhee counters, to save the game. Final score was 8-7.
Suzanne Gaudet. Matt Smith photo.
Gaudet is now assured a spot in the championship round, along with Shelly Bradley's foursome, who won the "A" final yesterday.
In this evening's draw, Bradley was up against Summerside's Krista Cameron. It was a closely fought match with Bradley taking two in the tenth to pull off the 6-5 win.
The only other game featured two Cornwall rinks going head to head. Shirley Berry and Donna Butler had a back and forth game with Butler tying the game in the tenth to force an extra end. Butler stole a single in the eleventh for the victory. Butler had a well-guarded rock in the four foot. Berry drew around the guard and managed to move the shot rock, but not enough to pull out the win. Final score 7-6.
Play continues Monday at 3:00 PM, with a re-match between Suzanne Gaudet and Shelly Bradley, and with MacPhee playing Butler in the other contest.
The winner of those two games advances to the 8 pm C division final. If either Bradley or Gaudet win the C division they will have a big advantage going into the two-game championship round, as a team winning two divisions would take the title if they won either game, while the opposing team would have to win both. The championship games go Tuesday at 3 and 8 pm.
The eventual winner will advance to the national Scotties, Feb. 16-24 in Regina.
Tankard Playdowns set for Montague
Posted Sunday, January 20, 2008 by derekm
Cornwall's annual Rodd/Greco Mixed Funspiel set to go
Posted Sunday, January 20, 2008 by derekm
The annual Rodd Hotels and Resorts/Greco Pizza Mixed Funspiel takes place Feb. 1st-3rd at the Cornwall Curling Club. Entry fee is $120.00 per team. This event is open to curlers from all clubs. All teams must have at least one member of the opposite sex. Entry Deadline is Jan. 30th. 3 Games Guaranteed.
This event features Greco pizza on Friday evening, and lunch and supper on Saturday.
1st Place winners of Division A will receive one night's accommodation at the Rodd Mill River Resort .
Send entry with cheque to Cornwall Curling Club, PO Box 408 Cornwall PE C0A 1H0.
Entry limited to 24 teams
For more info, contact Ronalda Baillie at 626-3625.
Gaudet vs MacPhee in Scotties B final
Posted Sunday, January 20, 2008 by derekm
In fifth draw action at the 2008 PEI Scotties, defending champion Suzanne Gaudet, coming off a big loss last night, nearly gave away today's game. Missed draws in the eighth and ninth ends allowed Donna Butler to tie, but a double take-out by Gaudet in the tenth sealed the victory. Final score was 6-5.
Chalottetown's Lori Robinson was eliminated from competition with her third loss, this time to Summerside's Krista Cameron. Final score 7-5.
And Rebecca Jean MacPhee gave the previously undefeated Shelly Bradley rink their first loss. In the tenth, Bradley's team was lying three, but MacPhee made a terrific final shot through a tight port. Score was 7-5.
The sixth draw gets underway at 7:00 PM at the Charlottetown Curling Club.
The "B" Event Final will feature Suzanne Gaudet against Rebecca Jean MacPhee, while one of the remaining two Cornwall Curling Club teams faces elimination when Donna Butler plays Shirley Berry. Bradley takes on Cameron in the third game.
return to headlines
CBC Curling Sportscaster Don Wittman dies
Posted Saturday, January 19, 2008 by derekm
Don Wittman, synonymous with CBC Sports for nearly a half-century, died early Saturday after a battle with cancer. He was 71.
Shelly Bradley rink wins Scotties A Division
Posted Saturday, January 19, 2008 by derekm
It was the showdown curling fans had been waiting for. Defending champion Suzanne Gaudet taking on the challenger Shelly Bradley in the "A" Final of the PEI Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Both skips are from the host Charlottetown Curling Club, and both have made four trips to the national women's championship.
Bradley's foursome took an early four-nothing lead, but Gaudet's team fought back to tie the game at the midway point. Then after a blank in six, Bradley cracked a big three-ender in seven. Gaudet was able to grab one back in eight, but Bradley's lead was regained in the ninth end with a draw to the button by Tammi Lowther. Bradley's team ran Gaudet out of rocks in the tenth. Final score was 8-5.
Photo by Craig Mackie: Bradley rink getting some advice from coach Al Ledgerwood during the A final
Gaudet still has two lives left in this triple knockout format. Bradley is in a good position by winning the "A" Event and having no losses.
In other action, Rebecca Jean MacPhee soundly defeated Charlottetown clubmate Lori Robinson 9-3 after eight ends.
And two Cornwall rinks faced off, with Shirley Berry defeating Karen Currie by a score of 7-5, eliminating the Currie rink from further play.
End by end details are available at peicurling.com as well as pictures from the games.
Draw number five starts at 2:00 PM Sunday at the Charlottetown Curling Club.
Bradley and Gaudet to square off in tonight's Scotties A final
Posted Saturday, January 19, 2008 by derekm
The first of three division finals goes tonight at 7 pm, as the two-time defending champion Suzanne Gaudet rink plays the Shelly Bradley foursome in the "A" final of the Scotties Tournament of Hearts provincial women's curling championship. Both teams are from the host Charlottetown Curling Club. Gaudet, a former World Junior champion, is a four time PEI women's champion. Bradley has also won four times, three as skip, and in 2005 as third to Rebecca Jean MacPhee. Tammi Lowther is throwing skip rocks for Bradley this year,
Other games tonight will see one Cornwall team eliminated as clubmates Shirley Berry and Karen Currie, both with two losses, face off. Charlottetown clubmates Rebecca Jean MacPhee, and Lori Robinson, each with one loss, play in the other evening contest.
In action this afternoon, Gaudet downed four time champion skip MacPhee by an 8-1 score, Cornwall's Currie eliminated Summerside's Faith LeClair rink from further play with a 10-5 win, Donna Butler from Cornwall tripled Krista Cameron of the Silver Fox 9-3, and Lori Robinson of Charlottetown edged Shirley Berry of Cornwall 8-7 in an extra end.
Play gets underway at 2 pm at PEI Scotties. "A" Final at 7
Posted Saturday, January 19, 2008 by derekm
Following a colourful opening ceremony, the second draw of the 2008 Scotties PEI Women's Curling Championship got underway last night with four games being played. Suzanne Gaudet's rink had the bye.
Photo: Kim Dolan throws out first rock at opening ceremonies. Photo by Craig Mackie
Krista Cameron from the Silver Fox beat Karen Currie's Cornwall team 10-2.
Donna Butler from Cornwall fell to Charlottetown's Shelly Bradley by a score of 10-3.
Summerside's Faith LeClair lost to Shirley Berry from Cornwall. Final score was 8-5.
Charlottetown's Rebecca Jean MacPhee saw her first action in a game against clubmate Lori Robinson. The game went into an extra end after Robinson tied the game with her last rock in the tenth. In the eleventh end, Robinson was a little heavy on her last rock leaving MacPhee with shot rock and the win. Final score 6-5.
The playdowns continue Saturday with a full slate of games starting at 2:00 PM at the Charlottetown Curling Club.
At 2 pm, Gaudet takes on MacPhee, LeClair plays Currie, Butler faces Cameron, and Robinson meets Berry. Shelly Bradley meets the winner of the Gaudet/MacPhee contest in the A section final at 7 pm.
Defending Scotties champ starts with win (Guardian)
Posted Saturday, January 19, 2008 by derekm
Suzanne Gaudet's Charlottetown rink opens Scotties provincial women's curling championship with 7-4 win.
Click to read this story from The Guardian
First draw over at Scotties. Top seeds all winners.
Posted Friday, January 18, 2008 by derekm
Competition got underway this afternoon at the Charlottetown Curling Club in the 2008 Scotties Women's Provincial Championship.
Top seed and defending champion Suzanne Gaudet defeated Krista Cameron from the Silver Fox 7-4.
Second seed Shelly Bradley downed Summerside's Faith LeClair 9-2.
The number three seed, Donna Butler from Cornwall beat clubmate Shirley Berry 6-4.
Charlottetown's Lori Robinson defeated Cornwall's Karen Currie rink 8-5.
The competition is a triple knockout which means a team that loses three games is eliminated.
Opening ceremonies start tonight at 7:30.
Games continue this evening at approximately 8:15 with number 4 seed Rebecca Jean MacPhee taking on Charlottetown clubmate Lori Robinson, number 2 seed Shelly Bradley playing number three seed Donna Butler, Faith LeClair of Summerside playing Cornwall's Shirley Berry, and Karen Currie of Cornwall playing Krista Cameron from the Silver Fox.
End-by-end results are available at peicurling.com/scotties. Click here for a pictures, being updated throughout the event.
Practice, practice, practice -Top two Scotties seeds know nothing comes easy
Posted Friday, January 18, 2008 by derekm
Click to read this story by Charles Reid at The Guardian
return to headlines
Photos from tonight's Scotties Banquet
Posted Thursday, January 17, 2008 by derekm
Click for an album of photos from the opening banquet of the 2008 PEI Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
2008 Marion Dockendorff Award Winners Announced
Posted Thursday, January 17, 2008 by derekm
Norma MacPhee
Event Volunteer:
1990 TSN Skins game at CCC
1991 Canadian Games curling
1996 Canadian Mixed
1997 Canadian Firefighters
1999 Scott Tournament of Hearts
2005 and 2006 Curl for Wishes charity event at Ch�town
2005 National Special Olympics
CCC Curl for Cancer
Organizer:
CCC Junior Curling Co-ordinator for number of years
CCC Junior Curling book keeper
Of Note:
Curling family � husband Bill longtime curling volunteer and competitor (frequent PEI Firemans Winner)
Daughters Rebecca Jean and Robyn have competed in many Canadian championships. Robyn is 2001 World Junior champion and on the current PEI Women�s championship rink. Also a three-time PEI and two time Canadian Junior champ. Rebecca Jean has skipped four PEI women�s championship rinks. Both have been Canada Games participants.
Event Organizer
- Rodd Classic Host Committee
- Women�s Pre-Scott Warmup spiel
- Curl for Cancer at Ch�town
- Club Turkey Spiel Toy Drive
- Newbie league to help beginning curlers
Volunteer
- Past President and Board of Directors Member Ch'town Curling Club (CCC)
- League Coordinator CCC
- Helps out at many activities at the CCC
Competitor
- National Juniors in 93/95/97
- Many times in PEI Tournament of Hearts and PEI Mixed
- Competitive and semi-competitive leagues at Ch�town
- Competitive and social curling events
Of note
- Young - Mother of two small children. Works full-time
- Married to a curler (Jamie Jackson)
Nowlan, Duffenais looking to continue Masters dynasties
Posted Tuesday, January 15, 2008 by derekm
The PEI Masters Curling Championships, for curlers age 60 and over, get underway on Monday January 21st, and wrap up on Thursday the 24th at the Cornwall Curling Club.
Lou Nowlan will be trying for his sixth consecutive PEI Masters crown, while Jeanne Duffenais will vie for her fifth straight. Both teams are also defending Maritime Masters champions, and curl out of the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club, site of this season's Maritime Masters, February 10-13.
Winners and runners up from this PEI championship and from similar events in NB and NS will advance to the Maritime event.
Photo (L-R): David Murphy (President PEI Curling Association), Bev McCormick (Cornwall Curling Club manager) and Trevor Young (Cornwall Curling Club Board of Directors member) make the draw for the PEI Masters
The 12-team men's side of the PEI Masters will play a double-knockout format, while the three-team women's division will play a round robin, with a two-game championship round, if needed.
Here are the opening men's draws:
Monday, January 21st, 9 AM
Ice 1: Louis Walsh (Silver Fox) vs John Holmes (Silver Fox)
Ice 2: Earl Hayes (Silver Fox) vs Bob MacWilliams (Cornwall)
Ice 3: Geoff Scutt (Cornwall) vs Fred Fall (Crapaud)
Ice 4: Jim Praught (Silver Fox) vs Chick Morrison (Cornwall)
Monday, January 21st, 12 noon
Ice 2: John DeLuca (Cornwall) vs Bob Maynard (Silver Fox)
Ice 3: Leslie Hardy (Western) vs Lou Nowlan (Silver Fox)
Here is the women's round robin draw:
Monday, January 21st, 3:30 PM
Marg Nowlan (Silver Fox) vs Diane MacKay (Cornwall)
Tuesday, January 22nd, 3:30 pm
Marg Nowlan (Silver Fox) vs Jeanne Duffenais (Silver Fox)
Wednesday, January 23rd, 2 pm
Jeanne Duffenais (Silver Fox) vs Diane MacKay (Cornwall)
The women's two-game championship round, required if a winner cannot be decided out of the round robin, goes Thursday at 10 am and 2:30 pm, while the men's final, not required if the same team wins both A and B divisions of the event, goes Thursday at 2:30.
Complete draw, team rosters, and results available at peicurling.com/masters.
Gaudet interviewed on Compass (video)
Posted Tuesday, January 15, 2008 by derekm
Suzanne Gaudet was on Compass (the CBC news for PEI) recently reliving her 2001 World Junior Curling Championship win in Ogden Utah.
The Gaudet foursome, which includes 4 of the 5 members of that team, will be hoping to repeat as PEI women's champions, when the Scotties Tournament of Hearts gets underway on Friday at the Charlottetown Curling Club.
Click to view the Compass story (5 minutes, 20 seconds)
PEICA Technical Certification Courses Planned
Posted Monday, January 14, 2008 by derekm
The PEI Curling Association is planning the following courses, depending on sufficient enrollment, between now and the end of the season:
- Club Coach � Youth - primarily for persons working with juniors 6 �12 years of age,
- Level 1 Technical (Club Coach),
- Level 2 Technical, and Level 3 Technical
The Level 1 and 2 courses may be held in early February, as there appears to be considerable interest.
Contact Gayle Johnston at [email protected] or 368-1071 if interested in any of these courses.
Annual Junior Funspiel Filling Up Fast
Posted Monday, January 14, 2008 by derekm
The McCain Junior Fun Spiel, February 16 & 17 at the Charlottetown Curling Club is filling up quickly. There is one space left in the 15 & Under section, 4 spaces left for the 17 & Under division, and some spaces still available for the 12 & Under in both A & B divisions. Registrations accepted on a first paid, first serve basis. Contact [email protected] for more info.
Upcoming all-sports coaching certification courses
Posted Monday, January 14, 2008 by derekm
The PEI Coaching Association is holding the following coaching theory courses, required for certification in curling and other sports:
Introduction to Competition Part A (Theory 1), January 18 and 19th, Montague Access Centre,
Introduction to Competition Part B (Theory 2), January 24, 25, & 26, UPEI Sports Centre, Charlottetown
To register, contact Margie Misener at 368-4789 or [email protected].
Opening draws for PEI Scotties
Posted Sunday, January 13, 2008 by derekm
Here are the opening draws for the Scotties Tournament of Hearts Provincial Women's Curling Championships, which get underway Friday at the Charlottetown Curling Club. Nine teams, including defending champions Suzanne Gaudet, Robyn MacPhee, Carol Webb and Stefanie Clark from the host club are taking part.
Friday January 18th at 3 pm
Ice 2: Lori Robinson (Charlottetown Curling Club) vs Karen Currie (Cornwall Curling Club)
Ice 3: Suzanne Gaudet (Charlottetown Curling Club) vs Krista Cameron (Silver Fox Curlung and Yacht Club)
Ice 4: Shelly Bradley (Charlottetown Curling Club) vs Faith LeClair (Silver Fox Curlung and Yacht Club)
Ice 5: Donna Butler (Cornwall Curling Club) vs Shirley Berry (Cornwall Curling Club)
Friday January 18th at 8 pm
Ice 4: Rebecca Jean MacPhee (Charlottetown Curling Club) vs winner Robinson/Currie at 3 pm
Draws are Friday at 3 and 8 pm, Saturday and Sunday at 2 and 7 pm, and Monday and Tuesday at 3 and 8 pm. Depending on the outcome of each of the section finals in this triple-knockout event, one or both of the Tuesday games may not be needed.
Complete draw, team rosters and end-by-end results available at peicurling.com/scotties.
Seniors Warmup to Provincials Cashspiel
Posted Sunday, January 13, 2008 by derekm
A WARM-UP CASHSPIEL FOR THE PROVINCIAL SENIORS CURLING CHAMPIONSHIPS WILL BE HELD AT THE CORNWALL CURLING CLUB SATURDAY FEBRUARY 9TH AND SUNDAY FEBRUARY 10TH, WITH BOTH MEN's AND WOMEN's DIVISIONS (no mixed teams). The spiel will take place during the daytime only.
All players must be age 50 or over by February 9th.
A team does NOT have to be in the Provincials to enter.
Teams are guaranteed 3 Games of 8 ends, with no back-to-back games.
Entry fee is $120.00 per team. Entry deadline is Tuesday, February 5th. The winning team of each game receives $60.00, so win one game and you've got back half of your entry fee, two games and you break even, all three and you make a profit.
Sign up at the Cornwall Curling Club bar. Full payment required at sign-up. For more info, please call 566-4427 or email [email protected].
Pepsi Juniors Awards
Posted Friday, January 11, 2008 by derekm
A number of awards were handed out at the host Western Community Curling Club in Alberton during the closing ceremonies of the recent Pepsi Provincial Junior Curling Championships, won again this year by Brett Gallant of Charlottetown and Erin Carmody of the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside.
Marilyn Sutherland, coach of the Isaac Shaw rink from Charlottetown, and Trevor Young, who coaches the Sarah Clow foursome from the Cornwall Curling Club, were the winners of the Asham Curling Supplies coaching awards, chosen by their peers for "best exemplifying the attributes of a quality coach".
Left to right: David Murphy (President PEI Curling Association), Marilyn Sutherland, Trevor Young, Ann Doucette (PEICA Junior Coordinator)
Other winners were Eric Pidgeon from the Sam Ramsay rink from the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club, and Monica LeBlanc from Charlottetown's Katie Sharkey team who won the junior men's and women's fairplay awards, which are voted on by the curlers themselves, and "
recognize player's playing abilities and respectful attitude toward the game, other players and officials throughout the tournament." . Pidgeon also won the award last year..
L-R: Ann Doucette (PEI Curling Association Junior Coordinator), Monica LeBlanc, Audrey Callaghan (PEI Curling Association 2nd Vice President and Vice President of the Western Community Curling Club)
L-R: Ann Doucette (PEI Curling Association Junior Coordinator), Eric Pidgeon, Audrey Callaghan (PEI Curling Association 2nd Vice President and Vice President of the Western Community Curling Club)
Scotties draw times finalized
Posted Friday, January 11, 2008 by derekm
The following are the draw times for the triple-knockout Scotties Provincial Women's Curling Championships which get underway on Friday January 18th.
The draw is available at peicurling.com/scotties.
Friday, January 18: 3:00 PM and 8:00 PM
Saturday, January 19: 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM
Sunday, January 20: 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM
Monday, January 21: 3:00 PM and 8:00 PM
Tuesday, January 22: 3:00 PM and 8:00 PM
All games will be played at the Charlottetown Curling Club.
Nine teams are taking part, including defending champion Suzanne Gaudet from the host club.
Tickets are now available at the club. An event pass is $25.00. Day passes cost $6.00, and admission to individual draws is $4.00.
Men's Cashspiel Winnings (correction from source in Robinson's amount)
Posted Thursday, January 10, 2008 by derekm
Here are the cashspiel winnings this season for PEI men's teams, up to this coming weekend's Mark's Work Wearhouse spiel. The Mark's spiel will also be added to the final total.
These winnings are used to determine seedings for the Labatt Tankard Men's Provincial Curling Championship draw.
Teams should verify these totals as soon as possible and contact Mark O'Rourke at [email protected] if they see any discrepancies.
1-John Likely $8735.00
2-Rod MacDonald $6180.00
3-Andrew Robinson $4210.00
4-Peter Gallant $3225.00
5-Kyle Stevenson $1350.00
6-Blair Jay $1060.00
7-Ted MacFadyen $350.00
8-Kevin Ellsworth $60.00
9 teams to participate in 2008 PEI Scotties Tournament of Hearts
Posted Thursday, January 10, 2008 by derekm
Nine teams, including defending champion Suzanne Gaudet, will take part in the 2008 Scotties Tournament of Hearts Provincial Women's Curling Championship, which gets underway next week at the Charlottetown Curling Club. Gaudet, a former world junior champion, also skipped winning Scottie rinks in 2003, 2005 and 2006. Last year, the Gaudet foursome went undefeated with a 7-0 record, going on to finish fourth at the national Scotties. Other teams entered include four-time PEI women's champ Rebecca Jean MacPhee, three-time winner Shelly Bradley, two-time PEI Seniors champion Shirley Berry, and former PEI Junior champions Krista Cameron and Lori Robinson. Cameron curls out of the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club, while Gaudet, MacPhee, Robinson and Bradley are from the host club, and Berry curls out of the Cormwall Curling Club. Other teams include the Karen Currie and Donna Butler rinks from Cornwall, and the Faith LeClair foursome from the Silver Fox. Full team rosters are available at peicurling.com/scotties.
This year's format will be a triple knockout, which means that a team has to lose three times to be out of the competition. The draw and schedule, when final, will be available on the event website.
Tickets are available at the Charlottetown Curling Club at a cost will be $4.00 per draw, $6.00 per day or $25.00 for a competition pass.
The PEI winners will go on to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Regina, February 16-24. Both the provincial and national competitions are sponsored by Kruger Products and its family of brands, including Scotties�' facial tissue, Cashmere� and Purex� bathroom tissue, SpongeTowels�, and White Swan� products.
Pictures from Pepsi Juniors
Posted Wednesday, January 9, 2008 by derekm
An album of photos from the 2008 Pepsi Provincial Junior Curling Championships is now available on the event website (peicurling.com/juniors).
Nominations accepted for Marion Dockendorff Award
Posted Wednesday, January 9, 2008 by derekm
The Marion Dockendorff Award is presented annually at the PEI Scotties Tournament of Hearts to a dedicated female curler for her contributions to curling. Please email your nominations, clearly outlining your candidate's contributions, to [email protected] by January 14th.
Try Stick Curling!
Posted Tuesday, January 8, 2008 by derekm
Pitre Team Makes Hometown Proud (Journal)
Posted Tuesday, January 8, 2008 by derekm
It wasn't the finish they were hoping for in the 2008 Pepsi provincial junior curling championships, but runner-up position for the Spencer Pitre team still feels good.
Click to read this story at the Journal-Pioneer
Blair Jay steals way to Silver Fox Super League title
Posted Tuesday, January 8, 2008 by derekm
The Labatt Super Curling League recently concluded another season at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club. The Blair Jay rink stole a single point in an extra end to edge the Kevin Ellsworth team 6-5.
Click to read this story at the Journal Pioneer.
Three-peat for Gallant (Transcontinental Media)
Posted Tuesday, January 8, 2008 by derekm
ALBERTON � It�s official: Brett Gallant and his Charlottetown Curling Club rink made it a three-peat Monday morning.
Gallant, third stone Adam Casey of Seven Mile Bay, second stone Anson Carmody of Summerside and lead Alex MacFadyen of Summerside defeated Spencer Pitre of the host Western Community Curling Club 9-2 in nine ends to go a perfect 8-0 at the 2008 Pepsi provincial junior men�s curling championship.
Click to read this Transcontinental Media story at The Guardian.
Upcoming events at the Maple Leaf
Posted Monday, January 7, 2008 by derekm
The following events at the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O'Leary are open to all clubs. Contact them at 859-3012
Dale Adams Memorial Spiel: January 19th. Open to all Afterschool & Junior groups $5.00 12 yrs & under, $7.00 13 yrs & over.
Ladies "High Heel Spiel": February 1st & 2nd. Cost: $100.00/team. email : [email protected]
Junior Cash Spiel: February 8th & 9th, Cost $80.00. Guaranteed 3 games. First 12 teams accepted. email : [email protected]
Hemphill Spiel: February 15th-17th. Cost:$100.00/team. Good Music.Great Food!! Guaranteed 3 games email : [email protected]
Brett Gallant rink three-peats as Pepsi Junior Men's champs
Posted Monday, January 7, 2008 by derekm
For the third straight year, the team of Brett Gallant, Adam Casey, Anson Carmody, and Alex MacFadyen, with coach Kathie Gallant, are the PEI Pepsi Junior Men's champions. The Gallant foursome, from the Charlottetown Curling Club, went undefeated, sweeping the A, B and C section finals of this triple-knockout event, all against the Spencer Pitre rink of the host Western Community Curling Club in Alberton, and making the two game championship round unnecessary. In the C division final on Monday morning, the Gallant rink took a triple in the second end, and two steals of two points in ends five and eight on the way to a 9-2 win over the Pitre rink, which includes Billie Lewis, Daniel McCarthy and Shawn Pitre, with coach Roger Gavin.
The Gallant foursome captured the B section Sunday morning with a 9-3 win over hometown favorite Pitre, who opened the scoring with a point in the first end; but but Gallant took a triple in the second, and stole the next three ends to lead 6-1 at the half. Pitre came back with a single point, but Gallant took another triple, putting the game out of reach. The A final on Friday was also against Pitre, with Gallant winning by a 7-4 score after recording four points in the 5th end. Brett Gallant also won the PEI championship back in 2004, with a different team.
The Gallant rink now advance to the M&M Canadian Juniors, February 2-10 in Sault Ste. Marie Ontario. At last year's Canadian championships they lost the final in an extra end to finish as runners-up.
They will be joined at the nationals by the Erin Carmody rink from the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside, who repeated as the PEI junior women's champions on Sunday, also going undefeated in the event.
Carrmody repeats as Jr Women's Champ/Gallant looking for 3rd consecutive win (Transcontinental Media)
Posted Monday, January 7, 2008 by derekm
ALBERTON � Erin Carmody and her Silver Fox curling club rink from Summerside went undefeated in the Pepsi provincial junior women�s curling championship for the second consecutive year.
ALBERTON � Brett Gallant of the Charlottetown Curling Club remained undefeated in weekend action at the 2008 Pepsi provincial junior men�s curling championship.
Click to read these Transcontinental Media stories at The Guardian.
Brett Gallant has three chances Monday to follow Erin Carmody in repeating as Pepsi Junior champ
Posted Sunday, January 6, 2008 by derekm
The Brett Gallant foursome from the Charlottetown Curling Club are in a very good position to repeat as junior men's champions as the Pepsi Provincial Junior Curling Championships wrap up on Monday at the Western Community Curling Club in Alberton. On Sunday evening the Gallant foursome, who won the event the last two years, and finished as Canadian runners-up last year, defeated Charlottetown clubmate Isaac Shaw and his team by a 9-6 score to advance to the C final of this triple knockout event. Triples in ends five and seven were the deciding factor in this game. As undefeated Gallant had previously won the A and B sections, a win in the 9:30 am C final against Spencer Pitre of the host Western Community Club would give him the championship. If he doesn't win, there will be a two game championship round at 2:30 and 7 pm, and Gallant would take the title if he wins either of these games. Pitre, who scored a triple in the final end to defeat Tim Cullen of Charlottetown 8-6 tonight, would have to win all three games Monday to win the championship.
The Gallant foursome captured the B section Sunday morning with a 9-3 win over hometown favorite Pitre, who opened the scoring with a point in the first end; but but Gallant took a triple in the second, and stole the next three ends to lead 6-1 at the half. Pitre came back with a single point, but Gallant took another triple, putting the game out of reach. The A final on Friday was also against Pitre, with Gallant winning by a 7-4 score after recording four points in the 5th end.
Other members of the Gallant rink are Adam Casey, Anson Carmody and Alex MacFadyen, Pat Aylward is their coach. Playing with Pitre are Billie Lewis, Daniel McCarthy, and Shawn Pitre, with coach Roger Gavin. The winning rink on Monday will advance to the M&M Canadian Juniors, Feb. 2-10 in Sault Ste. Marie Ontario.
Meanwhile, no one could stop Erin Carmody and her Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club rink in their bid to repeat as Pepsi junior women's curling champions, as, just like last year, they won all three sections to take the junior women's championship without having to play the two game championship round. On the scoreboard, no-one else came close to them, as Carmody, and teammates Geri-Lynn Ramsay, Lisa Moerike, and Jessica van Ouwerkerk, along with coach Pat Aylward, won all their games by at least a four point margin. In Sunday afternoon's final match, the C division final of this triple-knockout event, Carmody beat Katie Sharkey of Charlottetown by an impressive 12-4 score, taking four, three, one and four points with hammer, and holding the Sharkey foursome to a single point when they had the last rock advantage. Carmody won the A section by a 9-3 score over Silver Fox clubmate Darcee Birch and the B side 8-3 over Sharkey. The Carmody squad will now advance to the M&M Canadian Juniors, Feb. 2-10 in Sault Ste. Marie Ontario. In last year's Canadians, they finished with a 7-4 round robin win loss record.
Seven junior women's and eleven junior men's rinks began play on Thursday, after a one-day storm delay.
Carmody goes undefeated to repeat as Pepsi Jrs. Champ. Gallant remains unbeaten in junior men
Posted Sunday, January 6, 2008 by derekm
No one could stop Erin Carmody and her Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club rink in their bid to repeat as Pepsi junior women's curling champions, as the championships move into the final rounds at Alberton's Western Community Curling Club. On the scoreboard, no-one even came close, with Carmody, and teammates Geri-Lynn Ramsay, Lisa Moerike, and Jessica van Ouwerkerk, along with coach Pat Aylward, winning all games by at least a four point margin. In this afternoon's final match, the C division final in this triple-knockout event, Carmody beat Katie Sharkey of Charlottetown by a 12-4 score, taking four, three, one and four points with hammer, and holding the Sharkey foursome to a single point when they had the last rock advantage. As Carmody won all three section finals, winning the A by a 9-3 score over Silver Fox clubmate Darcee Birch, and the B 8-3 over Sharkey, tbe two game championship round was not needed, a repeat of Carmody's sweep last year. The Carmody squad will now advance to the M&M Canadian Juniors, Feb. 2-10 in Sault Ste. Marie Ontario.
There's a good chance that they will be joined again this year by the Brett Gallant rink from the Charlottetown Curling Club, who are also undefeated, having captured the A and B sections of their event. Gallant is playing with the same team that helped him win the last two years - Adam Casey, Anson Carmody (Erin's brother), Alex MacFadyen and coach Kathie Gallant (Brett's mother).
The Gallant foursome captured the B section this morning with a 9-3 win over hometown favorite Spencer Pitre. Pitre scored a point in the first end, but Gallant took a triple in the second, and stole the next three ends to lead 6-1 at the half. Pitre came back with a single point, but Gallant took another triple, putting the game out of reach. The A final on Friday was also against Western's Pitre, with Gallant winning by a 7-4 score after recording four points in the 5th end.
At 7 pm tonight, Gallant takes on Charlottetown clubmate Isaac Shaw, while Pitre faces Charlottetown's Tim Cullen, with the winners advancing to the C division final of this triple knockout competition. The C final goes Monday morning at 9:30. If Gallant is in that final and wins it, he will take the championship. Otherwise, a two-game championship round goes at 2:30 and 7 pm with Gallant repeating as Pepsi Juniors champion if he wins either game.
Seven junior women's and eleven junior men's rinks began play on Thursday, after a one-day storm delay.
Defending champs still in control at Pepsi Jrs. Carmody has two Sunday chances to repeat
Posted Sunday, January 6, 2008 by derekm
Defending champions Brett Gallant from the Charlottetown Curling Club and Erin Carmody from the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside remain undefeated and in good position to repeat at the Pepsi Junior Curling Championships being played at the Western Community Curling Club in Alberton.
On Saturday evening, Carmody, and teammates Geri-Lynn Ramsay, Lisa Moerike, and Jessica van Ouwerkerk, beat Cornwall's Sarah Fullerton rink by a 9-5 score to advance to the C division final against the Katie Sharkey rink from Charlottetown. Sharkey edged Nikki Arsenault from the Maple Leaf club 8-7 in an extra end Saturday night to advance to the C final. On Saturday morning, Carmody defeated Sharkey 8-3 in the B final.
As Carmody has already won both the A and B sections of this triple-knockout event, a win in any one of her three remaining games will give her the championship. Her first opportunity will be in the C final Sunday afternoon at 2:30, followed by the two championship round games Sunday evening at 7, and Monday at 2:30 pm.
On the Junior men's side, Gallant, playing with Adam Casey, Anson Carmody, and Alex MacFadyen, beat Charlottetown clubmate Tim Cullen 8-5 Saturday afternoon, to advance to B division final at 9:30 am Sunday against the Spencer Pitre foursome from the host Western Community club. The Gallant rink have already won the A division of this triple-knockout event. Pitre had a big 12-4 win over Matthew Nabuurs of Montague Saturday afternoon, stealing four points in the eighth end to end the game early. The C division semis are at 7 pm Sunday, with the two semi-finalists who will face Gallant and Pitre being decided at 2:30. The C final goes Monday at 9:30 am, with the championship round, if needed, following at 2:30 and 7 pm.
Seven junior women's and eleven junior men's rinks began play on Thursday. The winning rinks will advance to the M&M Canadian Juniors, Feb. 2-10 in Sault Ste. Marie Ontario.
Defending champs in control at Pepsi Juniors
Posted Saturday, January 5, 2008 by derekm
Defending champions Brett Gallant from the Charlottetown Curling Club and Erin Carmody from the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside remain undefeated at the Pepsi Junior Curling Championships being played at the Western Community Curling Club in Alberton. Going into the final Saturday draw, Carmody, and teammates Geri-Lynn Ramsay, Lisa Moerike, and Jessica van Ouwerkerk, have now won both the women's A and B section of this triple-knockout event, putting them into both championships games, and giving them the championship should they win either. They beat the Katie Sharkey rink of Charlottetown 8-3 in this morning's B final, and play Cornwall's Sarah Fullerton rink tonight at 7 in a C division semi-final. Sharkey faces Nikki Arsenault of the Maple Leaf club in the other semi. The winnersplay in the C final Sunday at 2:30. Should Carmody be in that game and win it, she will take the title without the need for the championship round, scheduled for 7:30 pm Sunday and 2:30 pm Monday.
On the Junior men's side, Gallant, playing with Adam Casey, Anson Carmody, and Alex MacFadyen, beat Charlottetown clubmate Tim Cullen 8-5 this afternoon, to advance to B division final at 9:30 am Sunday against the Spencer Pitre foursome from the host Western Community club. The Gallant rink have already won the A division of this triple-knockout event. Pitre had a big 12-4 win over Matthew Nabuurs of Montague this afternoon, stealing four points in the eighth end to end the game early. The C final goes Monday at 9:30 am, with the championship round, if needed, following at 2:30 and 7 pm.
Seven junior women's and eleven junior men's rinks began play on Thursday. The winning rinks will advance to the M&M Canadian Juniors, Feb. 2-10 in Sault Ste. Marie Ontario.
Defending champs Gallant and Carmody win Pepsi Junior A sections
Posted Friday, January 4, 2008 by derekm
Defending champions Brett Gallant from the Charlottetown Curling Club and Erin Carmody from the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside are stll undefeated, winning the A divisions of the triple-knockout Pepsi Junior Curling Championships being played at the Western Community Curling Club in Alberton and the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O'Leary. Carmody, and teammates Geri-Lynn Ramsay, Lisa Moerike, and Jessica van Ouwerkerk, won the women's A section this morning with a 9-3 win over Silver Fox clubmate Darcee Birch, while Gallant, playing with Adam Casey, Anson Carmody, and Alex MacFadyen, beat the Spencer Pitre foursome from the host Western Community club by a 7-4 score, aided by a four-point fifth end. This morning, Gallant edged Montague's Matthew Nabuurs 5-4 to advance to the A final.
Teams are attending the event banquet this evening, and hit the ice tomorrow morning at 9:30, with Carmody playing Charlottetown's Katie Sharkey rink in the B final. This afternoon, Carmody scored 5 points in the 4th end and three in the 5th on the way to a 9-5 victory over Sarah Clow of Cormwall. Sharkey beat Summerside's Darcee Birch, also by a 9-5 score, this afternoon, stealing three in the ninth to put the game out of reach and earn the trip to the B final.
All games following the Saturday morning draw will take place at the Western Community club.
Gallant has Saturday morning off, playing Charlottetown clubmate Tim Cullen at 2:30 pm, with the winner advancing to the B final against the winner of the other 2:30 game, between Spencer Pitre and the winner of a 9:30 am game between Matthew Nabuurs of Montague and Isaac Shaw of Charlottetown. The men's B final goes Sunday morning at 9:30.
The C division finals go Sunday afternoon at 2:30 in the junior women's section, and Monday at 9:30 am for the junior men. The two-game championship round goes Sunday evening at 7 and Monday afternoon at 2:30 in the junior women's section, and Monday at 2:30 and 7 pm in the junior men's division. If a team wins all three divisons, a championship round will not be necessary. If a team wins two of the three divisions, they will win if they take either game.
Seven junior women's and eleven junior men's rinks began play on Thursday. The winning rinks will advance to the M&M Canadian Juniors, Feb. 2-10 in Sault Ste. Marie Ontario.
Pepsi Jrs: Carmody wins A women's final; Gallant vs Pitre in men's A
Posted Friday, January 4, 2008 by derekm
Defending champions Erin Carmody of Summerside and Brett Gallant of Charlottetown continue their winning ways at the Pepsi Provincial Junior Curling Championships being played at the Western Community Curling Club in Alberton and the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O'Leary.
Carmody won the A division final of this triple-knockout event this morning, with a 9-3 win over Silver Fox clubmate Darcee Birch, while Gallant edged Montague's Matthew Nabuurs 5-4 to advance to the A final at 3 pm. His opponent will have home ice advantage, as Western's Spencer Pitre scored a deuce in the final end to get by Tim Cullen of Charlottetown, by a 6-5 score and advance to the A final.
Play continues Saturday and Sunday, with draws at 9:30 am, and 2:30 and 7 pm. The two-game championship round goes Monday in both junior men's and junior women's sections. If a team wins all three divisons, a championship round will not be necessary. If a team wins two of the three divisions, they will win if they take either game.
Seven junior women's and eleven junior men's rinks are taking part, with the winners advancing to the M&M Canadian Juniors, Feb. 2-10 in Sault Ste. Marie Ontario.
Defending champs still undefeated at Pepsi Juniors
Posted Thursday, January 3, 2008 by derekm
Play got underway on Thursday after a one-day snow delay at the Pepsi Provincial Junior Curling Championships at the Western Commmunity Curling Club in Alberton and the Maple Leaf club in O'Leary. After opening day play, the "A" Division final is set in the women's section of this triple knockout event, with defending junior women's champ Erin Carmody playing Silver Fox clubmate Darcee Birch Friday morning at 9:30. Carmody had an easy trip to the A final, winning her first game by default when her opponent dropped out of the competition. She then went on to defeat Nikki Arsenault of the Maple Leaf club by a 7-1 score, taking a triple in the first end, and stealing a double in the second, to lead 5-0 after only two ends. Arsenault had won her opener 9-7 over Sarah Clow of Cornwall.
Birch beat Katie Sharkey of Charlottetown 5-3 in her first game, and defeated Sarah Fullerton of Cornwall 8-6 in her second. Fullerton recorded an 8-2 win over Anita Casey of the Silver Fox in her opener, aided by a steal of three in the sixth end.
On the junior men's side, defending champ Brett Gallant of Charlottetown is off to a flying start, shutting out clubmate Tyler Davies 9-0, stealing a deuce and a fouir-pointer in the fifth and sixth ends. Gallant then went on to beat another clubmate, Isaac Shaw, by an 8-2 score, helped out by a stolen triple in the seventh end. Gallant now plays Matthew Nabuurs of Montague Friday morning at 9:30, with the winner of that game playing the winner of another 9:30 game between Spencer Pitre of Western and Tim Cullen of Charlottetown.
In play today, Nabuurs defeated the other Nabuurs in the event, David, 9-2 to advance to tomorrow's game against Gallant. Pitre edged Sam Ramsay of Summerside 7-6 in his opener, and scored a four-point end and a triple en route to an 11-2 victory over Colton Griffin of Alberton. Cullen beat Charlottetown clubmate David Parker 11-4 to advance to tomorrow's match against Pitre.
Friday draws are at 9:30 am and 3 pm at both Western and Maple Leaf, with the junior men's "A" final taking place at 3 at Western. Play continues Saturday and Sunday, with draws at 9:30 am, and 2:30 and 7 pm. The two-game championship round goes Monday in both junior men's and junior women's sections. If a team wins all three divisons, a championship round will not be necessary. If a team wins two of the three divisions, they will win if they take either game.
Seven junior women's and eleven junior men's rinks are taking part, with the winners advancing to the M&M Canadian Juniors, Feb. 2-10 in Sault Ste. Marie Ontario.
Mark's Work Wearhouse Cashspiel
Posted Thursday, January 3, 2008 by derekm
The annual Mark's Work Wearhouse cashspiel goes January 11-13 at the Charlottetown Curling Club.
Entry fee is $300/team, and entry deadline is January 8th.
For more info or to register email Jamie Newson at [email protected] or phone 393-2611.
return to headlines
Revised Pepsi Junior Draws
Posted Wednesday, January 2, 2008 by derekm
The Pepsi Provincial Junior Curling Championships, which were postponed from today due to a winter storm, are now set to begin Thursday morning at 10:30 am (not 9:30 as previously announced, in order to provide more time for teams to get to the venues) at both the Western Community Curling Club in Alberton and the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O'Leary. The revised draw is now available on the Draw page of the event website (Peicurling.com/juniors). The banquet and opening ceremonies will now go on Friday evening at 7. The draws have been tightened up so that the triple-knockout event will end by Monday evening at the latest. Thursday draws are at 10:30 am, and 2 and 7 pm, while Friday play is at 9:30 am and 3 pm, and Saturday, Sunday and Monday games go at 9:30 am and 2 and 7 pm. If a team wins one or more divisions, some Monday games may not be needed.
return to headlines
McCain Junior Funspiel
Posted Wednesday, January 2, 2008 by derekm
The annual McCain's Junior Funspiel takes place February 16-17 at the Charlottetown Curling Club. Entry fee of $50 per team guarantees three games. 15 and Under, and 17 and Under divisions play six-end games on Feb. 16, while age 12 and Under (A and B divisions) play four-end games on the 17th. Teams may be male, female, or mixed. Prizes for all division winners and runners-up. Lunch provided.
Entry deadline is February 8th. Entries accepted on a first come, first paid basis, with a maximum of 10 teams per division. Entry form must include age category, date of birth for each player, and name of coach/supervisor, along with contact phone number and email address. Forms available at PEI Curling clubs, or online at PEICurling.com.
Mail entries to Gayle Johnston, 46 Kirkdale Drive, Box 3 Site 10, Charlottetown PE C1E 1N6.
For more info, contact Gayle Johnston at [email protected] or 368-1071.
Kyle Hughes and Tyler Smith rinks win MLA-sponsored funspiel (added 2nd photo, correct captions)
Posted Monday, December 31, 2007 by derekm
A junior fun cashspiel, sponsored by area MLAs, was held at the Crapaud Community Curling Club on December 28th and 29th.
Photo (L-R):Lyndon Mayhew (Crapaud club manager), Kurt Willis, Robbie Doherty (coach), Kip Ready, Lal Hennessey, Alex Mutch, Kevin Smith (event organizer)
Photo (L-R): District 17 MLA Valerie Docherty, Tyson Smith, Tyler Smith (skip), Noah O'Connor, Parker O'Connor, and District 19 MLA George Webster.
Back row: Kevin Smith,. event organizer and coach of winning rink
How can he help you? Curler Cliff Poirier named S'Side Volunteer of the Year
Posted Monday, December 31, 2007 by derekm
SUMMERSIDE � Cliff Poirier needs an agenda to track his time, even in retirement. The 62-year-old often drops by three or four spots a day to lend a hand.
He pitches in at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club, Summerside Wellness Centre, Harbourfront Jubilee Theatre and Prince County Hospital garden to name a few.
Click to read this story at the Journal-Pioneer.
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Char-La-Bel XXIII set for Feb. 22-24
Posted Saturday, December 29, 2007 by derekm
The 23rd annual Labatt Char-La-Bel Fun Mixed Bonspiel takes place February 22-24 at the Charlottetown Curling Club. Entry fee of $120 per team guarantees three six end games. Entry deadline is February 15th. Mail entries to: Char-La-Bel Fun Mixed Bonspiel, PO Box 158, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7K4. Please include a list of team members with entry fee. No post dated cheques please. Entry is limited to the first 40 paid teams, so sign up early. Entry Form
Here is the event itinerary:
Friday:
-Subway Sandwiches (5:30pm-7:30pm)
-Dance with Phase II (9:30pm-1: 00am)
Saturday:
- Lunch (11:00am-2:00pm)
- Mussels (3:00pm-6:00pm)
- Entertainment
Sunday:
-Lunch (11:00am-2:00pm)
-Prize Presentation to follow final draw
Island Jr. Mixed bonspiel rescheduled
Posted Saturday, December 29, 2007 by derekm
The Island Petroleum Island Junior Mixed bonspiel, originally scheduled for Jan. 18-20 at the Maple Leaf Curling Club, has been moved to March 14-16. Entry fee is $80 per mixed junior team. For more info, call 859-1370.
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Curler Cliff Poirier named S'Side Volunteer of the Year
Posted Thursday, December 27, 2007 by derekm
The Summerside Volunteer of the Year Award Selection Committee announced Thursday that Cliff Poirier is the recipient of the award for 2007.
The Volunteer of the Year Award will be presented at the Mayor�s New Years Day Levee being held on January 1st at the Summerside Wellness Centre.
Poirier is an active volunteer with a variety of organizations including the Silver Fox Curling & Yacht Club, the Harbourfront Jubilee Theatre, the College of Piping, the Wellness Centre and with many other community projects.
Click to read this story at The Guardian.
Coaching theory course to be held
Posted Thursday, December 27, 2007 by derekm
A Competition-Introduction Part A (formerly Level 1 Theory) clinic will take place on Tuesday 8 Jan from 6-10 pm and will continue on Saturday 12 Jan from 9 am to 3 pm at the Charlottetown Curling Club (upstairs lounge).
Registration deadline is Friday, 4 Jan. The cost of the clinic, open to coaches from all sports, is $35.00. For more info or to register, please contact Gayle Johnston at 368-1071 or [email protected].
Pepsi Juniors set for Alberton, O'Leary
Posted Wednesday, December 26, 2007 by derekm
Photo: Gayle Johnston, Ch'town Curling Club Junior Coordinator, and Ann Doucette, PEICA Junior Coordinator, make the Pepsi Jrs. draw, as Dave Kassner, coach of the David Parker rink, looks on.
The Western Community Curling Club in Alberton will be the main site for the 2008 Pepsi Provincial Junior Curling Championships, which run from Wednesday January 2nd through Monday, January 7th. The Maple Leaf Curling Club in O'Leary will host some of the games on Wednesday and Thursday.
Eight junior women's teams, and eleven junior men's rinks will take part in age 20 and under competition, with the winners advancing to the M&M Canadian Juniors in Sault Ste. Marie Ontario, Feb. 2-10. Both defending PEI champions, Erin Carmody of the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club, and Brett Gallant of the Charlottetown Curling Club, are back to defend their titles. Playing with Carmody are Geri-Lynn Ramsay, Lisa Moerike, and Jessica van Ouwerkerk, with coach Pat Aylward, while Adam Casey, Anson Carmody and Alex MacFadyen, all from the Summerside area, along with coach Kathie Gallant round out the Gallant squad.
Last year at the Canadian championships, Gallant finished as runner-up, losing the final in an extra end against Alberta. Carmody, the only team to beat eventual winner Stacie Deveraux of Newfoundland and Labrador during the round-robin competition, finished with a 7-5 win-loss record on the junior women's side. Anson Carmody made the Canadian first all-star team while Gallant and Casey made the second team, Moerike won the women's sportsmanship award, and coach Aylward won the women's teams coaches award.
In the triple-knockout Pepsi Juniors, the winners of the A, B and C divisions will compete in the two game championship round, which takes place at 10:30 am and 4 pm on Sunday for the junior women's division, and on Monday at the same times for the Junior men's. Should a team win all three divisions (as happened last year with the Carmody rink), the championship round will not be needed. Should a team win two divisions, they will take the title by winning either of the championship games.
Team Rosters (skip to lead, 5th, coach)
Junior Women's:
Nikki Arsenault, Sam Sweet, Marlana Lockhart, Meaghan Henderson, Nick Clements (coach)-Maple Leaf Curling Club (O'Leary)
Darcee Birch, Kelsea Beadman, Jenna Perry, Courtney Moore, Sheila Compton (coach)- Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club (Summerside)
Erin Carmody, Geri-Lynn Ramsay, Lisa Moerike, Jessica van Ouwerkerk, Pat Aylward (coach)-Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club (Summerside)
Anita Casey, Madeleine Campbell, Dannielle Chiasson, Bethany MacDonald, Leo Stewart (coach)-Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club (Summerside)
Sarah Clow, Brielle Quilty, Whitney Young, Christina Hennessey, Trevor Young (coach)-Cornwall Curling Club
Sarah Fullerton, Michelle McQuaid, Sara MacRae, Alyssa Mutch, Stewart Mutch (coach)-Cornwall Curling Club
Katie Sharkey, Alexis Wright, Vanessa Dennis, Monica LeBlanc, Kathy O'Rourke (coach)-Charlottetown Curling Club
Amy Somers, Pam Gordon, Martha MacIntyre, Chantelle Gallant, Ernie Gallant (coach)-Cornwall Curling Club
Junior Men
Parker Clements, Mitchell Rowley, Nick Clements, Mark Cousins, John Martin (coach)-Maple Leaf Curling Club (O'Leary)
Timothy Cullen, Mitch O�Shea, Robert Doherty, Patrick Callbeck, Brent Campbell (5th), Rob Roberts (coach) -Charlottetown Curling Club
Tyler Davies, Patrick Moore, Ryan Courtney, Joey Farquhar, Lorianne Davies (coach)-Charlottetown Curling Club
Brett Gallant, Adam Casey, Anson Carmody, Alex MacFadyen, Kathie Gallant (coach)-Charlottetown Curling Club
Colton Griffin, Colby Murphy, Jeffrey Duggan, Colin Bell, Ryan Profitt, Norma Jean Griffin (coach)-Western Community Curling Club (Alberton)
David Nabuurs, Robert Donahue, Jonathan Kennedy. Joey Collier, John Donahue (coach)-Montague Curling Club
Matthew Nabuurs, Kevin Rice, Mark Nabuurs, Keagan Matheson, Arny Nabuurs (coach)-Montague Curling Club
David Parker, Adam Kassner, Corey Miller, Stephen Dunbar, David Kassner (coach)-Charlottetown Curling Club
Spencer Pitre, Billie Lewis, Daniel McCarthy, Shawn Pitre, Roger Gavin (coach)-Western Community Curling Club (Alberton)
Sam Ramsay, Neil Gallant, Eric Pidgeon, Justin Richard, Peter Pidgeon (coach)-Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club (Summerside)
Isaac Shaw, Jonah MacDonald, Michael LeBlanc, Connor MacPhee, Marilyn Sutherland (coach)-Charlottetown Curling Club
Here are the opening draws for this year's Pepsi PEI Junior Championships:
Wednesday January 2nd 2008 at 9:30 am at Western Community Curling Club (Alberton)
Ice 1: Parker Clements (Maple Leaf) vs Isaac Shaw (Charlottetown)
Ice 2: Brett Gallant (Charlottetown) vs Tyler Davies (Charlottetown)
Ice 3: Sam Ramsay (Silver Fox) vs Spencer Pitre (Western)
Wednesday January 2nd 2008 at 9:30 am at Maple Leaf Curling Club (O'Leary)
Ice 1: Sarah Clow (Cornwall) vs Nikki Arsenault (Maple Leaf)
Ice 2: Erin Carmody (Silver Fox) vs Amy Somers (Cornwall)
Ice 3: Anita Casey (Silver Fox) vs Sarah Fullerton (Cornwall)
Ice 4: Darcee Birch (Silver Fox) vs Katie Sharkey (Charlottetown)
Wednesday January 2nd 2008 at 2:30 pm at Western Community Curling Club (Alberton)
Ice 1: Winner Clow/Arsenault vs winner Carmody/Somers
Ice 2: Winner Casey/Fullerton vs winner Birch/Sharkey
Ice 3: Matthew Nabuurs (Montague) vs David Nabuurs (Montague)
Wednesday January 2nd 2008 at 3:30 pm at Maple Leaf Curling Club (O'Leary)
Ice 1: Winner Clements/Shaw vs winner Gallant/Davies
Ice 2: Loser Clements/Shaw vs loser Gallant/Davies
Ice 3: Colton Griffin (Western) vs winner Ramsay/Pitre
Ice 4: David Parker (Charlottetown) vs Tim Cullen (Charlottetown)
Complete draw and results at peicurling.com/juniors
Kevin Martin repeats as champion at the National
Posted Sunday, December 23, 2007 by derekm
Rack up another Grand Slam curling title for Kevin Martin.
Martin defeated fellow Edmonton skip Kevin Koe 5-2 in Sunday's final of the National in Port Hawkesbury, N.S.
Click to read this story at CBC Sports.
Koe, Martin to meet in final at the National
Posted Sunday, December 23, 2007 by derekm
An all-Edmonton final is set for Sunday at the National.
Top playoff seed Kevin Koe will match up against fellow Edmonton native and defending champion Kevin Martin after both earned semifinal wins Saturday in Port Hawkesbury, N.S.
Click to read this story at CBC Sports.
Gushue schools Russ Howard at curling National
Posted Friday, December 21, 2007 by derekm
Sometimes, the student can teach the master a thing or two.
Brad Gushue showed as much Friday morning at the National in Port Hawkesbury, N.S., skipping his St. John's rink to a 6-5 victory over Moncton's Russ Howard, the elder statesmen with whom Gushue teamed to capture Olympic gold in 2006.
Click to read this CBC Sports story
Cornwall starting Farmer's League
Posted Friday, December 21, 2007 by derekm
The Cornwall Curling Club Tuesday afternoon Farmer's League resumes Jan 8/08 1pm - 3pm. All welcome. No curling or farming experience necessary. Cost per person, Janurary - April is $70.00.
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Noted PEI curler passes away at 65
Posted Thursday, December 20, 2007 by derekm
CBC webcasting Port Hawkesbury Grand Slam event
Posted Thursday, December 20, 2007 by derekm
| The National, a Capital One Grand Slam of Curling event, is taking place this weekend in Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia, beginning Thursday December 20, with the final taking place on Sunday December 23. CBC will be webcasting the event beginning on THURSDAY MORNING with 4 draws a day on both Thursday and Friday, full coverage of the Tiebreakers, and Playoff Rounds, along with full CBC Network coverage for the Semifinals and Final. Visit www.cbc.ca/sports for more information. |
Eight-ender scored at Cornwall
Posted Thursday, December 20, 2007 by derekm
Link to large version of photo
Final score: North America 290, Europe 110 at Continental Cup
Posted Monday, December 17, 2007 by derekm
Source: Canadian Curling Association
MEDICINE HAT, December 16�.North America today won the fifth edition of the Continental Cup, presented by Monsanto, by the largest margin in the history of the event.
After the conclusion of the two 55-point women�s and men�s Skins games on Sunday, the final tally read North America 290, Europe 110.
Unfortunately, today�s games were a mere formality, since the hosts had clinched the Cup Saturday night by scooping most of the points from three 30-point Skins games to reach 210 points, nine more than necessary to claim the trophy.
The women�s Skins game today matched reigning world women�s champion Kelly Scott from Kelowna, British Columbia, against last season's world bronze medallist and recent European championship runner-up Kelly Wood of Scotland.
It was the third time they had met during the week, after splitting matches earlier in regular Team games. Wood had won the first encounter, 8-6, while Scott took the rematch, 5-4.
However, Skins is a different kettle of fish, with each end worth a pre-designated number of points. Teams score points by either stealing or counting at least two with hammer.
Entering the eighth end, Wood held a slim 22-21 lead, but Scott was able to make a soft tap for a deuce with her last stone, taking the 12-point skin in the process to make the final score 33-22.
The men�s final Skins game featured Ontario�s Glenn Howard, the reigning Ford world men�s champion, against 2006 world and recent European champion David Murdoch of Scotland.
This one was no contest. Although Murdoch jumped out to an 8-0 lead after taking a carryover skin in the second end, it was all Howard from there, as the three-time world champion took the remaining six skins in running up a 47-8 final score.
The Continental Cup involves four disciplines within the sport, each worth a designated number of points - Team Games (72 points), Mixed Doubles (36 points), Singles (32 points) and Skins Games (260 points). The first side to score 201 points is declared the winner. Each member of the winning side receives $2,000, while the losing side members get $1,400 each from the $88,400 total purse.
The overall results showed North America netting 199 out of 260 available points in Skins (Men�s, Women�s and the new Mixed), 28 out of 32 points in Singles, 27 out of 36 points in Mixed Doubles and 36 of 72 points in Team games.
Prior to this week, both sides were knotted at two wins apiece. North America took the inaugural �Cup� in Regina in 2002 by a score of 207-193, a competition which came down to the last rock in the last end of the men�s Skins games. Europe prevailed in 2003 in Thunder Bay, winning 208-179, while North America rebounded in 2004 in Medicine Hat, when an attendance record of 42,317 was set, notching a 228-172 victory.
Last November in Chilliwack, it was Europe�s turn to even the score, winning 229-171, as all of the curling medallists from the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin, Italy participated.
The four-day attendance at The Arena for the 2007 Continental Cup was 26,810.
Next year�s Continental Cup will be staged in Camrose, Alberta, December 18-21 at the new 2,500-seat Edgeworth Centre.
Koe, Bernard capture Canada Cup qualifiers
Posted Monday, December 17, 2007 by derekm
The goal of all the teams in the John Shea Insurance Canada Cup Qualifier in Ottawa and the Diversified Transportation Canada Cup Qualifier in Edmonton was to win.
Click to read this story from the Victoria Times-Colonist.
Blair Jay wins both Sunday contests against Bill Hope to capture PEI Senior Mixed
Posted Sunday, December 16, 2007 by derekm
The Blair Jay rink from the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club captured the PEI Senior Mixed Curling Championship on Sunday afternoon, beating the Bill Hope rink from the host Charlottetown Curling Club by a 6-4 score. Jay had to win both Sunday games to take the title, while Hope, who won the A section final of this double knockout event, could have won it with a win in either the morning or afternoon draw.
Chick Morrison, Past President, PEICA, Blair Jay, Barb Currie, Douglas Simmons, Debbie MacMurdo
In the afternoon final, Hope stole two points in the first end, while Jay took a single in the second, and tied the eight-end game at the half, by executing a hit and roll behind cover to bite the button, forcing Hope to try a difficult come-around to save the end. He did not make it, and gave up a one point steal to the Summerside rink.
It was d�j�-vu for the Hope rink in the fifth end. The Jay team pulled off a tap back of the Hope stone on the button, forcing a draw attempt by Hope to again bite the button for a single. He was a bit heavy and Jay stole another point. Hope had a chance for three in the sixth, lying two thanks to well-placed stones from the 2nd and third. Two close misses by Jay left a thin opening to the four foot to score three, but Hope came up just short and had to settle for a deuce. The 7th end had fewer rocks in play. Jay executed a hit and stay for two points, leaving him up one coming home without the hammer. An eighth end steal sealed the 6-4 win for the Jay foursome.
Other members of the winning Blair Jay rink are Barb Currie, Douglas Simmons, and Debbie MacMurdo, while Sandy Hope and Bill and Kay Atkinson complete the runner-up Bill Hope roster.
In the Sunday morning B section final, Jay scored a deuce in the final end to edge the Hope 5-4.
The game was tied at 2-all after five ends of play, when Jay drew to the button, outcounting two Hope stones behind cover, to take a one-point lead. Hope grabbed the lead in the seventh, drawing to the outside edge of the four-foot to score a deuce. After some great shotmaking by both teams in the eighth and final end, Hope was lying shot, when Jay threw a takeout to push the Hope rock out through a narrow port to record two points and force the sudden-death final game at 2:30 pm.
Hope won the A section of this double-knockout event Saturday afternoon, with a 4-3 win in a low-scoring game over Cornwall's Sterling Stratton. He then advanced to the B section final by beating clubmate Craig Mackie by a 7-2 score. Jay doubled Stratton 6-3 to earn his ticket to the B final.
Ten teams began play Thursday. This is the second year for this championship, for mixed teams age 50 and over.
Winner decided early at Continental Cup
Posted Sunday, December 16, 2007 by derekm
It's all over...with one day to go at Continental Cup
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Source: Canadian Curling Association
MEDICINE HAT, December 15�For the first time in the history of the Continental Cup, a winning side was determined after only three days of play, prior to Sunday�s two final Skins games.
Saturday night at The Arena, North America clinched the fifth edition of the Cup, taking 73 of 90 available points in Skins competition to conclude the evening session with 210 points, nine more than needed to win its third title over Europe since 2002.
The end came late, but quickly, as all three Skins games fashioned eighth end dramatics.
The first game to finish was the men�s Skins between Randy Ferbey and Andy Kapp. Ferbey led 11-10, with a nine-point skin on the line. When Kapp tried but missed an angle raise with his last, Ferbey�s counters gave the skin to North America, making the final score 20-10 and moving the overall score at that moment to 180-80.
Then it was over to the Mixed Skins game, where Glenn Howard and Andreas Schwaller were playing the eighth end, worth 15 points after a seventh end carryover. Howard made a raise double takeout with his last, forcing Schwaller, with hammer, to attempt a draw to the button, just to force the game to a tie-breaking procedure (closest to the button).
But Schwaller�s stone appeared to pick halfway down the sheet, handing the 15 point skin to North America on a steal, making the final score 24-6 and moving the host point total to 195.
Now, all eyes were on the women�s Skins, where Debbie McCormick led Liudmila Privivkova, 14-1, with another 15-point skin on the line, once again because of a seventh end carryover.
Privivkova, unfortunately, had her final stone float between two others while trying to rub and roll, leaving McCormick, the 2003 world champion, a soft tap and roll to count a deuce and net the skin. The game score read 29-1, the overall score 210-80.
�I actually didn't know that shot was to win (it all), so I didn't really think about it,� said McCormick. �We had a great feeling all weekend. This is my third Continental Cup, so I'm really excited to get a gold medallion and get my name on the trophy (for the first time).�
McCormick, who had been a member of Team North America when it lost to Europe in 2003 and 2006, enjoyed a banner three days. She teamed with Scott Pfeifer to win a Mixed Doubles in the first draw on Thursday, twice defeated Denmark�s Angelina Jensen in women�s team games, won her Singles competition over Liudmila Privivkova before skinning her Russian rival again Saturday night.
Added six-time Brier winner and four-time world champion Randy Ferbey, �It feels pretty good. Obviously, we knew we had a pretty good team here, and it was just a matter of time. At the same time, I'm kind of disappointed for the event that it's over so quick. We still have some good matches (Sunday) that don't mean much. From that perspective, it's not real good.�
Said North America captain Pat Ryan, himself a three-time Brier and two-time world champion. �It takes the pressure off. I can't complain. If you can win, you win as fast as you can and get it over with. They (the players) were all great; they played like a team's supposed to. Just a great bunch of people, we had a lot of fun.�
�What can I say,� said a disappointed Europe captain, Rhona Martin, who won Olympic gold in 2002. �We were beaten by the better team. We knew it would be an uphill struggle. We had two teams that have never played skins in their life. We just had to keep fighting and make them have to play shots. I'm pretty gutted that this is the way it turned out. But from the first day, we knew, everybody here knew, that it was going to happen. It was a case of when, not if.�
On Sunday, starting at 10:30 am MST/12:30 pm EST, live on CBC-TV, the final women�s and men�s Skins games, each worth 55 points, will feature Europe�s Kelly Wood facing off against North America�s Kelly Scott, while David Murdoch takes on Glenn Howard.
The Continental Cup involves four disciplines within the sport, each worth a designated number of points - Team Games (72 points), Mixed Doubles (36 points), Singles (32 points) and Skins Games (260 points). The first side to score 201 points is declared the winner. Each member of the winning side receives $2,000, while the losing side members get $1,400 each from the $88,400 total purse.
Prior to this week, both sides were knotted at two wins apiece. North America took the inaugural �Cup� in Regina in 2002 and the 2004 renewal in Medicine Hat, when an attendance record of 42,317 was set. Europe prevailed in 2003 in Thunder Bay and last year in Chilliwack, British Columbia.
Blair Jay forces final game at Senior Mixed
Posted Sunday, December 16, 2007 by derekm
There will be a final game at 2:30 pm in the PEI Senior Mixed at the Charlottetown Curling Club. Blair Jay of the Silver Fox has to win both games today to take the title, and he is now halfway to his goal, scoring a deuce in the final end to edge the Bill Hope rink from the host Charlottetown club 5-4 in this morning's B Division final of this doubke-knockout event.
The game was tied at 2-all after five ends of play, when Jay drew to the button, outcounting two Hope stones behind cover, to take a one-point lead. Hope grabbed the lead in the seventh, drawing to the outside edge of the four-foot to score a deuce. After some great shotmaking by both teams in the eighth and final end, Hope was lying shot, when Jay threw a takeout to push the Hope rock out through a narrow port to record two points and force the sudden-death final game at 2:30 pm.
Other members of the Blair Jay rink are Barb Currie, Douglas Simmons, and Debbie MacMurdo, while Sandy Hope and Bill and Kay Atkinson complete the Hope roster.
Gaudet out in playoff round at Edmonton Canada Cup Spiel
Posted Sunday, December 16, 2007 by derekm
PEI's Suzanne Gaudet rink lost their playoff round game against Krista McCarville of Thunder Bay by an 11-4 on Saturday evening at the Diversified Transportation Canada Cup Qualifier in Edmonton. Gaudet got off to a bad start, trailing 5-0 after two ends. A pair of deuces narrowed the gap to 6-4 after five ends, but the Island team was shut out of the scoring in the last three ends, with McCarville taking two singles and a triple. The Gaudet rink, which includes Robyn MacPhee, Carol Webb, and Stefanie Clark, will take home $3000.
The quarter-final round goes at 9 am Alberta time, and sees Michelle Englot of Regina play Stefanie Lawton of Saskatoon, Heather Strong of Newfoundland and Labrador, who had a first round bye after qualifying on the A side of this triple-knockout event playing Cheryl Bernard of Calgary, Sherry Middaugh of Ontario, who had the other first-round A side bye playing McCarville, and Janet Harvey of Winnipeg playing Deb Santos of Alberta. The semis go at 1:30 pm, with the finals at 6:30 pm Alberta time. The four semi-finalists will advance to the Canada Cup of Curling, February 26 � March 2, 2008 in
North America inching closer to title at Continental Cup
Posted Saturday, December 15, 2007 by derekm
Source: Canadian Curling Association
MEDICINE HAT, December 15�North America scooped up 46 out of a possible 60 points in Skins games Saturday morning to move closer to the magic mark of 201, as the fifth edition of the Continental Cup, presented by Monsanto, continued.
North America now holds a 128-54 advantage over Europe heading into this afternoon�s three Mixed Doubles games, each worth six points, at 4:00 pm MST, followed by three 30-point Skins games at 7:30 pm MST. Two 55-point Skins games are on tap tomorrow.
This morning�s Draw 7 action at The Arena featured a women�s, men�s and new Mixed Skins game, each worth 20 points.
In the Mixed Skins, North America came out on top 19-1, taking a 10-pointer in the final end (after a seventh end carry-over) when Europe skip David Murdoch failed to make a difficult angle raise tap with his final shot. Thus, North America skip Dave Nedohin didn�t have to throw his last stone, since the hosts had two counters already.
In the women�s Skins, North America�s Jennifer Jones defeated Europe�s Angelina Jensen, 12-8. But Jensen�s squad was able to salvage a six-point skin in the last end when last rock thrower Madeleine Dupont successfully executed a perfect tap and roll to count two.
In the men�s Skins, North America�s Todd Birr defeated Europe�s Andreas Schwaller, 15-5. The six-point skin for the eighth and final end went to a closest to the button draw after a carry-over, which Birr won by a whisker.
In Skins play, each end has a pre-designated value. Teams take �skins� either by stealing or by counting two or more with hammer.
The women�s Skins game tonight will see Europe�s Liudmila Privivkova battling North America�s Debbie McCormick, while Andy Kapp meets Randy Ferbey in the men�s game.
On Sunday, starting at 10:30 am MST/12:30 pm EST, live on CBC-TV, the final women�s and men�s Skins games, each worth 55 points, will feature Europe's Kelly Wood facing off against North America's Kelly Scott, while David Murdoch takes on Glenn Howard.
The Continental Cup involves four disciplines within the sport, each worth a designated number of points - Team Games (72 points), Mixed Doubles (36 points), Singles (32 points) and Skins Games (260 points). The first side to score 201 points is declared the winner. Each member of the winning side receives $2,000, while the losing side members get $1,400 each from the $88,400 total purse.
Coming into Medicine Hat this year, both sides were knotted at two wins apiece. North America took the inaugural �Cup� in Regina in 2002 and the 2004 renewal in Medicine Hat, when an attendance record of 42,317 was set. Europe prevailed in 2003 in Thunder Bay and last year in Chilliwack, British Columbia.
Bill Hope vs Blair Jay in Sr. Mixed Finals
Posted Saturday, December 15, 2007 by derekm
Bill Hope from the host Charlottetown Curling Club, and Blair Jay from the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht club in Summerside have advanced to the finals at the 2007 PEI Senior Mixed Curling Championships.
Hope will have the upper hand, as a win in either the B final, Sunday morning at 10:30, or the A vs B championship game at 2:30 pm will give him the title, while Jay would have to win both games.
Hope won the A section of this double-knockout event Saturday afternoon, with a 4-3 win in a low-scoring game over Cornwall's Sterling Stratton. He then advanced to the B section final by beating clubmate Craig Mackie by a 7-2 score.
Jay doubled Stratton 6-3 to earn his ticket to the B final.
Other members of the Bill Hope rink are Sandy Hope, and Bill and Kay Atkinson, while Barb Currie, Douglas Simmons, and Debbie MacMurdo round out the Jay foursome.
Ten teams began play Thursday. This is the second year for this championship, for mixed teams age 50 and over.
Bill Hope earns bye to Senior Mixed Final
Posted Saturday, December 15, 2007 by derekm
Going into the final three draws at the PEI Senior Mixed Curling championship, the Bill Hope rink from the host Charlottetown Curling Club have already earned a berth in the final. This afternoon, they edged the Sterling Stratton rink from Cornwall to pull out a low-scoring 4-3 victory in the A section final of this double-knockout event. Other members of the Hope foursome are Sandy Hope, and Bill and Kay Atkinson. Playing with Stratton are Karen Wood, Vern Chowan, and Marg Stewart.
Both teams take to the ice again at 6:30 pm, with Hope playing Charlottetown clubmate Craig Mackie, and Stratton facing Blair Jay of the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside.
The winners of these games will play in the B final Sunday morning at 10:30. If Hope is in that game and wins it, he will take the championship. Otherwise, the B-side winner will play Hope for the title at 2:30 pm Sunday.
North America takes 42 point lead into Saturday at Continental Cup
Posted Saturday, December 15, 2007 by derekm
Source: Canadian Curling Association
MEDICINE HAT�North America continues to hold the lead after six draws of the Continental Cup, presented by Monsanto, being played at The Arena.
Although Europe managed to win two of three men�s team games Friday evening, North America still heads into the weekend with an 82-40 lead.
In the six-point men�s games, Europe�s Andy Kapp and Andreas Schwaller emerged victorious, while North America�s Randy Ferbey earned the host side its only victory.
Kapp edged Todd Birr, 5-4, stealing one in the eighth end when Birr was wide and heavy with his final draw. Schwaller took out two of Glenn Howard�s three counters with his last stone to win 5-4 as well.
Ferbey had an easier time with David Murdoch, winning 7-4, helped by a steal of three in the sixth end.
Earlier in the day, North America took five of six Singles matches, each worth four points, plus an eight-point bonus for highest aggregate, to collar 28 out of a possible 32 points.
In the morning�s women�s team games, North America earned 12 of the 18 available points by taking two out of three.
However, the majority of the points are up for grabs on the weekend. In Saturday�s action, a men�s, women�s and mixed Skins game, each worth 20 points, take place at 11:30 am MST/1:30 pm EST, live across Canada on CBC-TV.
The women�s Skins game features Europe�s Angelina Jensen against North America�s Jennifer Jones, while the men�s game matches Schwaller against Birr.
Then, at 4:00 pm MST, three Mixed Doubles games, worth six points each, are featured, followed by another men�s, women�s and mixed Skins game, each worth 30 points, at 7:30 pm.
The women�s game sees Europe�s Liudmila Privivkova battling North America�s Debbie McCormick, while Kapp meets Ferbey in the men�s game.
On Sunday, starting at 10:30 am MST/12:30 pm EST, live on CBC-TV, the final women�s and men�s Skins games, each worth 55 points, will see Scotland�s Kelly Wood facing off against Canada�s Kelly Scott, while Scotland�s David Murdoch takes on Ontario�s Glenn Howard in the men�s game.
The Continental Cup involves four disciplines within the sport, each worth a designated number of points - Team Games (72 points), Mixed Doubles (36 points), Singles (32 points) and Skins Games (260 points). The first side to score 201 points is declared the winner. Each member of the winning side receives $2,000, while the losing side members get $1,400 each from the $88,400 total purse.
Coming into Medicine Hat this year, both sides were knotted at two wins apiece. North America took the inaugural �Cup� in Regina in 2002 and the 2004 renewal in Medicine Hat, when an attendance record of 42,317 was set. Europe prevailed in 2003 in Thunder Bay and last year in Chilliwack, British Columbia.
Extra-end win advances Gaudet to money round at Edmonton Canada Cup qualifier
Posted Friday, December 14, 2007 by derekm
PEI's Suzanne Gaudet rink, which includes Robyn MacPhee, Carol Webb and Stefanie Clarke has captured one of the twelve qualifying spots at the $76,000 triple-knockout Diversified Transportation Canada Cup Qualifier in Edmonton. Gaudet stole an extra-end point for a 9-8 win over Carrie Lindner of Bradford Ontario.
Gaudet's next game will be Saturday evening at 7:30 Edmonton time, against the winner of a 9 am Saturday qualifier game between Alison Goring of Ontario and Chantelle Eberle of Regina.
Two teams remain undefeated at Senior Mixed
Posted Friday, December 14, 2007 by derekm
Going into Saturday PEI Senior Mixed play at the Charlottetown Curling Club, the Bill Hope rink from the host club, and the Sterling Stratton foursome from Cormwall remain undefeated.
This evening, Hope defeated Geoff Scutt of Cornwall 8-3, while Stratton beat Craig Mackie of Charlottetown by a 6-4 score. Hope and Stratton now advance to the A section final of this double-knockout event, Saturday at 1:30 pm. Also in the evening draw, Paul Matheson of the Silver Fox eliminated Donald Clarey of Montague with a 7-4 win, and Blair Jay of the Silver Fox knocked Ross Petrie of Montague out of further play with an 11-3 win, in which he followed a sixth end triple with a four point steal in the seventh.
Defending champion Bob MacWilliams, along with Cornwall clubmate Chick Morrison were eliminated from further play in the afternoon round, with MacWilliams losing 7-4 to Petrie, and Morrison dropping a 7-5 decision to Clarey. Mackie beat Blair Jay 5-3 in the other matinee contest.
Saturday draws are at 1:30 and 6:30. The final two draws go Sunday at 10:30 am and, if needed, 2:30 pm. If the same team wins both the A and B sides of the double-knockout, the final game will not be required.
Gaudet competing in B Qualifier at Edmonton Canada Cup Qualifier
Posted Friday, December 14, 2007 by derekm
PEI's Suzanne Gaudet rink is playing Carrie Lindner in a game that got underway at 7 Atlantic in a B Division qualifier for the playoff round at the Diversified Transportation Canada Cup Qualifier in Edmonton.
Gaudet defeated Jolene McIver of Regina 9-3 this afternoon, stealing four points in the fourth end and a single in the fifth. Ontario's Lindner edged Janet HArvey of Winnipeg 10-9.
Gaudet now has three wins and a loss in the tourney, which offers a $76,000 purse, plus four Canada Cup berths
Gaudet loses to Strong at Edmonton Canada Cup Qualifier
Posted Friday, December 14, 2007 by derekm
Suzanne Gaudet and her PEI rink of Robyn MacPhee, Carol Webb, and Stefanie Clark are now 2 and 1 after losing 9-2 to Heather Strong of Newfoundland and Labrador, last night in Edmonton, at the Diversiified Transportation Canada Cup Qualifier. Steals of two in the fifth and three in the eighth end aided the Strong team, which includes Cathy Cunningham, Laura Strong, and Peg Goss.
Gaudet now plays Jolene McIver today at 11:15 Alberta time, with the winner of that game playing in a qualifying game at 4 pm against either Janet Harvey or Carrie Lindner.
Defending champ drops opener in Senior Mixed
Posted Thursday, December 13, 2007 by derekm
All ten teams saw action in the opening draw of the PEI Senior Mixed Curling Championships Thursday evening at the Charlottetown Curling Club. Defending champion Bob MacWilliams of Cornwall lost his opener, 9-2 to Bill Hope of Charlottetown. Blair Jay from the Silver Fox edged Cornwall's, Chick Morrison, by a 4-3 score, while another Cormwall rink, skipped by Geoff Scutt, doubled Ross Petrie of Montague 6-3. Charlottetown's Craig Mackie rink defeated Donald Clarey of Montague 7-4. This event is one of the few provincial championships which permit the use of the delivery stick, and Sterling Stratton of Cornwall used his quite effectively, beating Paul Matheson of the Silver Fox 7-3, after scoring a triple in the seventh end.
Photo: Sterling Stratton delivers with stick
Play continues on Friday, with draws at 1:30 and 6:30 pm in this double-knockout event. The final is on Sunday.
Annual Ladies Cash Spiel at Charlottetown
Posted Thursday, December 13, 2007 by derekm
The Charlottetown Curling Club is again hosting its annual Ladies Cash Spiel, used by many teams as a warmup for the Scotties Tournament of Hearts provincial women's championships. This season's event goes January 5-7, and features a competitive division and a "fun" division, with a maximum of 16 teams in each. Competitive team entry fee is $160, with $100 going to the purse, while the Fun division entry is just $60 per team. Buffet and entertainment Saturday evening are included. Entry forms are available at the host club.
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Suzanne Gaudet wins first two at Edmonton Canada Cup Qualifier
Posted Thursday, December 13, 2007 by derekm
PEI's Suzanne Gaudet rink is off to a roaring start at the Diversified Transportation Canada Cup Qualifier in Edmonton, winning their Wednesday evening opener 9-8 over Meridith Harrison of Halifax, and defeating Allison MacInnes of Kamloops BC by a 10-3 score in the Thursday morning draw of this triple-knockout event. Gaudet faces Heather Strong in tonight's 9:30 pm Alberta time game.
Playing with Gaudet are Robyn MacPhee, Stefanie Clark, and Carol Webb. At stake in this event, which wraps up on Sunday, is a huge $68,000 purse, along with 4 berths in the 2008 Strauss Canada Cup, which is an important step on the road to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
Sport PEI holds auction for WestJet tickets
Posted Wednesday, December 12, 2007 by derekm
Sport PEI has been lucky to receive a two ticket package from WestJet to fly anywhere in Canada, worth $2260. They are auctioning off these tickets with the money going to the Kidsport Fund of PEI. Click here for full details. Currently the high bid price stands at $750 (visit www.sportpei.pe.ca for updated bid amounts). Contact [email protected] to make a bid, or call 368-4547. The highest bid received by noon on December 24 will win the tickets.
Gaudet rink off to Edmonton
Posted Tuesday, December 11, 2007 by derekm
PEI's Suzanne Gaudet rink will be participating in the Diversified Transportation Canada Cup Qualifier, which gets underway Wednesday at the Saville Sports Centre in Edmonton. This event boasts one of the most impressive fields in women�s curling, with Alberta rivals Cathy King, Shannon Kleibrink, and Cheryl Bernard among the favorites.
The 46-team field also features teams skipped by former World Champion Colleen Jones, along with perennial contenders Stefanie Lawton, Sherry Middaugh, and Sherry Anderson. At stake is a huge $70,000 purse, along with 4 berths in the 2008 Strauss Canada Cup (February 26 � March 2, 2008 in
The four qualifiers from the triple-knockout draw will advance directly to the Canada Cup. The championship game goes Sunday at 6:30 pm. Here are the event payouts:
Winner $12,500
Runner-up $9,500
Semi-finalists $6,000
Quarter-finalists $4,000
Qualifiers 9-13 $3,000
�C� Qualifier losers $1,250
Other members of the Gaudet rink are Robyn MacPhee, Carol Webb, and Stefanie Clark. Sinead Dolan is their 5th player.
Event Website: seasonofchampions.ca/2007ccqw/
Provincial curling ch'ships entry deadlines loom
Posted Monday, December 10, 2007 by derekm
This is a final reminder that the entry deadline for the Pepsi Juniors (age 20 and under) curling championships is December 12th. This event will be held January 2-8 at the Western Community Curling Club in Alberton. Entry fee is $30 per player. Defending champions are Brett Gallant of the Charlottetown Curling Club, and Erin Carmody of the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club. Winning rinks will advance to the M&M Canadian Juniors, February 2-10 in Sault Ste, Marie Ontario.
Entry deadline for the Scotties Tournament of Hearts Provincial Women's Curling Championship is December 27th. Entry fee is $40 per player, plus a $25 CCA competitor card fee. This event will be held at the Charlottetown Curling Club January 20-22. Defending champion is Suzanne Gaudet from the host club. This year's winner will compete at the Canadian Scotties, February 16-24 in Regina.
January 3rd is the entry deadline for both the Provincial Masters (age 60 and over) Curling Championships, and the Labatt Tankard Provincial Men's Curling Championships.
The Masters, with men's and women's divisions, will be held at the Cornwall Curling Club from January 21-24, with the winners and runners up earning the right to compete at the Maritime Masters, February 10-13 at the Silver Fox. Entry fee for the PEI Masters is $30 per player. Five-time defending PEI Masters men's champion is Lou Nowlan, while Jeanne Duffenais is four-time Masters women's champ.
The triple-knockout open-entry Playdowns portion of the Labatt Tankard will be held at the Montague Curling Club from January 24-29. Entry fee is $40 per player, plus a $25 CCA competitor's card.
Eight teams will advance from the Playdowns to the round-robin Final Eight, February 5-10 at the Crapaud Community Curling Club. Defending PEI Tankard champion is Peter Gallant of Charlottetown. This year's winner will advance to the Tim Horton's Brier, March 8-16 in Winnipeg.
Curlers are reminded that all entries must be on an official PEICA entry form, available at all PEI curling clubs, and online at PEICurling.com. All entries must be signed by a curling club official, and mailed with all entry fees to: PEI Curling Association, PO Box 302, Ch�town, PEI C1A 7K7, and postmarked by the entry date. Entries cannot be emailed, faxed, or dropped off.
John Likely finishes 2nd in ACT Ch'ships (updated with purse)
Posted Monday, December 10, 2007 by derekm
Charlottetown's John Likely rink finished as runner-up to the Ryan Sherrard foursome of New Brunswick in the Atlantic Curling Tour Championship final, played this afternoon at the Beaver Curling Club in Moncton. Other members of the runner-up Likely team, who recently won the Hub City championship at the same club, are Phil Gorveatt, Mark Butler, and Mike Dillon. Rounding out the winning Sherrard rink are Jason and Darren Roach, along with Jared Bezanson
In semi-final play, Likely defeated Scott Saunders of Halifax, while Sherrard beat Marc Lecocq, also from New Brunswick.
Likely, and PEI's Peter Gallant rink were undefeated in the triple knockout, grabbing the first two qualifying spots in the quarter-final round. They squared off on Saturday in a Skins game for the "A" round winners, with Gallant coming out with the most skins.
In the triple-knockout, Likely beat Chris Sutherland of Nova Scotia, Tom Sullivan of New Brunswick, and Chad Stevens of Nova Scotia to advance to the quarter-finals, where he beat Sullivan again to make it to the semis.
Gallant recorded wins over Rod MacDonald of Summerside, Lecocq, and Moncton's Russ Howard before losing his quarter-final match to eventual winner Sherrard.
Andrew Robinson of Charlottetown won his opener against Doug MacKenzie of Nova Scotia, but lost to Howard in his second game, to Saunders in his third, and to Sullivan in his C division game.
After losing his opener to Gallant, Rod MacDonald dropped his second game to Sherrard, and his final game to Sutherland.
Scores are not available for this event. 16 of the top teams on the Atlantic Curling Tour took part in the weekend championship.
PURSE BREAKDOWN
Winner - Ryan Sherrard ($3500)
Runner Up - John Likely ($1750+$175 from A Qualifiers Skins Game, total $1925)
3rd/4th - Scott Saunders ($1200)
3rd/4th - Mark Lecocq ($1200)
5th-8th - Peter Gallant ($750+325 from A Qualifiers Skins Game, total $1075)
5th-8th - Russ Howard ($750)
5th-8th - Chad Stevens ($750)
5th-8th - Tom Sullivan ($750)
Likely in ACT Ch'ship semis
Posted Sunday, December 9, 2007 by derekm
Charlottetown's John Likely rink has advanced to the 9 am semi-finals at the Atlantic Curling Tour Championship, being played at the Beaver Curling Club in Moncton.
The Likely foursome play Scott Saunders of Halifax, while the other semi sees New Brunswick teams Ryan Sherrard and Mark Lecocq facing off.
Likely, and PEI's Peter Gallant rink were undefeated in the triple knockout, grabbing the first two qualifying spots in the quarter-final round.
Likely beat Chris Sutherland of Nova Scotia, Tom Sullivan of New Brunswick, and Chad Stevens of Nova Scotia to advance to the quarter-finals, where he beat Sullivan again to make it to the semi-finals.
Gallant recorded wins over Rod MacDonald of Summerside, Lecocq, and Moncton's Russ Howard before losing his quarter-final match to Sherrard. Gallant alsoi won the "A" side Skins game over Likely.
Andrew Robinson of Charlottetown won his opener against Doug MacKenzie of Nova Scotia, but lost to Howard in his second game, to Saunders in his third, and to Sullivan in his C division game.
After losing his opener to Gallant, Rod MacDonald dropped his second game to Sherrard, and his final game to Sutherland.
Scores are not available for this event. 16 of the top teams in the Atlantic Curling Tour took part in the championship.
Today's final is at noon.
Foxy Ladies to put on glitz
Posted Saturday, December 8, 2007 by derekm
"Putting on the Glitz" is the theme for the Foxy Lady bonspiel at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club. This 6th annual women's event goes February 8th-9th. Entry is limited to 36 teams. Entry fee of $120 per team guarantees three games (points system) and covers prizes, entertainment, hip of beef buffet, and a winner-take-all draw to the button competition. To register, contact Sheila Compton at [email protected], 436-5629, or fax 888-3969. Entries may also be mailed to 268 All Weather Highway, Summerside PE C1N 4V4.
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Sport PEI Seeks Awards Nominations
Posted Thursday, December 6, 2007 by derekm
(Sport PEI) As another sporting year begins to draw to a close, Sport P.E.I is inviting nominations for the annual awards, presented by the provincial sport federation.
Nominations may be made by any member of the public, as well as provincial sport associations, in any of eleven categories. The categories this year are: Amalgamated Dairies Ltd Administrator of the Year; Coach of the Year; the Island Petroleum Team of the Year; the P.E.I. Mutual Insurance Official of the Year; the Friendly Pharmacy Masters award; the Junior Male Athlete of the Year; the Rodd Hotels and Resorts Junior Female Athlete of the Year; the Paperflow Male and Female Intercollegiate Athletes of the Year; the Senior Female Athlete of the Year, and the Aliant Senior Male Athlete of the Year
Award nominations in the athlete categories should reflect achievements in 2007 only. To be eligible for a junior athlete award, candidates must be aged 18 or younger on January 1 2008, while to be eligible for the Masters award, athletes and teams must be aged 35 or over or be competing in recognized Masters events. Candidates must either be from, or a resident of, Prince Edward Island for at least one year. Island athletes who live, train or compete off-Island are eligible for nomination.
The deadline for receipt of nominations is January 18 2008.
Those interested in receiving further information, or obtaining nomination forms, should contact Sport P.E.I. in person at the Royalty Centre building, 40 Enman Crescent, Charlottetown, or calling 368-4110 or toll free at 1-800-247-6712. Forms are also available here. Nominations may also be sent by fax to 368-4548, or 1-800-235-5687.
The 34th Annual Sport P.E.I. Awards Banquet will be held April 16 at the Rodd Royalty in Charlottetown.
Camrose to stage 2008 Continental Cup
Posted Thursday, December 6, 2007 by derekm
CAMROSE, ALBERTA, December 6, 2007 �The World Curling Federation (WCF) and the Canadian Curling Association (CCA) today announced that Camrose, Alberta will host the 2008 Continental Cup of Curling, presented by Monsanto.
The 2008 Continental Cup, the sixth edition of the event, will be held December 18-21 at the new Edgeworth Centre, a double rink facility that will be used to stage all event activities. Tickets are expected to go on sale in January. The curling competition will take place in the 2,500-seat Encana Arena while the Continental Divide, the entertainment centre, will be located in the Border Paving Arena. The Edgeworth Centre is attached to the Rose City Curling Club, the Max McLean Rink and the Camrose Aquatic Centre.
Known as �The Rose City�, Camrose, with a population of 16,000, is located in the heart of rural Alberta, just a one-hour drive from Edmonton.
The �Cup� will feature Team North America versus Team World (formerly Team Europe) in a unique, four-day competition involving Team games (72 points), Mixed Doubles (36 points), Singles (32 points) and Skins (Men�s, Women�s and Mixed), worth 260 points. The first side to score 201 points is declared the winner.
Medicine Hat ready for Continental Cup
Posted Thursday, December 6, 2007 by derekm
Source: Canadian Curling Association
�The 2007 Continental Cup of Curling, presented by Monsanto, is set to return to The Arena in Medicine Hat, Alberta, December 13-16.
This will be the fifth edition of the Continental Cup, curling�s international competition patterned somewhat after golf�s Ryder Cup, featuring Team North America against Team Europe. Both sides are knotted at two wins apiece. North America took the inaugural �Cup� in Regina in 2002 and the 2004 renewal in Medicine Hat. Europe prevailed in 2003 in Thunder Bay and last year in Chilliwack, British Columbia.
Europe will be represented by teams skipped by Denmark�s Angelina Jensen, Scotland�s Kelly Wood, Liudmila Privivkova of Russia, Scotland�s David Murdoch, Germany�s Andy Kapp and Andreas Schwaller of Switzerland. The captain is 2002 Olympic gold medallist Rhona Martin, while Rodger Schmidt is the coach.
North America is composed of teams skipped by Canada�s reigning world champions, Kelly Scott of British Columbia and Glenn Howard of Ontario, along with Alberta�s Randy Ferbey and Manitoba�s Jennifer Jones, joined by Minnesota�s Todd Birr and Wisconsin�s Debbie McCormick of the United States. Pat Ryan is the captain while Elaine Dagg-Jackson is the coach.
CBC-TV will provide live coverage of the Continental Cup on Saturday, December 15 and Sunday, December 16, when the final men�s and women�s Skins Games take place. CurlTV (www.curltv.com) is also offering event coverage to its subscribers.
The Continental Cup, a four-day championship between Europe and North America, is a venture of the World Curling Federation, United States Curling Association and the Canadian Curling Association.
The competition format involves four disciplines within the sport, each worth a designated number of points - Team Games (72 points), Mixed Doubles (36 points), Singles (32 points) and Skins Games (260 points). The first side to score 201 points is declared the winner. Each member of the winning side receives $2,000, while the losing side members get $1,400 each from the $88,400 total purse.
There have been several format changes to the �Cup� this year. Most noteworthy is the introduction of two Mixed Skins Games, to complement the three separate men�s and women�s Skins Games.
The Singles competition, which involves six basic curling shots, now requires each of the four team members to throw at least one of the shots. Formerly, one curler for each side threw all six shots.
Finally, Mixed Doubles will now involve only a male and female thrower for each side, who may also sweep during the game. However, unlike past Cups, no other sweepers will be provided.
The Continental Divide, the entertainment centre for �Cup week�, will be in the Medicine Hat Curling Club.
Medicine Hat established a Continental Cup four-day attendance record of 42,317 in 2004.
2007 CONTINENTAL CUP SCHEDULE (All times local - MST)
Tuesday, December 11 - Arrival of Teams
Wednesday, December 12
10:30 am Team Meeting at Medicine Hat Lodge
1:00 pm - 4:30 pm Team Practices - Arena
4:30 pm - 6:00 pm Sponsors Reception - Medicine Hat Curling Club
6:30 pm - 7:00 pm Opening Ceremonies � Arena
8:00 pm - 10:00 pm Opening Banquet - Medicine Hat Lodge
Thursday, December 13
Draw 1 9:30 am - 12:00 pm Mixed Doubles
Draw 2 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm Women�s Team Games
Draw 3 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm Men�s Team Games
Friday, December 14
Draw 4 9:30 am - 12:00 pm Women�s Team Games
Draw 5 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm Singles
Draw 6 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm Men�s Team Games
Saturday, December 15
Draw 7 11:30 am - 2:00 pm Skins (Men�s, Women�s and Mixed - A)
Draw 8 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm Mixed Doubles
Draw 9 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm Skins (Men�s, Women�s and Mixed - B)
Sunday, December 16
Draw 10 10:30 am - 1:00 pm Final Women�s Skins Game (C)
Draw 11 11:30 am - 2:00 pm Final Men�s Skins Game (C)
2:15 pm Closing Ceremonies
3:00 pm Champions Reception - Medicine Hat Curling Club
MacWilliams rink looking for repeat Senior Mixed title
Posted Tuesday, December 4, 2007 by derekm
The first PEI curling championship of the season, the Senior Mixed, begins Thursday evening, December 13th at the Charlottetown Curling Club. Bob MacWilliams and his Cornwall Curling Club rink of Myrna Sanderson, Jim Farquharson, and Ruth Stavert, winners of last season's inaugural Senior Mixed, are back to defend their title. Ten teams will participate in this year's event.
Photo (L-R): Defending champions Bob MacWilliams, Myrna Sanderson, Jim Farquharson, Ruth Stavert.
All ten teams will take to the ice in the opening draw Thursday Dec. 13th at 7 pm, following opening ceremonies at 6:15. Here are the first draw and the team rosters (skip to lead) for this double-knockout event:
Ice 1: Chick Morrison, Sherren Morrison, Tom Dunn, Diane MacKay (Cornwall Curling Club)
vs Blair Jay, Lana Simmons, Douglas Simmons, Debbie MacMurdo (Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club)
Ice 2: Donald Clarey, Kathy Clarey, Jim MacPhee, Diane MacPhee (Montague Curling Club)
vs Craig Mackie, Shelley Ebett, David Murphy, Karen Hardy (Charlottetown Curling Club)
Ice 3: Bill Hope, Sandy Hope, Bill Atkinson, Kay Atkinson (Charlottetown Curling Club)
vs Bob MacWilliams, Myrna Sanderson, Jim Farquharson, Ruth Stavert (Cornwall Curling Club)
Ice 4: Ross Petrie, June Moyaert, Howard Kerwin, Marjorie Campbell (Montague Curling Club)
vs Geoff Scutt, Marie MacDonald, Paul Durant, Deb DelValle (Cornwall Curling Club)
Ice 5: Sterling Stratton, Karen Wood, Vern Chowan, Marg Stewart (Cornwall Curling Club)
vs Paul Matheson, Jeanne Duffenais, Doug Waugh, Diane Arsenault (Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club)
Photo L-R: Marilyn Sutherland, PEICA official, Rob Warren, Manager, Charlottetown Curling Club, and David Murphy, President, PEI Curling Association make the draw for the event.
This event is for curlers age 50 and over. Skip and third must be of opposite sex, and there must be two male and two female curlers on each team. Delivery sticks, prohibited at events leading to national championships, are permitted. All games are eight ends.
Depending on whether or not the same team wins both A and B sections of the event, the championship game will be either Sunday at 10:30 am, or 2:30 pm.
Complete draw and results available at peicurling.com/seniormixed.
Pepsi Juniors entry deadline is Dec. 12
Posted Tuesday, December 4, 2007 by derekm
Curlers age 20 and under are reminded that the entry deadline for the 2008 Pepsi Junior Curling Championships is Wednesday, December 12th. The championships will be held at the Western Community Curling Club in Alberton January 2nd to 6th, 2008.
Entry forms are available at all PEI curling clubs and online at PEICurling.com, and must be mailed to the PEI Curling Association, PO Box 302, Ch�town, PEI C1A 7K7, and post-marked by the deadline date. The PEICA will NOT accept drop-offs of any kind, e-mails or faxes. Entry fee of $30 per player must accompany form.
Defending Pepsi Junior champions are Brett Gallant from the Charlottetown Curling Club, and Erin Carmody from the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club.
Crapaud Community Curling Club Events Calendar
Posted Monday, December 3, 2007 by derekm
Here is the calendar of events for the season at the Crapaud Curling Club. Most of these events are open to other clubs.
For more information, or to sign up for any of these events, please contact the club at 658-2789.
Dec 28-29 � Junior Funspiel
Jan 4-5 � Harvey�s Clover Farm Men�s Cashspiel
Jan 18-19 � Hemphill Farmers Bonspiel
Jan 26 � Masonic Lodge (private)
Feb 1-2 � South Shore Pharmacy Funspiel
Feb 5-10 � Labatt�s Men�s Final 8�s
Feb 16 � St. John Anglican Church Funspiel
Mar 1 � Young Farmers Bonspiel
Mar 5-8 � M&M Meat Shop Provincial 15 & Under
Mar 14-15 � Credit Union Spring Fling Bonspiel
Mar 27-29 � Provincial 12 & Under
Apr 18-20 � Closing Meltdown Bonspiel (sponsor TBA)
MacDonald Rink Captures Cashspiel (Journal-Pioneer)
Posted Monday, December 3, 2007 by derekm
SUMMERSIDE � After Sunday afternoon�s 2007 Silver Fox Curling Club cashspiel final, winning skip Rod MacDonald says he�s almost ready to pass the torch.
Click to read this story from Bill Semple of The Journal-Pioneer.
Sherry Middaugh wins Sobeys Slam; Suzanne Gaudet takes home $4000
Posted Sunday, December 2, 2007 by derekm
Ontario's Sherry Middaugh defeated Quebec's Marie-France Larouche 6-4 Sunday afternoon at the John Brother MacDonald Stadium in New Glasgow to win the Sobeys Slam.
Larouche had gone through the event undefeated until the final match, while Middaugh lost her first two games, facing elimination with every subsequent game in the triple-knockout competition.
After the game, Middaugh said that she never dreamed that her team would be in the final: "I thought the only way we were going to be here is if we got storm-stayed and we were watching curling, because we didn't play very well in our first two games,"
Other members of the Middaugh foursome are Kristin Wall, Kim Moore, and Andra Harkmark. Link to play-by-play description of final game.
Middaugh beat Andrea Kelley of New Brunswick 7-2 in semi-final action, while Larouche edged Olympic Medallist Shannon Kleibrink of Calgary 5-4.
Total prizes for the championship round totalled $54,000, with $14,000 going to the Middaugh, $10,000 to Larouche, $7000 for Kleibrink and Kelley, and $4000 to the remaining quarter-finalists. Also on the line were Canadian Team Ranking System points, needed to qualify for the 2010 Olympic Trials.
Suzanne Gaudet and her PEI team of Robyn MacPhee, Carol Webb. and Stefanie Clark are among the teams taking home $4000 for making it to the quarter-final round.
Their run for the championship ended Sunday morning, as they lost their quarter-final game against event runner-up Larouche by a 10-5 score. The undefeated Quebec rink scored four points in the second end, and stole a single and a triple in the next two ends to put the game out of reach. Andrea Kelley advanced to the semis by defeating Meredith Harrison of Nova Scotia by a 6-4 score. Kleibrink edged Toronto's Alison Goring 6-5, and Middaugh beat Saskatchewan's Stephanie Lawton 6-5 in an extra end.
Gaudet advanced to the quarter-finals by stealing a five-ender to shut down Saturday morning's 10-1 game over Charlottetown clubmate Shelly Bradley, and then scoring four points in the seventh end to defeat former Maritimer and current Albertan Heather Rankin by a 9-3 score in a C division qualifier.
The Sobey's Slam, the first women�s Grand Slam event held east of Winnipeg, is one of the richest women's cashspiels in the world.
Rod MacDonald beats Brett Gallant in extra end at Silver Fox Cashspiel
Posted Sunday, December 2, 2007 by derekm
The host Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club rink consisting of Rod MacDonald, Jamie Newson, Mike Gaudet and Peter MacDonald scored two points in the extra end this afternoon to win the annual Silver Fox Cashspiel, sponsored by Labatt, Quality Inn, Atlantic Superstore, and The Journal-Pioneer, defeating PEI Junior Champion Brett Gallant by a 5-3 score. Other members of the Gallant foursome are Adam Casey, Anson Carmody, and Alex MacFadyen. Although Gallant is from Charlottetown, the other three players are from the Summerside area.
Photo: Adam Casey holds the broom in the pivotal sixth end. Gallant's attempt to draw to the shot stone touching the button is wide, and MacDonald draws for three
The two teams were scoreless through the first four ends of the eight-end final. Gallant drew first blood with a single in the fifth. The key end in the game was the sixth, with MacDonald hitting a difficult angle raise to knock out a Gallant counter behind cover, and stick for two. Gallant's attempt to draw to the rock was wide and heavy, and MacDonald drew with his hammer stone for three points. Gallant drew against three MacDonald counters to score a single point in the seventh. The eighth end saw a number of misses on both sides. Gallant had two rocks partly under cover. MacDonald attempted to take out the shot stone, but went wide, picking out one rock and leaving Gallant's game-tying single point.
Eighth end: Peter MacDonald holds broom. Rod MacDonald will attempt takeout but leaves one
In the extra end, MacDonald had a biter on the top twelve-foot, and another rock counting at the back of the house. Gallant attempted to hide behing the biter, but about three-quarters of the rock was showing. MacDonald's shot was wide, but got enough of the Gallant rock to send it slowly to the side, where it was swept out for the deuce.
Both winner Rod MacDonald and runner-up Gallant went through round robin play undefeated, with 5-0 win-loss records. Finishing at 4-1 were Mike Robinson, Ian Fitzner-LeBlanc and Jamie Christianson of Nova Scotia, Kyle Stevenson of Charlottetown, and Charle Sullivan of NB. Don MacIntosh of Nova Scotia, who finished with a 3-2 record, also made it to the money round.
In quarter-fimal play, MacDonald doubled Fitzner-LeBlanc 6-3, Stevenson beat Sullivan 5-3, MacIntosh edged Christianson 7-6, and Gallant defeated Robinson 8-2.
In the semi-final round, Gallant scored four points in the fifth end in a 7-2 victory over MacIntosh, while MacDonald beat Charlottetown's Stevenson 7-5.
MacDonald pockets $2300 for the win, with $1500 going to the Gallant foursome. MacIntosh and Stevenson each take home $1000, with $600 going to the remaining quarter-finalists.
20 teams began play Friday in this annual cashspiel.
Semis Set at Silver Fox
Posted Sunday, December 2, 2007 by derekm
Rod MacDonald of Summerside will play Kyle Stevenson of Charlottetown, while Don MacIntosh of Halifax takes on PEI Junior champion Brett Gallant of Charlottetown in the noon semi-finals at the Silver Fox Cashspiel in Summerside.
Scores from this morning's quarter-final round:
MacDonald 6, Ian Fitzner-LeBlanc 3
Stevenson 5, Charlie Sullivan 3
MacIntosh 7, Jamie Christianson 6
Gallant 8, Mike Robinson 2
The final is set for 3 pm.
Slam ends for Gaudet
Posted Sunday, December 2, 2007 by derekm
Suzanne Gaudet and her team of Robyn MacPhee, Carol Webb. and Stefanie Clark will take home $4000 for making it to the quarter-final round at the Sobeys Slam in New Glasgow. Their run for the championship ended this morning, however, as they lost their quarter-final game against Marie France Larouche of Quebec by a 10-5 score. The undefeated Quebec rink scored four points in the second end, and stole a single and a triple in the next two ends to put the game out of reach. Another former Canadian Junior champion has advanced to the semis, though, as Andrea Kelley of New Brunswick defeated Meredith Harrison of Nova Scotia by a 6-4 score. Olympic medallist Shannon Kleibrink from Calgary edged Toronto's Alison Goring 6-5, and Sherry Middaugh of Ontario beat Saskatchewan's Stephanie Lawton 6-5 in an extra end. The semis are at 11, and the final goes at two pm.
Gaudet advanced to today's qualifying game by stealing a five-ender to shut down Saturday morning's 10-1 game over Charlottetown clubmate Shelly Bradley, and then scoring four points in the seventh end to defeat former Maritimer and current Albertan Heather Rankin by a 9-3 score.
Total prizes for the championship round total $54,000, with $14,000 going to the winner, $10,000 to the runner-up, $7000 for third and fourth, and the remaining qualifiers pocketing $4000. Also on the line are Canadian Team Ranking System points, needed to qualify for the 2010 Olympic Trials. The Sobeys Slam is the first women�s Grand Slam event held east of Winnipeg, and one of the richest women's cashspiels in the world.
Money round set at Silver Fox Cashspiel
Posted Saturday, December 1, 2007 by derekm
The Final Eight are set to play off at 9 am Sunday in the annual Silver Fox Cashspiel, sponsored by Labatt, Quality Inn, Atlantic Superstore, and The Journal-Pioneer.
Event organizer Rod MacDonald, and PEI Junior champion Brett Gallant went through round robin play undefeated, with 5-0 win-loss records. Finishing at 4-1 were Mike Robinson, Ian Fitzner-LeBlanc and Jamie Christianson of Nova Scotia, Kyle Stevenson of Charlottetown, and Charle Sullivan of NB. Don MacIntosh of Nova Scotia, who finished with a 3-2 record, also made it to the money round.
Quarter-final matchups see MacDonald take on Fitzner-LeBlanc, Stevenson play Sullivan, Christianson face MacIntosh, and Gallant play Robinson. Gallant's father, PEI men's champion Peter Gallant, was also in the tourney, but finished at 2-3, losing 8-1 to Brett in their round-robin encounter, after the younger Gallant recorded a four-point fifth end. Semis go at noon, with the final set for 3 pm. All games are eight ends.
20 teams began play Friday in this annual cashspiel.
Suzanne Gaudet rink advances to playoff round at Sobeys Slam; Jennifer Jones doesn't
Posted Saturday, December 1, 2007 by derekm
The quarter-finalists have been determined at the Sobeys Slam women's cashspiel in New Glasgow NS, and PEI's Suzanne Gaudet rink is among them. Saturday evening at the John Brother MacDonald Stadium, the Gaudet foursome scored a triple in the seventh end on the way to a 6-3 win over six-time Canadian and two-time world women's champion Colleen Jones of Halifax, and her new rink, consisting of Georgina Wheatcroft from BC, Kate Hamer of Ontario, and BC's Darah Provencal. Other members of the Gaudet squad are Robyn MacPhee, Carol Webb, and Stefanie Clark. Also qualifying in the Saturday night draw were Meredith Harrison of Halifax, who beat Heather Strong from St. John's by an 8-2 score,Alison Goring of Toronto, who defeated Jolene McIvor of Regina 7-2, and Sherry Middaugh of Ontario, who edged out top-seed Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg by stealing a point in an extra-end for a 6-5 win.
B-side qualifiers were Stephanie Lawton of Saskatchewan, and Shannon Kleibrink of Alberta, while Andrea Kelley of New Brunswick and Quebec's Marie France Larouche went undefeated in the triple-knockout playdowns, qualifying in the A section, and earning the right to compete in Saturday afternoon's skins game, where they finished in a dead heat, with both teams pocketing $950. The real winner of the skins game was the Pictou County Food Bank, who raised $3500.
The quarter-finals go Sunday morning at 8, and see Harrison play Kelley, Lawton face Middaugh, Gaudet take on Larouche, and Kleibrink meet Goring.
The semis-finals go at 11 am, with the championship game at 2 pm.
Gaudet advanced to today's qualifying game by stealing a five-ender to shut down Saturday morning's 10-1 game over Charlottetown clubmate Shelly Bradley, and then scoring four points in the seventh end to defeat former Maritimer and current Albertan Heather Rankin by a 9-3 score.
Total prizes for the championship round total $54,000, with $14,000 going to the winner, $10,000 to the runner-up, $7000 for third and fourth, and the remaining qualifiers pocketing $4000. Also on the line are Canadian Team Ranking System points, needed to qualify for the 2010 Olympic Trials. The Sobeys Slam is the first women�s Grand Slam event held east of Winnipeg, and one of the richest women's cashspiels in the world.
Gaudet facing Colleen Jones in Sobeys Slam C qualifier
Posted Saturday, December 1, 2007 by derekm
PEI's Suzanne Gaudet rink will play Colleen Jones tonight for the right to advance to the Sobey's Slam money round, in one of the final four C Division qualifying games, set for 7:30 pm at the John Brother MacDonald Stadium in New Glasgow. After stealing a five-ender to shut down this morning's 10-1 game over Charlottetown clubmate Shelly Bradley, Gaudet scored four points in the seventh end to take a commanding 9-3 lead over former Maritimer and current Albertan Heather Rankin in the afternoon. Rankin had doubled New Brunswick junior Marie Christianson by an 8-4 score to advance to the game against Gaudet. Six-time Canadian and two-time World champion Jones of Halifax, now playing with a pan-Canadian team which includes Georgina Wheatcroft from BC, Kate Hamer of Ontario, and west-coaster Darah Provencal, beat American Patti Lank 8-1 today to advance to the qualifier.
B-side qualifiers are Stephanie Lawton of Saskatchewan, and Shannon Kleibrink of Alta.
The other C qualifiers tonight at 7:30 see Heather Strong from St. John's play Meridith Harrison of Halifax, Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg meet Sherry Middaugh of Ontario, and Jolene McIvor of Regina face Alison Goring of Toronto.
The Final Eights go Sunday morning at eight, with the semis at 11 and the finals at 2 pm.
Meanwhile, this afternoon's skins game between A qualifiers Andrea Kelley of New Brunswick and Marie France Larouche of Quebec was a dead heat, with both sides pocketing $950.
Bradley out at Slam
Posted Saturday, December 1, 2007 by derekm
The battle of PEI rinks at the Sobeys Slam in New Glasgow lasted a mere four ends, as a five-point steal following a third-end triple by Suzanne Gaudet led to a 10-1 win over Charlottetown clubmate Shelly Bradley. Gaudet now plays at 4:30 against the winner of an 11:30 am game between junior Marie Christianson of Nova Scotia, and former Maritimer Heather Rankin, who now lives in Alberta. The winner of that game advances to a C Division qualifier at 7:30 pm.
This afternoon's skins game at 2:30 will feature the two undefeated rinks - Marie- France Larouche and Andrea Kelly.
Curling for Cash
Posted Saturday, December 1, 2007 by derekm
The Silver Fox�s own Rod MacDonald rink won its first match of the day at the Summerside curling club�s 2007 cashspiel, which got underway Friday.
Click to read this story at The Journal-Pioneer.
Gaudet to play Bradley in sudden-death game Saturday morning at Sobeys Slam
Posted Friday, November 30, 2007 by derekm
One of the two PEI rinks at the Sobeys Slam in New Glasgow will be out in the 8:30 Saturday morning draw, when Suzanne Gaudet and Shelly Bradley face each other in the sudden-death C division of this triple-knockout event.
In action Friday morning, Gaudet lost 6-5 to Stephanie Lawton when the Saskatoon rink stole a single in the final end.
Bradley came out on the winning side of a 6-5 extra-end decision over Sherry Anderson of Saskatchewan in the same draw.
The PEI rink remained alive in the C Division with a 5-4 win over Suzanne Boudrealt of Toronto.
Bradley then lost her next game 5-2 to Alison Goring of Toronto to join Gaudet in the sudden-death C Division, and bring about Saturday morning's showdown between the two Island rinks.
Meanwhile, there are only two undefeated teams remaining. Andrea Kelley of New Brunswick grabbed the first qualifying spot in the playoff round, with a 6-5 win over Mary Ann Arsenault of Halifax on Friday night.
In a battle of two Quebec rinks, Mary France Larouche remained undefeated in another Friday night contest, beating Eve Belisle 7-3 to take the second of eight qualifiers.
There a four rounds plus a skins game on Saturday. The playoff rounds take place on Sunday, with a 2 pm final.
PEI rinks 1-1 at Sobeys Slam
Posted Thursday, November 29, 2007 by derekm
The two Island teams at the Sobey's Slam women's curling spiel in New Glasgow, NS, lost their opening draw games today but bounced back with big wins in the third draw.
Suzanne Gaudet lost her opener 6-3 to Mary Ann Arsenault of Halifax, but beat Alberta's Crystal Webster 8-2 in her second game.
Shelly Bradley was edged out by Cheryl Bernard of Alberta by a 5-4 score in her first game, but pounded Cassie Potter of Minnesota 8-1 in her second.
MLA's sponsoring Junior Spiel at Crapaud
Posted Wednesday, November 28, 2007 by derekm
The Crapaud Community Curling Club will be hosting a 15 and Under and 12 and Under Junior Fun Cashspiel December 28th and 29th, sponsored by MLA�s Valerie Docherty of Kelly�s Cross/Cumberland and George Webster of Borden/Kinkora. Entry fees are $50 per team with dinner provided. All prizes are cash prizes. For more information contact the curling club at 658-2789.
return to headlines
Annual Silver Fox Cashspiel starts Friday
Posted Tuesday, November 27, 2007 by derekm
The annual Silver Fox Curling Club Cashspiel, sponsored by Labatt, Quality Inn, Superstore and The Journal-Pioneer, gets underway Friday at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside.
This event is open to men's, women's and mixed teams. Some of this year's entries include Rod MacDonald and Kevin Ellsworth from the host club, Cornwall's Donna Butler, Charlottetown's John Likely, Kyle Stevenson, Ted MacFadyen and Andrew Robinson rinks, along with teams skipped by PEI Men's champion Peter Gallant, and by his son, Island Junior champion Brett Gallant. Ian Fitzner-Leblanc and Kris Tynski, both from Halifax, and Charlie Sullivan from Saint John are among the off-Island entries.
First draw in this four pool round-robin event is Friday at 2 pm, with quarter-finals set for Sunday at 9 am, semis going at noon, and the final at 3 pm. The event winner will take home $2300, with $1500 for the runner-up, and $1000 each for the third and fourth place teams. The other quarter-finalists will each pocket $600.
Website: www.silverfox-pei.com/curling/cash_spiel_2007/curling_cash_spiel-07.htm
Bradley and Gaudet teams to play in this weekend's Sobey's Slam
Posted Tuesday, November 27, 2007 by derekm
The premier women�s curling teams in the world will be in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, this weekend for the Sobeys Slam 2007. This event, replacing the Sobeys Curling Classic held for 12 years at the Bluenose Curling Club, will have over half of its games played on arena ice at the 2500 seat John Brother MacDonald Stadium, with the remainder at the Bluenose.
Eight of the top ten teams in the World Curling Tour Order of Merit are competing. Included in this elite group is #1 ranked Jennifer Jones of Manitoba and Olympic medalist Shannon Kleibrink. Other favourites include Sherry Middaugh, Cathy King, Cheryl Bernard and Sherry Anderson.
The Atlantic provinces will be well represented with four Nova Scotia teams including Colleen Jones, Mary-Anne Arsenault and last year�s provincial champion Meredith Harrison. Suzanne Gaudet and Shelly Bradley from Prince Edward Island, Sandy Comeau and Andrea Kelly from New Brunswick and Heather Strong and Stacie Deveraux from Newfoundland are all competing in the event.
PEI's Shelly Bradley, who has played in the Sobeys Classic every year, says the opportunity to play on arena ice will be a big advantage of this tournament: "With our national competitions being held in arenas, I think it is important that this event be held in an arena. Although we have had a chance to play in an arena in the past, the more exposure you can have to that type of ice and atmosphere, the easier it is to adjust if and when you do participate in a Scotties."
As is becoming more and more common in events such as this, all games, including playoff rounds, will be eight, instead of 10 ends. Reigning PEI Women's champion Suzanne Gaudet welcomes the change: "I love the 8 end games... We are not going to change anything major in our strategy. We are working everyday on technical stuff and strategy so therefore in time we will be sharp in a shorter game."
Cassie Potter of Minnesota, the 2006 USA Olympic representative, and well known veteran US skip Patti Lank of New York will join the ranks for the event.
This is the first women�s Grand Slam event held east of Winnipeg with the Canadian teams competing for Canadian Team Ranking system (CTRS) points, which will enable them to qualify for the 2010 Olympic Trials. It is not all about points however, as, with $54,000 up for grabs, the Sobeys Slam one of the richest women�s cash spiel in the world.
The event gets underway Wednesday evening with a Pro-Am. Tournament play (32 team triple-knockout) gets underway Thursday at 8:30 am, with the final set for Sunday at 2 pm. "A" Qualifiers will compete in a Skins game for $2000 on Saturday. The event features East Coast entertainment throughout the weekend. As well, junior curlers will get a chance to learn from the world's best curlers at the School of Rock, which takes place on Friday.
Event website: www.sobeysslam.ca
Maple Leaf to host Island Jr. Mixed Spiel in January
Posted Sunday, November 25, 2007 by derekm
Island Champs Gallant and Carmody win Cornwall Junior Cashspiel
Posted Sunday, November 25, 2007 by derekm
Provincial Junior champions Erin Carmody of the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club, and Brett Gallant of the Charlottetown Curling Club are this years winners of the Pizza Delight/Subway/Howard Johnson Junior Cashspiel, which wrapped up this afternoon at the Cornwall Curling Club. Carmody's game was an exciting come-from behind battle, trailing Jessica Daigle of Saint John 5-1 after three ends. Carmody tied it up with a triple in the sixth, and stole a single in an extra end to pull out a 7-6 win.
Gallant lead 4-1 after four ends over Nova Scotia junior champion Dominic Daemon, who closed the gap to one with a double in the fifth. Gallant responded with a triple in the sixth end, and after Daemon picked up a single in the seventh, the Gallant rink picked up a 7-4 win.
L-R Pat Aylward (Coach), Jessica van Ouwerkerk, Lisa Moerike, Geri-Lynn Ramsay, Erin Carmody, event organizer Brenda MacMillan
L-R Kathie Gallant (Coach), Brett Gallant, Adam Casey, Anson Carmody, Alex MacFadyen, event organizer Brenda MacMillan
Other members of the Carmody rink are Geri-Lynn Ramsay, Lisa Moerike, and Jessica van Ouwerkerk, with coach Pat Aylward. Rounding out the Gallant foursome are Adam Casey, Anson Carmody, and Alex MacFadyen, with Kathie Gallant coaching.
Gallant beat Anton Stefani of New Brunswick in the quarter-finals 7-2, and Charlottetown clubmate Tim Cullen 8-2 in the semi-finals, while Carmody had a quarter-final bye by virtue of her round robin finish, and edged out Tanya Hilliard of CFB-Halifax 4-3 in the semis.
In the other semi-final games, Daemon beat Summerside's Sam Ramsay rink 5-3, aided by a steal of three in the fifth end, while Daigle beat New Brunswick junior champ Mary Jane McGuire by an 8-2 score.
12 junior men's and 12 junior women's teams began play on Friday in this annual junior cashspiel.
John Likely rink wins Hub City Ch'ship
Posted Sunday, November 25, 2007 by derekm
The Charlottetown Curling Club rink of John Likely, Phil Gorveatt, Mark Butler, and Mike Dillon defeated the Jamie Brannen rink from New Brunswick by a 6-2 score this afternoon to win the first annual Hub City Curling Championship at the Moncton Beaver Curling Club.
Photo: L-R: Mike Dillon, Mark Butler, Phil Gorveatt, John Likely
Three out of four PEI rinks in the Atlantic Curling Tour cashspiel made it to the quarter-final round, with Likely defeating Tim Comeau of New Brunswick 7-5, while Andrew Robinson beat Rod MacDonald 5-1 in the battle between the other two PEI rinks in the quarters. Ryan Sherrard of NB was edged out by Jeremy Mallais, also from NB by a 6-5 score, while Brannen beat Mark Kehoe of NS (score not recorded).
In semi-final play, Likely edged out Charlottetown clubmate Robinson 7-6, while Brannen beat Mallais 6-1.
Likely finished round-robin play with a 4-1 win-loss record, while Robinson, MacDonald, and the other PEI rink in the event, Peter Gallant, all finished at 3-2.
The Likely foursome bring home $3500, with the Brannen rink grabbing $2500. Mallais receives $1600, while Andrew Robinson goes home with $1550. Sherrard receives $1200, with Mark Kehoe and Rod MacDonald taking home $1100. Peter Gallant received $150 for his three round-robin wins.
Island champs both advance to Cornwall Cashspiel finals
Posted Sunday, November 25, 2007 by derekm
Provincial Junior champions Erin Carmody of the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club, and Brett Gallant of the Charlottetown Curling Club have both advanced to the 2 pm finals at the Pizza Delight/Subway/Howard Johnson Junior Cashspiel at the Cornwall Curling Club.
Other members of the Carmody rink are Geri-Lynn Ramsay, Lisa Moerike, and Jessica van Ouwerkerk, with coach Pat Aylward. Rounding out the Gallant foursome are Adam Casey, Anson Carmody, and Alex MacFadyen, with Kathie Gallant coaching.
Gallant is playing Nova Scotia champion Domenic Daemon in the final, while Carmody is taking on Jessica Daigle from Saint John.
Gallant beat Anton Stefani of New Brunswick in the quarter-finals 7-2, and Charlottetown clubmate Tim Cullen 8-2 in the semi-finals, while Carmody had a quarter-final bye by virtue of her round robin finish, and edged out Tanya Hilliard of CFB-Halifax 4-3 in the semis.
In the other semi-final games, Daemon beat Summerside's Sam Ramsay rink 5-3, aided by a steal of three in the fifth end, while Daigle downed New Brunswick junior champ Mary Jane McGuire by an 8-2 score.
12 junior men's and 12 junior women's teams began play on Friday in this annual junior cashspiel.
Likely in Hub City Final
Posted Sunday, November 25, 2007 by derekm
The Charlottetown rink of John Likely, Phil Gorveatt, Mark Butler, and Mike Dillon are playing the Jamie Brannen rink from New Brunswick in the 2:30 PM final at the 1st annual Hub City Curling Championship at the Moncton Beaver Curling Club.
Three out of four PEI rinks in the Atlantic Curling Tour cashspiel made it to the quarter-final round, with Likely defeating Tim Comeau of New Brunswick 7-5, while Andrew Robinson beat Rod MacDonald 5-1 in the battle between the other two PEI rinks in the quarters. Ryan Sherrard of NB was edged out by Jeremy Mallais, also from NB by a 6-5 score, while Brannen beat Mark Kehoe of NS (score not recorded).
In semi-final play, Likely edged out Charlottetown clubmate Robinson 7-6, while Brannen beat Mallais 6-1.
Likely finished round-robin play with a 4-1 win-loss record, while Robinson, MacDonald, and the other PEI rink in the event, Peter Gallant, all finished at 3-2.
Likely, Robinson, MacDonald all advance to Hub City quarters
Posted Sunday, November 25, 2007 by derekm
Play is underway at the 8:30 am quarter-finals at the 1st annual Hub City Curling Championship at the Moncton Beaver Curling Club, and three out of four PEI teams entered in the event are on the ice.
John Likely is playing Tim Comeau of New Brunswick, while Andrew Robinson is playing Rod MacDonald. Ryan Sherrard of NB is playing Jeremy Mallais, also from NB, and Jamie Brannen of NB is taking on Mark Kohoe of NS in the other games.
Likely finished round-robin play with a 4-1 win-loss record, while Robinson, MacDonald, and the other PEI rink in the event, Peter Gallant, all finished at 3-2.
Semis are at 11, with the finals at 2:30.
Here are the Saturday scores:
Saturday 9 AM Draw
Sheet
1 Jamie Christianson 6 Tyler Milson 3
2 Jeremy Mallais 1 John Likely 8
3 Mark Lecocq 9 Dan Crouse 5
4 Sandy Comeau 3 Dave Nowlan 6
5 Peter Gallant 6 Trevor Archibald 4
Saturday 12 PM Draw
Sheet
1 Robert MacDiarmid 5 Ryan Sherrard 7
2 Tim Comeau 8 Steven Burgess 6
3 Mitch Downey 1 Mark Kehoe 7
4 Mark Dacey 6 Damien Lahiton 4
5 Andrew Robinson 6 Sylvie Robichaud 4
Saturday 3 PM Draw
Sheet
1 Jamie Brannen 6 Rod MacDonald 0
2 Paul Dobson 6 Tyler Milson 5
3 Jamie Christianson 2 Brian Dobson 7
4 Mark Lecocq 5 John Likely 7
5 Sandy Comeau 6 Jeremy Mallais 7
Saturday 6 PM Draw
Sheet
1 Dave Nowlan 8 Dan Crouse 4
2 Peter Gallant 3 Ryan Sherrard 6
3 Tim Comeau 8 Robert MacDiarmid 4
4 Steven Burgess 9 Trevor Archibald 1
5 Mark Dacey 1 Mark Kehoe 5
Saturday 9 PM Draw
Sheet
1 Andrew Robinson 6 Mitch Downey 7
2 Sylvie Robichaud 6 Damien Lahiton 5
3 Paul Dobson 6 Rod MacDonald 0
4 Jamie Christianson 2 Jamie Brannen 4
5 Brian Dobson 6 Tyler Milson 7
Playoff round set at Cornwall Junior Spiel
Posted Sunday, November 25, 2007 by derekm
Many familiar faces are in the playoff round at the Pizza Delight/Subway/Howard Johnson Junior Cashspiel, which concludes today at the Cornwall Curling Club.
PEI Junior Champion Erin Carmody, New Brunswick champion Mary Jane McGuire, along with Charlottetown's Tim Cullen and Nova Scotia Junior Champion Dominic Daemon, who won the junior men's section of this event in 2005, have earned berths in the 11 am semi-finals, after finishing round robin play with perfect 3-0 win-loss records. The quarter-finals get underway at 8:30 am, with PEI champion Brett Gallant facing New Brunswick's Anton Stefani, Matthew Nabuurs of Montague meeting Sam Ramsay of the Silver Fox in Summerside, Tanya Hilliard playing fellow Haligonian Danielle Parsons, and Nova Scotia champion and 2005 event winner Marie Christianson playing Jessica Daigle from Saint John. Gallant and Hilliard finished the round robin at 3-0, while the other teams in the quarters went 2-1.
The finals are at 2 pm. 12 junior men's teams and an equal number of junior women's rinks began play on Friday in this annual junior cashspiel.
Season underway at Maple Leaf
Posted Saturday, November 24, 2007 by derekm
Island rinks win all Friday games at Hub City
Posted Saturday, November 24, 2007 by derekm
All games ended up on the winning side on Friday for the four PEI rinks at the 1st annual Hub City Championship being played at the Moncton Beaver Curling Club.
Rod MacDonald, who played his first three games Friday, is 3-0, while John Likely, Peter Gallant, and Andrew Robinson are 2-1.
Round Robin play wraps up Saturday, with draws at 9 am, noon, and 3, 6 and 9 pm.
Quarter-finals are Sunday at 8:30 am, with the semis at 11:30, and the championship game at 2:30 pm.
Here are the Friday scores:
Friday 9:00 AM Draw
Sheet
1 Brian Dobson 2 Jamie Brannen 5
2 Tyler Milson 6 Rod MacDonald 7
3 Mark Lecocq 3 Dave Nowlan 6
4 Jeremy Mallais 6 Dan Crouse 4
5 Sandy Comeau 3 John Likely 5
Friday 12:00 PM Draw
Sheet
1 Peter Gallant 8 Steve Burgess 4
2 Robert MacDiarmid 7 Trevor Archibald 1
3 Tim Comeau 2 Ryan Sherrard 7
4 Mark Dacey 2 Sylvie Robichaud 7
5 Mitch Downey 7 Damien Lahiton 1
Friday 3 PM Draw
Sheet
1 Andrew Robinson 6 Mark Kehoe 5
2 Paul Dobson 4 Brian Dobson 7
3 Jamie Brannen 8 Tyler Milson 7
4 Jamie Christianson 3 Rod MacDonald 6
5 Mark Lecocq 5 Jeremy Mallais 9
Friday 6 PM Draw
Sheet
1 Dave Nowlan 4 John Likely 7
2 Sandy Comeau 3 Dan Crouse 7
3 Peter Gallant 7 Robert MacDiarmid 4
4 Tim Comeau 8 Trevor Archibald 6
5 Steven Burgess 2 Ryan Sherrard 6
Friday 9 PM Draw
Sheet
1 Mark Dacey 4 Mitch Downey 3
2 Sylvie Robichaud 4 Mark Kehoe 6
3 Andrew Robinson 8 Damien Lahiton 4
4 Paul Dobson 4 Jamie Brannen 6
5 Brian Dobson 2 Rod MacDonald 6
Curl for Cancer at Charlottetown
Posted Friday, November 23, 2007 by derekm
The curling portion of the Curl for Cancer charity event goes Saturday at the Charlottetown Curling Club.
Here is the draw:
9 a.m.
Ice 1 - Reg Peters vs. RCMP;
Ice 2 - Cox-Palmer vs. Lisa Jackson;
Ice 3 - Team Shepherd vs. Team Evans;
Ice 4 - William Nicholson vs. Bob Dillon;
Ice 5 - North Shore F.D. vs. Nick Fraser.
11 a.m.
Ice 1 - Barry MacMillan vs. Sun Life;
Ice 2-Water �N Wine vs. Rick Richard;
Ice 3 - Master Packaging 1 vs. Master Packaging 2;
Ice 4 - Hope-Peters vs. Vince Daley;
Ice 5 - Carol S. Kennedy vs. Cathy MacDougall.
1 p.m.
Ice 1 - Royalty Rotary 1 vs. Parkdale/Sherwood Lions;
Ice 2 - Kiwanis Club vs. North Rustico Lions;
Ice 3 - K-40 Club vs. Y�s Men Club;
Ice 4 - Cornwall Lions vs. Royalty Rotary 2;
Ice 5 - Stratford Lions vs. Kinsmen Club.
3 p.m.
Ice 1 - Aliant vs. East Link;
Ice 2 - CBC 1 vs. Guardian 2;
Ice 3 - CDPEC 1 vs. CDPEC 2;
Ice 4 - Cornwall Curling Club vs. Charlottetown Curling Club;
Ice 5 - Guardian 1 vs. CBC 2.
5 p.m.
Ice 1 - National Bank vs. Allison Faithful;
Ice 2 - Phillip Henry vs. Joyce White;
Ice 3 -Jackie Reid vs. Becky Newson;
Ice 4 - Diane MacKay vs. Mary McKenna;
Ice 5 - Capital Honda 1 vs. Capital Honda 2.
6:30 p.m.
Ice 1 - Roots Store vs. Don O�Connell;
Ice 2 - Frank Proudfoot vs. Bill Atkinson;
Ice 3 - Hillary Thompson vs. Peter McCrady;
Ice 4- Gil Jubainville vs. Gordon MacDonald;
Ice 5 - TBA.
Island rinks off to slow start at Hub City
Posted Friday, November 23, 2007 by derekm
John Likely, Peter Gallant, and Andrew Robinson all lost their opening draws at the Hub City Curling Championship, which got underway last evening at the Beaver Curling Club in Moncton. Rod MacDonald plays his first game at 9 this morning. Here are last night's scores:
Thursday 6:30 PM Draw
Sheet
1 Mark Lecocq 7 Sandy Comeau 4
2 Dave Nowlan 2 Jeremy Mallais 4
3 Dan Crouse 7 John Likely 2
4 Peter Gallant 5 Tim Comeau 9
5 Steven Burgess 7 Robert MacDiarmid 6
Thursday 9 PM Draw
Sheet
1 Trevor Archibald 1 Ryan Sherrard 7
2 Mark Dacey 5 Andrew Robinson 2
3 Sylvie Robichaud 7 Mitch Downey 2
4 Damien Lahiton 8 Mark Kehoe 5
5 Paul Dobson 5 Jamie Christianson 6
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Four PEI men's rinks busy at the Beaver this weekend
Posted Wednesday, November 21, 2007 by derekm
Twenty-four teams, including PEI rinks skipped by John Likely, Peter Gallant, Rod MacDonald, and Andrew Robinson, are competing in the first annual Beaver Curling Club - Hub City Championship, which gets underway Thursday evening, and wraps up Sunday afternoon at the Beaver Curling Club in Moncton. This is an Atlantic Curling Tour event, open to both men's and women's rinks, including seniors and juniors.
Website: curling.monctonut.com
Team Rosters
1. Paul Dobson, Scott Jones, Ryan Porter, Pierre Fraser - NB
2. Mark Lecoq (Skip), Jim Sullivan (Skip�s Rocks), Shaun Mott, Andy McCann � NB
3. Dave Nowlan (Skip), Derek Ellard, Mike Flannery (Skip�s Rocks), Nick McCann - NB
4. Mark Kehoe, Kevin Saccary, Scott Saccary, Donnie Smith � NS
5. Steve Burgess, Chris Jeffrey, Ron Burgess, Kevin Brayshaw � NB
6. John Likely, Phil Gorveatt, Mark Butler, Mike Dillon -
7. Peter Gallant, Kevin Champion, Mark O'rourke, John Desrosiers -
8. Mitch Downey, Matt Hughes, Tim O�Hara, Kendall Mason - NB
9. Sylvie Robichaud, Dannielle Nicholson, Marie Richard, Julie Carrier � NB
10. Robert MacDiarmid, David Cogswell, TBA, Danny MacDonald - NB
11. Jamie Brannen, Mark Ward, Darryl Langdon, Nick Munn � NB
12. Sandy Comeau, Denise Nowlan, Stacey Leger, Heather Munn � NB
13. Rod MacDonald, Jamie Newson, Mike Gaudet, Peter MacDonald -
14. Ryan Sherrard, Jason Roach, Darren Roach, Jared Bezanson - NB
15. Jeremy Mallais, Luc Savoie, Andrew Perrin, Charles Savoie - NB
16. Dan Crouse, Barry Keizer, Andrew Friel, Mark Whiteway, (5th- Yves Maillet) - NB
17. Tim Comeau, Wade Blanchard, Mark Gaudet, Scott Archibald � NB
18. Jamie Christianson, Danny Christianson, Anthony Purcell, Todd Moors � NS
19. Mark Dacey, David Stephenson, Andrew Gibson, Brad Montgomery � NS
20. Tyler Milson, Kendall McCann, Ross Greene, Tyler Brown - NB
21. Brian Dobson, Mark Armstrong, Joe Vautour. Terry Roach - NB
22. Trevor Archibald, Dave Lonergan, Pete Lang, Mike McGowan, (5th- Mike Larsen) � NS
23. Andrew Robinson, Tyler MacKenzie, Tyler Harris, Matt McCarville -
24. Damien Lahiton, Jesse Arseneau, Chris Knox, Adam Marshall - NB
Cornwall Junior Cashspiel to feature top Maritime teams (updated)
Posted Monday, November 19, 2007 by derekm
[updates - one jr. women's team dropped out, one jr. men's team was added, Sarah Clow rink moved to women's section, as space now available]
The annual Pizza Delight/Subway/Howard Johnson Junior Cashspiel is taking place this weekend (November 23-25) at the Cornwall Curling Club, and will once again feature many of the top Maritime junior teams, including event defending champion Jaclyn Crandall from Fredericton, reigning PEI Junior Champions Brett Gallant and Erin Carmody, 2007 Canada Winter Games representatives Sarah Fullerton from PEI and Danielle Parsons from NS, 2006 and 2007 New Brunswick Junior Women's Champion Mary Jane McGuire, 2007 Nova Scotia junior champions Dominic Daemon and Marie Christianson, along with 17 and Under champions Sam Ramsay and Katie Sharkey from PEI, and Sarah Clow from the host club, who won the Maritime Fall Fling Junior Cashspiel in Summerside last weekend. In total, there are 12 junior women's teams and and equal number of junior men's rinks competing.
The two divisions will each play a three pool round robin on Friday and Saturday, with the top six teams advancing to the Sunday playoff round, where the third and fourth place, and fifth and sixth place teams will play off at 8:30 am, with the winners advancing to 11 am semi-finals round against the first and second place teams, respectively. The winners from this round will advance to the finals at 2 pm.
Here are the opening draws:
Friday, November 23rd at 4 pm:
Tim Cullen vs Matthew Nabuurs, Tyler Davies vs David Parker, Erin Carmody vs Sarah Clow, Darcee Birch vs Jessica Daigle
Friday, November 23rd at 6:30 pm:
Anton Stefani vs Brett Gallant, Isaac Shaw vs Kevin Gouthro, Jaclyn Crandall vs Katie Sharkey, Marie Christianson vs Tanya Hilliard,
Friday, November 23rd at 9 pm:
Dominic Daemon vs Sam Ramsay, Ben Parker vs Marc Gordon, Mary Jane McGuire vs Anita Casey, Danielle Parsons vs Sarah Fullerton
Complete round robin schedule and event results at cornwallcurling.com.
Here are the team rosters for the Junior Men's Division:
Tim Cullen, Mitchell O'Shea, Robbie Doherty, Patrick Callbeck, Robbie Roberts (Coach)-Charlottetown Curling Club, PEI
Dominic Daemon, Bryant Farmer, Robbie McLean, Josh MacInnis, Paul MacLean (Coach)-Highlander Curling Club, Antigonish NS
Tyler Davies, Patrick Moore, Joey Farquhar, M. Davies, Lorianne Davies (Coach) Charlottetown Curling Club, PEI
Brett Gallant, Adam Casey, Anson Carmody, Alex MacFadyen, Kathie Gallant (Coach)-Charlottetown Curling Club, PEI
Marc Gordon, Alexander Zachermuk, Vance Hiscock, Paul Ventham, Luke Sanders, Philip Zachernuk (Coach)-Mayflower Curling Club, Halifax NS
Kevin Gouthro, Graham Townsend, Mark MacNamara, Terrence McNeil-Sydney Curling Club, NS
Matthew Nabuurs, Kevin Rice, Mark Nabuurs, Kegan Matheson, Arnie Nabuurs (Coach)-Montague Curling Club, PEI
Ben Parker, Thomas Avery, Matthew Davidson, TBA, Ron Robinson (Coach)-Chester NS Curling Club
David Parker, Corey Miller, Stephen Dunbar, TBA, Nancy Dunbar (Coach)-Charlottetown Curling Club, PEI
Sam Ramsay, Neil Gallant, Eric Pidgeon, Justin Richard, Peter Pidgeon (Coach)-Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club, Summerside PEI
Isaac Shaw, Jonah MacDonald, Mike LeBlanc, Connor MacPhee, Marilyn Sutherland (Coach) -Cornwall Curling Club, PEI
Anton Stefani, Brandon Kempster, Josh Pye, Colin Furlong, Riley Pye (Coach), NB
Here are the Junior Women's Division Team Rosters:
Darcee Birch, Kelsea Beadman, Jenna Perry, Courtney Moore, Kayla Perry (Coach)-Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club, Summerside PEI
Erin Carmody, Geri-Lynn Ramsay, Lisa Moerike, Jessica van Ouwerkerk, Pat Aylward (Coach)-Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club, Summerside, PEI
Anita Casey, Madeleine Campbell, Danielle Chiasson, Bethany MacDonald, Leo Stewart-Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club, Summerside, PEI
Marie Christianson, Katie Thomas, Liz Woodworth, Jenn Baxter, Debbie Christianson (Coach)-CFB Halifax. NS
Sarah Clow, Brielle Quilty, Whitney Young, Christina Hennessey, Aleya Quilty, Trevor Young (Coach)-Cornwall Curling Club, PEI
Jaclyn Crandall, Abby Burgess, Sarah Berthelot, Natasha Daigle, Michel Daigle (Coach)-Capital Winter Club, Fredericton NB
Jessica Daigle, Jessica Moore, Leah Thompson, Shelby Wilson-Thistle St. Andrews, Saint John NB
Sarah Fullerton, Michelle McQuaid, Sara MacRae, Alyssa Mutch, Rebecca Jean MacPhee (Coach)-Cornwall Curling Club, PEI
Tanya Hillard, Christina Black, Jocelyn Adams, Kaitlin Fralic, Paul Hilliard (Coach)-CFB Halifax Curling Club, Halifax NS
Mary Jane McGuire, Meaghan McGuire, Ashlyn Dickieson, Kaitlyn Stubbs, Gerald McGuire-Capital Winter Club, Fredericton NB
Danielle Parsons, Katie Lines, Courtney Huestis. Jane Snyder, Karen Ouellette (Coach)-Mayflower Curling Club, Halifax NS
Katie Sharkey, Alexis Wright, Vanessa Dennis, TBA, Kathy O'Rourke (Coach)-Charlottetown Curling Club, PEI
Clow captures junior cashspiel - Pulls out one-point decision in final (Journal)
Posted Monday, November 19, 2007 by derekm
SUMMERSIDE � The Sarah Clow rink pulled out a dramatic victory in the girls� final of the second annual Maritime Junior Fall Fling cashspiel here at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club on Sunday afternoon.
Click for story and picture at The Journal-Pioneer.
Co-op / Credit Union Funspiel at Maple Leaf
Posted Sunday, November 18, 2007 by derekm
O'Leary, PE
December 7th & 8th, 2007
Registration Fee:
$100.00/team
GUARANTEED:
3 GAMES
Good Fun & Good Food!!
OPEN TO MEMBERS
& NON-MEMBERS
Must have 1 new curler!!!
Register by: DECEMBER 1st , 2007 @ 5:00pm
Ph: (902) 859-3012 (leave a message)
email: [email protected]
Stephen Burgess and Sarah Clow rinks win Silver Fox Jr. Spiel
Posted Sunday, November 18, 2007 by derekm
The Stephen Burgess rink from the Capital Winter Club in Fredericton NB, and the Sarah Clow team from the Cornwall Curling Club are the winners in the Maritime Junior Fall Cash Fling, which wrapped up today at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside.
The Burgess foursome doubled the Kendall Thompson team from the Lakeshore Curling Club in Halifax by a 12-6 score, scoring seven points in ends seven through nine of the 10 end final. Clow's win was much closer, as she edged Jessica Ronalds of Moncton 6-5. Other members of the Burgess rink are Chris Jeffery, Ronnie Burgess, and Kevin Brayshaw, with coach Judy Burgess. Brielle Quilty, Whitney Young, and Christina Hennessey, with coach Trevor Young, round out the Clow squad.
In junior men's semi-final play, Thompson defeated Lee Buott of CFB Halifax 10-2, while Burgess beat Tim Cullen of Charlottetown 8-3.
The junior women's semis saw Clow defeat Darcee Birch of the host Silver Fox club 12-5, taking control of the game in the 4th end after Birch built up a 5-0 lead.
Ronalds edged out defending champion Erin Carmody of the host club by a 7-6 score to advance to the final.
Carmody and Birch finished at 4-1 in their round-robin pool, with Birch defeating Carmody 6-4 in their encounter. but losing 7-3 to Alison Hudson of the Dartmouth Curling Club in the last round.
Ronalds emerged as the only undefeated team in the women's round robin, with a 5-0 record. The other three teams in her pool had 3-2 win-loss records, with Clow advancing to the semis after tie-breaking scenarios were put into play.
In the men's round robin, Buott finished at 4-1, losing 7-2 to Burgess on Friday night. Burgess, and Montague's Matthew Nabuurs both finished at 3-2, but a triple and a five-ender in their final round encounter gave Burgess a 9-3 win and a trip to the money round.
Cullen went undefeated in the other pool, with Thompson coming out on the short end of a 7-5 decision in their round robin encounter to finish at 4-1.
The winning Burgess and Clow teams take home $500, with $250 for runners-up Thompson and Ronalds, and $100 for the remaining semi-finalists. Eleven junior women's rinks and twelve junior men's teams took part in this annual junior cash spiel.
Many of the teams from this weekend's competition will be back on the Island on Friday for the Pizza Delight/Subway/Howard Johnson junior cashspiel at the Cornwall Curling Club.
Playoff round goes today at Maritime Junior Fall Cash Fling
Posted Sunday, November 18, 2007 by derekm
The playoff round is set as the Maritime Junior Fall Cash Fling wraps up today at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club, with the semi-finals at 9 am, and the championship round at 1 pm.
In the junior men's section, the semis will see Lee Buott of CFB Halifax play another Haligonian, Kendall Thompson of the Lakeshore Curling Club, while Tim Cullen of Charlottetown takes on Steven Burgess.of the Capital Winter Club in Fredericton.
The junior women's semis have Darcee Birch of the host Silver Fox club taking on Sarah Clow of Cornwall, and Jessica Ronalds of Moncton facing defending event and PEI champion Erin Carmody of the host club.
Carmody and Birch finished at 4-1 in their round-robin pool, with Birch defeating Carmody 6-4 in their encounter. but losing 7-3 to Alison Hudson of the Dartmouth Curling Club in the last round.
Ronalds emerged as the only undefeated team in the women's round robin, with a 5-0 record. The other three teams in her pool had 3-2 win-loss records, with Clow advancing to the semis after tie-breaking scenarios were put into play.
In the men's round robin, Buott finished at 4-1, losing 7-2 to Burgess on Friday night. Burgess, and Montague's Matthew Nabuurs both finished at 3-2, but a triple and a five-ender in their final round encounter gave Burgess a 9-3 win and a trip to the money round.
Cullen went undefeated in the other pool, with Thompson coming out on the short end of a 7-5 decision in their round robin encounter to finish at 4-1.
Winning teams in this event take home $500, with $250 for the runners-up, and $100 for the remaining semi-finalists. Eleven junior women's rinks and twelve junior men's teams took part in this annual junior cash spiel.
Many of the teams from this weekend's competition will be back on the Island on Friday for the Pizza Delight/Subway/Howard Johnson junior cashspiel at the Cornwall Curling Club.
Concentration is the key
Posted Saturday, November 17, 2007 by derekm
Jenna Perry, second stone with the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club rink skipped by Darcee Birch, delivers a stone during play Friday afternoon against a Dartmouth Curling Club rink. The Silver Fox is hosting the second annual Maritime Junior Fall Fling. Twenty-three teams are taking part in the event, which wraps up Sunday with semi-final action at 9 a.m. and finals at 1 p.m.
Click to view photo at The Journal-Pioneer.
[Update: the Birch rink, and the Jessica Ronalds team from Moncton currently lead the women's section, with 4-0 win-loss records, while Matthew Nabuurs from Montague, Tim Cullen from Charlottetown, and Kendall Thompson from Halifax are 3-0 in the junior men's division.]
Sticks and stones
Posted Saturday, November 17, 2007 by derekm
Junior Day Camps set for Dec. 1st and 2nd
Posted Saturday, November 17, 2007 by derekm
The PEI Curling Association is holding Day Camps for PEI junior curlers, on Saturday December 1st for age 12 and under, and Sunday Dec. 2nd for 15 and under.
The camps will be held at the Charlottetown Curling Club, from 9 am to 4 pm on Saturday and 9 to 4:30 on Sunday. Cost is $10 per person for 12 and under, and $15 per person for 15 and under.
The camps will include on-ice skills, off-ice activities, classroom sessions, two games, nutrition breaks, prizes and lots of fun.
Each team/group requires an adult coach or supervisor. First ten teams in each section accepted on a first-paid basis.
Please forward registration form and fee (make cheques payable to the PEI Curling Assoc.) by Nov. 27 to:
Gayle Johnston, Box 3 Site 10, 46 Kirkdale Rd, Charlottetown C1E 1N6, or drop them off at the Ch'town Curling Club.
For further information please contact Gayle at 368-1071 or email [email protected].
Alberta wins Canadian Mixed
Posted Saturday, November 17, 2007 by derekm
Friday, November 16, 2007. Source: Canadian Curling Association
CALGARY, November 16�.There was just no stopping the A-train, as in Alberta, at the Canadian Mixed Curling Championship.
Friday afternoon, the host province, skipped by Dean Ross, eked out a 5-4 decision over Ontario, in front of a partisan crowd at the Calgary Curling Club, to win a leading ninth Mixed championship for Alberta since the event began in 1964 in Toronto.
Early on, it looked like it was going to be a blowout for the Ross squad, who had finished the round robin in first place with a 10-1 mark in earning a bye to the final, losing only to Manitoba in Draw 8 in an extra end.
Representing the Calgary Curling Club, the Albertans blanked the first end, took one in the second, one in the fourth and stole a deuce in the fifth for a 4-1 lead at the break.
But Ontario, skipped by three-time Canadian senior champion Bob Turcotte, who was representing the Scarboro Golf & Country Club, rallied in the second half, responding with a pair in the sixth to cut the margin to 4-3.
Alberta blanked the seventh, but Ontario stole one in the eighth end to knot the affair at four. After a blanked ninth end, Ross, with hammer, was able to count the winning point in the 10th, without throwing his final rock. Unfortunately for Turcotte, his last brick picked halfway down the ice, as the skip was attempting an outturn draw to backing.
�It's been 32 years (of curling), I guess. It's nice to finally get something out of all those years,� said the 44-year-old Ross, a golf course superintendent at Harvest Hills Golf Course in Calgary.
It was the first Mixed win for Ross, second Tim Krassman and lead Susan Wright, the wife of Ross, but the second Mixed title for third Susan O�Connor, who also played third for Alberta�s Kevin Koe when capturing the 2000 Canadian Mixed in Lethbridge, ironically the last time the province had hosted the championship. O�Connor was also the third on Cheryl Bernard�s team at last year�s Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Lethbridge.
�I'm extremely, extremely happy for the rest of the team, and Dean in particular,� said O�Connor. �He really deserves this, and he played phenomenal. I hope when he looks back on this, he's not going to think that we won because of a pick. I hope he looks at his first shot in 10 and thinks, 'That was the shot that won us the championship.' It's a tough way to win, and in a way, I wish he would have had to throw his last shot because he would have made it. I know he would have made it. He made them all week.�
Wright has represented Newfoundland at three Scott Tournament of Hearts, in 1991, 1999 and 2000, while Krassman, who curls out of the Medicine Hat Curling Club, is a former two-time provincial junior champion.
Ross enjoyed a significant 92%-75% edge over Turcotte in shooting percentage, while the team percentages were almost even, with Ontario holding a slight 86-85 advantage.
In addition to winning the Canadian title, two members of the winning team will now represent Canada at the inaugural 2008 World Mixed Doubles Championship, March 9-15 in Vierum�ki, Finland. The winning team will decide amongst themselves who goes.
�I have no idea,� said Ross, about who the team will select. �Like I said before, I've been avoiding it since last spring (when winning the provincial) and I'm still kind of avoiding it, I guess. We'll sit down and figure it out.�
About his last stone, Turcotte said, �The line was perfect, the sweepers said the weight was perfect. What do you do? All of a sudden, it just goes sideways. It's a shame for both teams because we lose on the pick and they can't cheer because they feel bad for us.�
In the Thursday evening semi-final, Ontario had no trouble disposing of Nova Scotia, 11-5.
Ontario, the second place finisher after the round robin with an 8-3 mark, opened with a deuce in the first end, stole four in the fourth for a 7-1 lead, then counted another four in the seventh end to put the game away.
Nova Scotia, skipped by Peter Burgess of Truro, had advanced to the semi-final by defeating Quebec, 8-5 in a tiebreaker for third Thursday afternoon.
Alberta finished in first place with a 10-1 record to advance directly to the final.
Curling dream on PEI finally becomes reality
Posted Friday, November 16, 2007 by derekm
Provincial association inducts its first 10 members into its new Hall of Fame and Museum Thursday night in Summerside.
Click to read this story from Bill Semple of Transcontinental Media.
Click to read this story from The Journal-Pioneer
PEI Curling Hall of Fame inducts ten inaugural members A large crowd was in attendance at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club on Thursday night, as the Prince Edward Island Curling Hall of Fame and Museum, recently formed under the auspices of the PEI Curling Association, hosted its first annual induction ceremony. The first ten inductees honoured for their outstanding contribution to the sport of curling are: Thane Campbell (posthumously), Doug Cameron, Cathy Dillon, George Dillon, Robert Dillon, Elizabeth Linkletter (posthumously), Alexander (D. Alex) MacDonald, Kathleen MacDonald, Helen Robbins and Hugh Robbins. The main objectives of the Hall of Fame and Museum are "to recognize, honour and pay tribute to individuals or teams on the basis of playing ability, sportsmanship and character, who have achieved extraordinary distinction in the sport of curling, whether that distinction be as an amateur or a professional" and "to recognize, honour and pay tribute to those individuals who have given distinguished service and have made major contributions to the development of curling on PEI". Board members of the Hall of Fame and Museum include Muzika as chair, along with Marilyn Sutherland, Barb Currie, and Bev Miller, along with Paul H. Schurman as Advisor/Consultant, and Dave Murphy, President of the PEICA. Master of Ceremonies for the event was Paul H. Schurman. An album of photos from tonight's inaugural induction ceremony, along with biographies of each inductee are now available at:
Posted Thursday, November 15, 2007 by derekm
Photo: Back row L-R: Al Forsythe, President, Canadian Curling Association, Cathy Dillon, Bobby Dillon, Marjorie MacMillan, daughter of posthumous inductee Elizabeth Linkletter, Nancy Cameron, daughter of inductee Doug Cameron, George Dillon.Front row L-R: Hugh Robbins,. Helen Robbins, D. Alex MacDonald, Kathleen MacDonald, Blair Campbell, grandson of posthumous inductee Thane Campbell. (Group posing with portraits drawn by artist Wayne Wright)
"It is long past due that PEI curlers and builders be recognized for their achievements in their sport", says Jerry Muzika, a member of the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame, and Chairman of the new PEI Hall and Museum. Muzika notes that the selection committee had a tough job in selecting the first recipients from an impressive group of worthy candidates.
Dignitaries on hand to offer their congratulations to the inaugural inductees included Al Forsythe, President of the Canadian Curling Association, Barry Chappell, Councillor, City of Summerside, Janice Sherry, MLA Summerside-Wilmot, Nancy Sinclair, President, Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club, and David Murphy, President, PEI Curling Assocaition. Les Harrison, President of the World Curling Federation, was unable to attend due to commitments at the Monctonian bonspiel, but sent along a congratulatory note.
return to headlines
Nova Scotia advances to semi-final at Canadian Mixed-PEI ends play at 4-7
Posted Thursday, November 15, 2007 by derekm
Source: Canadian Curling Association
CALGARY, November 15�.Nova Scotia has advanced to the semi-final of the Canadian Mixed Curling Championship, after defeating Quebec, 8-5 in a Thursday afternoon tiebreaker.
Skipped by Truro�s Peter Burgess, Nova Scotia, after giving up a steal of one in the first end, responded with a deuce in the second, another deuce in the fourth, then a three-spot in the seventh end to virtually put the game away, taking a commanding 7-3 lead.
Quebec, skipped by Simon Dupuis of Thurso, came back with a pair in the eighth end to close the gap, but another single by the �Bluenosers� in the ninth end proved enough, as Quebec ran out of rocks in the 10th.
Both teams had finished the round robin with 7-4 marks, thus the tiebreaker to determine the third place finisher.
Nova Scotia will now play Ontario in the 6:00 pm MT/9:00 pm AT semi-final, with the winner advancing to Friday�s final at 1:00 pm MT/4:00 pm Atlantic to meet first place Alberta (10-1), skipped by Dean Ross of Calgary.
Ontario, skipped by three-time Canadian Seniors champion Bob Turcotte, who is representing the Scarboro Golf & Country Club in Toronto, finished second after the round robin with an 8-3 mark.
The teams met in the first draw of the round robin last Saturday, with Ontario emerging victorious, 10-4.
The round robin concluded Thursday morning.Alberta, skipped by Dean Ross of Calgary, finished with a 10-1 record, after edging Newfoundland and Labrador, 7-6 in Draw 11 and advances directly to Friday�s final.
Ontario, skipped by Bob Turcotte of Toronto, wound up in second spot with an 8-3 record, after beating New Brunswick, 11-6. Ontario goes to Thursday night�s semi-final at 6:00 pm MT against Nova Scotia. Quebec, skipped by Simon Dupuis of Thurso, qualified for the tiebreaker by defeating Yukon/Northwest Territories, 7-5, while Nova Scotia, skipped by Peter Burgess of Truro, needed a deuce in the 10th end to outlast Saskatchewan, 6-4 to also qualify.
Northern Ontario could have made it a threesome in the battle for third, but dropped an 8-7 extra end decision to Manitoba. The other Draw 11 score saw British Columbia whack Prince Edward Island, 10-3.
Thus, the final standings, after the top four teams, showed British Columbia (Bryan Miki of New Westminster) and Northern Ontario (Mike Assad of Thunder Bay) at 6-5, followed by Manitoba (Reid Carruthers of Winnipeg) at 5-6.
New Brunswick (Jamie Brannen of Fredericton) and Prince Edward Island (Kyle Stevenson of Charlottetown) wound up at 4-7, with Saskatchewan (Ian Mayoh of Debden), Newfoundland and Labrador (Brian Bailey of Corner Brook) and Yukon/Northwest Territories (Wade Scoffin of Whitehorse) tied with 3-8 marks.
Twelve teams, representing the 10 provinces plus separate entries for Northern Ontario and Yukon/Northwest Territories, have been battling for the 2008 Canadian Mixed title since last Saturday. Alberta and Saskatchewan have each won the Mixed a leading eight times since the championship began in 1964 in Toronto.
In addition to winning the Canadian title, two members of the winning team will also compete in the inaugural 2008 World Mixed Doubles Championship, March 9-15 in Vierum�ki, Finland. The team members will decide who will represent Canada at the event.
CurlTV (www.curltv.com) is providing complete coverage of the Mixed to its subscribers.
Salmon Arm to host the 2009 M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors
Posted Thursday, November 15, 2007 by derekm
SALMON ARM, British Columbia, November 15, 2007�. The Canadian Curling Association (CCA) today announced that Salmon Arm, British Columbia will host the 2009 M&M Meat Shops Canadian junior men�s and women�s curling championships.
The M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors will be held January 31-February 8, 2009, with round robin games taking place at both the six-sheet Salmon Arm Curling Club and the adjacent Sunwave Centre, a twin-sheet ice arena. The men�s and women�s finals will be played at the Sunwave Centre, with both games televised for the first time by TSN, as part of its new exclusive television agreement with the Canadian Curling Association, beginning with the 2008-09 season.
Thirteen men�s and 13 women�s teams, representing the 10 provinces plus Northern Ontario, Northwest Territories and Yukon, will compete. At the conclusion of the round robin, the first place teams advance to their respective finals while the second and third place teams meet in semi-finals.
�It�s my pleasure, on behalf of the Canadian Curling Association, to announce Salmon Arm as the site for the 2009 M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors,� said CCA CEO Greg Stremlaw. �It�s gratifying to know the Salmon Arm community is excited about staging one of our premier championships, which showcases the future stars of our sport and we wish the host committee all the best in its preparations.�
Salmon Arm, with a population of 17,000, is located on picturesque Shuswap Lake, the houseboat capital of Canada. The event will be hosted by the Salmon Arm Curling Club and the Shuswap Recreation Society, which operates the Sunwave Centre.
�Salmon Arm is very pleased and excited to host the 2009 M & M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors,� said host committee co-chairs Fred Puetz and Debbie Jones. �This is the first time we have hosted a national curling championship. The members of the curling club and the entire community have always supported previous curling events held here. We look forward to their support again and we thank the Canadian Curling Association for the opportunity to stage these prestigious championships.�
The winners of the 2009 M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors will then represent Canada at the 2009 world junior curling championships, March 5-15, at the Hillcrest/Nat Bailey Stadium Park in Vancouver, also the site of the 2010 Winter Olympics curling competition. Canada has won a leading 16 junior men�s titles since 1975, including nine of the last 10, and eight women�s crowns since 1988, the last in 2003.
M&M Meat Shops, Canada's largest retail chain of specialty frozen foods, will be celebrating its fourth year of title sponsorship of the Canadian Juniors in 2009.
The first M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors took place in Thunder Bay in 2006 at the Fort William and Port Arthur Curling Clubs, while the 2007 renewal was held in St. Catharines, at the Jack Gatecliff Arena and St. Catharines Golf & Country Club, after M&M Meat Shops announced a three-year title sponsorship extension through 2009. The 2008 edition is scheduled for Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, February 3-10.
�We are very pleased, as a Canadian-owned company, to be involved with such a popular Canadian sport,� said Mac Voisin, Chairman and Founder of M&M Meat Shops. �Several years ago, we made a commitment to support curling, specifically, as the title sponsor of the Canadian Juniors and we are thoroughly enjoying our involvement. I wish the Salmon Arm host committee good luck in staging the 2009 M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors.�
The Canadian junior men�s championship began in 1950 in Quebec City, while the Canadian junior women�s event debuted in 1971 in Vancouver. They were conducted as separate championships until 1987 in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, when they were combined.
This will mark a leading ninth time that British Columbia has hosted the Canadian junior men�s event, but also a leading eighth time for the junior women�s. The last time the province staged the championships was in 2004 in Victoria.
British Columbia has won four Canadian junior men�s titles, the last by Brad Kuhn in 2000 in Moncton, and three Canadian junior women�s crowns, the last by Julie Sutton in 1987 in Prince Albert. Alberta leads all provinces with 15 junior men�s titles, while Saskatchewan leads with 10 Canadian junior women�s crowns.
With today�s announcement, the schedule confirmed to date for the 2008-09 Canadian and world championships season is as follows.
2009 M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors, January 31-February 8, Salmon Arm, BC
2009 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, February 21-March 1, Victoria, BC
2009 World Juniors, March 5-15, Vancouver, BC
2009 Tim Hortons Brier, March 7-15, Calgary, AB
2009 World Women�s, March 21-29, Gangneung, Korea
2009 Ford World Men�s, April 4-12, Moncton, NB
Alberta clinches first place, PEI picks up win at Mixed
Posted Thursday, November 15, 2007 by derekm
Wednesday, November 14, 2007 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
CALGARY, November 14�.Alberta has clinched first place and a berth in Friday�s final of the Canadian Mixed Curling Championship after defeating Nova Scotia, 8-5 Wednesday evening at the Calgary Curling Club.
Skipped by Calgary�s Dean Ross, Alberta, a front-runner from the start of the event last Saturday, pushed its record to 9-1 with the victory, with one draw remaining in the round robin.
Since its closest pursuer, Ontario, is two games in arrears, the host province was able to snare top spot, regardless of how it fares in Thursday morning�s final round robin game against Newfoundland and Labrador.
Alberta jumped to a quick 4-0 lead over Nova Scotia, taking two in the first end, then stealing singles in the second and third. But the �bluenosers�, skipped by Peter Burgess of Truro, clawed their way back with a three-spot in the seventh end to reduce the margin to 5-4. The teams traded singles in the next two ends, though, before Alberta was able to take two in the 10th to clinch.
In other Draw 10 results, Ontario defeated Manitoba, 8-5 to move into sole possession of second place, with a 7-3 mark. Skipped by three-time Canadian seniors champion Bob Turcotte, representing the Scarboro Golf & Country Club in Toronto, Ontario stole singles in the ninth and 10th ends for the win against Manitoba�s Reid Carruthers of Winnipeg.
Three teams are currently tied for third with 6-4 marks � Northern Ontario, Nova Scotia and Quebec. Northern Ontario, skipped by Mike Assad of Thunder Bay, climbed back into contention by beating Quebec�s Simon Dupuis of Thurso, 8-4.
Others scores saw Saskatchewan defeat New Brunswick, 8-5, Prince Edward Island beat Newfoundland and Labrador, 7-4 and British Columbia take down Yukon/Northwest Territories, 7-3.
After Thursday morning�s 9:00 am draw, Alberta will advance to Friday�s 1:00 pm MT/4:00 pm AT final, while the second and third place teams meet in a semi-final either Thursday evening or Friday morning, depending on the number of tiebreakers required.
Twelve teams, representing the 10 provinces plus separate entries for Northern Ontario and Yukon/Northwest Territories, have been battling for the 2008 Canadian Mixed title since last Saturday. Alberta and Saskatchewan have each won the Mixed a leading eight times, since the championship began in 1964 in Toronto.
In addition to winning the Canadian title, two members of the winning team will also compete in the inaugural 2008 World Mixed Doubles Championship, March 9-15 in Vierum�ki, Finland. The team members will decide who will represent Canada at the event.
CurlTV (www.curltv.com) is providing complete coverage of the Mixed to its subscribers.
Alberta widens lead at Mixed - NS beats PEI to move into tie for 2nd
Posted Wednesday, November 14, 2007 by derekm
Wednesday, November 14, 2007 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
CALGARY, November 14�Alberta solidified its hold on first place Wednesday afternoon at the Canadian Mixed Curling Championship by defeating New Brunswick, 6-4 in a hard-fought affair.
The victory by Dean Ross�s Calgary team upped its record to 8-1. However, the Ross squad was pushed to the limit by Fredericton�s Jamie Brannen�s team, taking a deuce in the eighth end for a 5-3 lead, then counting one in the 10th end to seal the victory.
Alberta hasn�t clinched first place yet though, since it plays Nova Scotia in Draw 10 Wednesday evening at 6:00 pm MT/8:00 pm ET. But the afternoon victory, coupled with an Ontario loss, restored the host province�s two game margin.
Surprising Nova Scotia, skipped by Peter Burgess of Truro, has now moved into a three-way tie for second, with a 6-3 mark, after beating Prince Edward Island, 7-5. Joining the �bluenosers� in second are Quebec, skipped by Simon Dupuis of Thurso and Ontario�s Bob Turcotte of Toronto. Quebec defeated Ontario, 6-3, in a crucial encounter, to create the three-way tie.
In other Draw 9 games, British Columbia, skipped by Bryan Miki of New Westminster, defeated Newfoundland and Labrador, 8-5; Saskatchewan, skipped by Ian Mayoh of Debden, upset Manitoba, 7-5 and Yukon/Northwest Territories, skipped by Wade Scoffin of Whitehorse, knocked Northern Ontario down a peg with a 6-4 win, stealing singles in the ninth and 10th ends. Northern Ontario, skipped by Mike Assad of Thunder Bay, drops to 5-4, alone in fifth place.
The round robin concludes Thursday morning with a 9:00 am draw, followed by any required tiebreakers before the playoffs. The first place team will advance to Friday�s 1:00 pm MT/3:00 pm ET final, while the second and third place teams meet in a semi-final either Thursday evening or Friday morning, depending on the number of tiebreakers.
Twelve teams, representing the 10 provinces plus separate entries for Northern Ontario and Yukon/Northwest Territories, are battling for the 2008 Canadian Mixed title, which has been won by Alberta and Saskatchewan a leading eight times each since the championship began in 1964 in Toronto.
Two members of the winning team will also compete in the inaugural 2008 World Mixed Doubles Championship, March 9-15 in Vierum�ki, Finland. The team members will decide who will represent Canada at the event.
CurlTV (www.curltv.com) is providing event coverage to its subscribers.
Cornwall Ladies Spiel Opening Day Draws
Posted Wednesday, November 14, 2007 by derekm
Here are the opening day draws for the Soirees and Shindiggs Ladies Curling Bonspiel at the Cornwall Curling Club:
Friday, Nov 16th
5:30 Draw
Ice 1: Reeves vs. Sanderson
Ice 2: DeValle vs Sweetapple
Ice 3: Morrison vs Stavert
Ice 4: MacLean vs Currie
7:00 Draw
Ice 1: LeClair vs Blanchard
Ice 2: Griffin vs Atkinson
Ice 3: Moyaert vs MacKay
Ice 4: MacMurdo vs Berry
9:00 Draw
Ice 1: Winners from 5:30 draw Ice 3 vs Ice 4
Ice 2: Winners from 7:00 draw Ice 3 vs Ice 4
Ice 3: Winners from 5:30 draw Ice 1 vs Ice 2
Ice 4: Winners from 7:00 draw Ice 1 vs Ice 2
No more undefeated teams at Mixed, PEI 3-5 after loss to NB
Posted Wednesday, November 14, 2007 by derekm
Wednesday, November 14, 2007 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
CALGARY, November 13�.Leader Alberta finally tasted defeat Tuesday night at the Canadian Mixed Curling Championship, being played at the Calgary Curling Club.
Manitoba, skipped by Reid Carruthers of Winnipeg, proved the giant killer in Draw 8, edging Alberta, skipped by Dean Ross of Calgary, 5-4 in an extra end.
Even though the loss by Ross dropped his team�s record to 7-1, Alberta still maintained its hold on top spot. But now it�s Ontario, skipped by Bob Turcotte, representing the Scarboro Golf & Country Club, which has moved into second spot with a 6-2 mark, after defeating Yukon/Northwest Territories, 8-6.
Northern Ontario, skipped by Mike Assad of Thunder Bay, fell into a three-way tie for third with Nova Scotia and Quebec, after being edged, 6-5, by British Columbia.
In other games, Quebec, skipped by Simon Dupuis of Thurso, beat Saskatchewan, 8-5, New Brunswick whacked Prince Edward Island, 8-2 and Nova Scotia, skipped by Peter Burgess of Truro, got by Newfoundland and Labrador, 8-6.
That left Manitoba and New Brunswick tied for sixth with 4-4 records, followed by British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island at 3-5, Yukon/NWT at 2-6 and Saskatchewan at 1-7.
Round robin play continues on Wednesday with draws at 12 Noon and 6:00 pm local time and concludes Thursday morning with a 9:00 am draw, followed by any required tiebreakers before the playoffs. The first place team will advance to Friday�s 1:00 pm MT/4:00 pm AT final, while the second and third place teams meet in a semi-final either Thursday evening or Friday morning.
Twelve teams, representing the 10 provinces plus separate entries for Northern Ontario and Yukon/Northwest Territories, are battling for the 2008 Canadian Mixed title, which has been won by Alberta and Saskatchewan a leading eight times each since the championship began in 1964 in Toronto.
Two members of the winning team will also compete in the inaugural 2008 World Mixed Doubles Championship, March 9-15 in Vierum�ki, Finland. The team members will decide who will represent Canada at the event.
CurlTV (www.curltv.com) is providing event coverage to its subscribers.
Stevenson's winning streak ends - Alberta's doesn't at Mixed
Posted Tuesday, November 13, 2007 by derekm
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Source: Canadian Curling Association
CALGARY, November 13�Alberta continues to roll at the Canadian Mixed Curling Championship, taking place at the Calgary Curling Club.
Skipped by Dean Ross of Calgary, Alberta remained unbeaten through seven draws with a 9-6 win over Northern Ontario, in a battle of the top two teams. Ross broke the game open with a three-spot in the seventh end to take a commanding 8-5 lead. The teams traded singles in the next two ends before Northern Ontario, skipped by Mike Assad of Thunder Bay, ran out of rocks in the 10th.
Thus, Alberta is now 7-0 and holds a two-game edge over Northern Ontario, which fell to 5-2 with the loss.
Ontario, skipped by three-time Canadian Seniors champion Bob Turcotte of Toronto, climbed back into a tie for second with Northern Ontario, dusting off Saskatchewan, 8-4.
In other Draw 7 games, Nova Scotia defeated Manitoba, 7-3; Quebec whipped Newfoundland and Labrador, 8-3; British Columbia got back on the winning track with a 10-3 pasting of New Brunswick while Yukon/Northwest Territories, skipped by Wade Scoffin of Whitehorse, put a halt to Prince Edward Island�s three-game winning streak, defeating the Islanders, 12-10.
The results left Nova Scotia, skipped by Peter Burgess of Truro, and Quebec, skipped by Simon Dupuis of Thurso, deadlocked for fourth with 4-3 marks.
Draw 8 is scheduled for Tuesday evening at 6:00 pm MT/9:00 pm AT.
Round robin play continues on Wednesday with draws at 12 Noon and 6:00 pm and concludes Thursday morning with a 9:00 am draw, followed by any required tiebreakers before the playoffs. The first place team will advance to Friday�s 1:00 pm MT/4:00 pm AT final, while the second and third place teams meet in a semi-final either Thursday evening or Friday morning.
Twelve teams, representing the 10 provinces plus separate entries for Northern Ontario and Yukon/Northwest Territories, are battling for the 2008 Canadian Mixed title, which has been won by Alberta and Saskatchewan a leading eight times each since the championship began in 1964 in Toronto.
Two members of the winning team will also compete in the inaugural 2008 World Mixed Doubles Championship, March 9-15 in Vierum�ki, Finland. The team members will decide who will represent Canada at the event.
CurlTV (www.curltv.com) is providing event coverage to its subscribers.
Mixed Seniors entry deadline is Nov. 22nd
Posted Tuesday, November 13, 2007 by derekm
The PEI provincial curling championship season gets underway with the Mixed Seniors, which runs from December 13-16 at the Charlottetown Curling Club. This event is for mixed teams age 50 and over. Entry fee is $30 per player, and entry deadline is November 22nd. All entries must be on an official entry form available at all PEI curling clubs, and online at peicurling.com, and must be mailed to the PEI Curling Association at the address indicated on the form.
ACT Ch'ship event confirmed
Posted Tuesday, November 13, 2007 by derekm
The Atlantic Curling Tour Championships will take place Dec. 6-9 at the Beaver Curling Club in Moncton, and will feature the top 8 teams from this men's tour, as of Nov. 25th, along with the next 8 teams, as of December 2nd. For more info, contact Rob Harris at [email protected]. or visit www.Curleast.com. PEI rinks currently in the top 8 (as of Nov. 6th) are John Likely and Kyle Stevenson, with Rod MacDonald and John Derosiers in the next 8. Peter Gallant is close behind in 17th spot, while Andrew Robinson is 19th, and Jody Jackson is 22nd.
Red-hot Kyle Stevenson rink makes it 3 in a row; Alta. still perfect at Mixed
Posted Tuesday, November 13, 2007 by derekm
Monday, November 12, 2007 Source: Canadian Curling Association
CALGARY, November 12�So far, so good, at least as far as the host province Alberta is concerned, at the Canadian Mixed Curling Championship, being played at the Calgary Curling Club.
On Monday night, Alberta, skipped by Dean Ross of Calgary, eked out a 4-3 victory over Saskatchewan, taking one in the 10th end to remain unbeaten at 6-0.
In spite of perfection after three days at the Canadian championship, Alberta remains just a game ahead of Northern Ontario, skipped by Mike Assad of Thunder Bay. Northern Ontario kept pace by defeating Newfoundland and Labrador, 7-3 to push its record to 5-1.
Ontario, skipped by Bob Turcotte of Toronto, is now at 4-2 after dropping a 9-5 decision to red-hot Kyle Stevenson�s Prince Edward Island foursome, who has now won three games in a row.
Photo: Kyle Stevenson, Tammi Lowther, Doug MacGregor, Tricia Affleck
In other Draw 6 games, Quebec defeated New Brunswick, 8-6 in an extra end; Manitoba prevailed over British Columbia, 7-5 and Nova Scotia edged Yukon/NWT, taking one in the 12th end, that�s right, the 12th end, for an 8-7 victory.
Thus, six teams are now knotted at 3-3: Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Quebec.
Three teams remain at the bottom of the standings, all with 1-5 marks�. British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Yukon/NWT.
Round robin play continues with two-a-day draws at 12 Noon and 6:00 pm local time on Tuesday and Wednesday. The round robin concludes on Thursday morning with a 9:00 am draw, followed by any required tiebreakers before the playoffs. The first place team will advance to Friday�s 1:00 pm MT/4:00 pm AT final, while the second and third place teams meet in a semi-final either Thursday evening or Friday morning.
Twelve teams, representing the 10 provinces plus separate entries for Northern Ontario and Yukon/Northwest Territories, are battling for the 2008 Canadian Mixed title, which has been won by Alberta and Saskatchewan a leading eight times each since the championship began in 1964 in Toronto.
Two members of the winning team will also compete in the inaugural 2008 World Mixed Doubles Championship, March 9-15 in Vierum�ki, Finland. The team members will decide who will represent Canada at the event.
CurlTV (www.curltv.com) is providing event coverage to its subscribers.
Brett Gallant loses semi to eventual winner at Oak Island Jr. Spiel
Posted Monday, November 12, 2007 by derekm
The Oak Island Junior Cashspiel wrapped up Sunday at the Chester Curling Club in Nova Scotia. Fifteen junior men's and an equal number of junior women's rinks from the four Atlantic provinces, Massachusetts and Scotland began play on Friday, including PEI rinks Sarah Fullerton and Isaac Shaw from Cornwall, Sam Ramsay from the Silver Fox, and Brett Gallant and Tim Cullen from Charlottetown. Round robin play wrapped up Saturday night with junior men's rinks Jeremy Mallais from the Moncton Beausejour club and Kendall Thompson from the Lakeshore club in Nova Scotia, Stephen Dropkin from Massachusetts and Glen Muirhead of Scotland, along with Brett Gallant of PEI and Paul Filbee-Dexter from the Halifax Mayflower club advancing to the playoff round in the men's division. The Filbee-Dexter rink, which includes lead Ben Mayhew, is coached by Ben's father Alan who played third for Charlottetown's Bill Jenkins rink when they won the World Junior championship in 1977. PEI's Gallant rink includes third Adam Casey, second Anson Carmody, and lead Alex MacFadyen, with coach Kathie Gallant.
In the quarter-finals, Scotland's Muirhead beat Dropkin from Massachusetts, while Thompson defeated Mallais.
In the semis, the Muirhead rink defeated PEI's Gallant, while Filbee-Dexter beat Thompson.
In the final the Scots continued their run of 6 wins after a first round loss and took the Oak Island title across the pond for the second time in three years.
Women's qualifiers were Jennifer Brine of Lakeshore and Tanya Hilliard of the Mayflower, Anna Sloan of Scotland and Jaclyn Crandall of the Fredericton Capital Winter Club, along with Marie Christianson from CFB Halifax and Ashley Howard of the Beausejour..
In the quarter-finals, Brine defeated Sloan in an extra end, while Hilliard got by Crandall.
In the semis, the teams that had earned the byes took full advantage as Nova Scotia Junior Champion Marie Christianson repeated her Provincial Final performance from a year ago and defeated Hilliard, while Ashley Howard continued her run to a second title in knocking Jennifer Brine and team out of the spiel.
The final was a back and forth affair, with Ashley making the pivotal shot in the 9th end on the way to scoring 3, before stealing the victory in the 10th. Ashley is the first skip to win back-to-back Oak Island titles.
Many of the Maritime teams from this event will be on PEI for one or both of the next two weekends, at the Fall Fling Junior Cashspiel at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club, followed by the Pizza Delight/Subway/Howard Johnson Junior Cashspiel at the Cornwall Curling Club.
Stevenson wins 2nd straight - Alta. continues to lead at Mixed
Posted Monday, November 12, 2007 by derekm
Monday, November 12, 2007 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
CALGARY, November 12�Alberta continues to lead the way at the Canadian Mixed Curling Championship, being played at the Calgary Curling Club.
Skipped by Dean Ross of Calgary, Alberta outlasted Yukon/NWT, 5-3 in Draw 5 action Monday afternoon to up its record to a perfect 5-0, the only unbeaten team at this year�s championship.
The game proved a bit of a struggle, though, as it wasn�t until the ninth end that an Alberta deuce put the host province in front for good.
Northern Ontario and Ontario, though, kept pace, winning their contests to move to 4-1, a game behind. Northern Ontario, skipped by Mike Assad of Thunder Bay, had no trouble disposing of Saskatchewan 9-3.
However, Ontario, skipped by Bob Turcotte who is representing the Scarboro Golf and Country Club in Toronto, needed a steal of one in the 10th end to seal its 7-5 win over British Columbia�s Bryan Miki, the 2000 world men�s champion.
New Brunswick�s Jamie Brannen of Fredericton whipped Nova Scotia, 8-1, stealing four in the game-ending sixth end, while Newfoundland and Labrador, skipped by Brian Bailey of Corner Brook, took one in the 10th end to edge Manitoba, 6-5. The results moved New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador into a tie for fourth place with 3-2 marks.
In the other game, Prince Edward Island, skipped by three-time provincial junior champion Kyle Stevenson of Charlottetown, won its second straight, hammering Quebec, 11-2, counting fives in both the fourth and sixth ends.
That meant Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Quebec are now at 2-3, with British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Yukon/NWT mired in the basement with 1-4 records.
Round robin play continues on Monday with Draw 6 at 6:00 pm MT/9:00 pm Atlantic. There are also draws on Tuesday and Wednesday at 12 noon and 6:00 pm local time.
The round robin concludes on Thursday morning with a 9:00 am draw, followed by any required tiebreakers before the playoffs. The first place team will advance to Friday�s 1:00 pm MT/4:00 pm AT final, while the second and third place teams meet in a semi-final.
Twelve teams, representing the 10 provinces plus separate entries for Northern Ontario and Yukon/Northwest Territories, are battling for the 2008 Canadian Mixed title, which has been won by Alberta and Saskatchewan a leading eight times each since the championship began in 1964 in Toronto.
Two members of the winning team will also compete in the inaugural 2008 World Mixed Doubles Championship, March 9-15 in Vierum�ki, Finland. The team members will decide who will represent Canada at the event.
CurlTV (www.curltv.com) is providing event coverage to its subscribers.
PEI picks up 1st win, Alberta still unbeaten at Cdn. Mixed
Posted Monday, November 12, 2007 by derekm
Monday, November 12, 2007 - Source: Canadian Curling Association
CALGARY, November 11�Alberta, skipped by Dean Ross of Calgary, capped off a perfect opening weekend at the Canadian Mixed Curling Championship by defeating British Columbia, 10-7 in Draw 4 Sunday night.
The host province was able to remain unbeaten at the Calgary Curling Club by counting three in the 10th end against Bryan Miki�s New Westminster team to push its record to 4-0.
Right behind Alberta, though, are Northern Ontario and Ontario, with 3-1 marks. Northern Ontario, skipped by Mike Assad of Thunder Bay, beat Nova Scotia, 7-3, while Ontario, skipped by three-time Canadian Seniors champion Bob Turcotte, representing the Scarboro Golf & Country Club of Toronto, held off Newfoundland and Labrador, 6-4.
In other games, Prince Edward Island's Kyle Stevenson rink picked up its first win by stealing one in the 10th end to get by Saskatchewan, 5-4; New Brunswick whacked Yukon/Northwest Territories, 9-2 and Quebec whipped Manitoba, 8-3, counting a game-ending five in the seventh end.
The results left five teams with 2-2 marks: Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Quebec.
The remaining four teams, British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan and Yukon/NWT, are knotted at 1-3.
Round robin play continues on Monday with Draw 5 scheduled for 12 Noon MT/3:00 pm Atlantic and Draw 6 at 6:00 pm MT/9:00 pm Atlantic.
The round robin concludes on Thursday morning, followed by any required tiebreakers before the playoffs. The first place team will advance to Friday afternoon�s final, while the second and third place teams meet in a semi-final.
Twelve teams, representing the 10 provinces plus separate entries for Northern Ontario and Yukon/Northwest Territories, are battling for the 2008 Canadian Mixed title, which has been won by Alberta and Saskatchewan a leading eight times each since the championship began in 1964 in Toronto.
Two members of the winning team will also compete in the inaugural 2008 World Mixed Doubles Championship, March 9-15 in Vierum�ki, Finland. The team members will decide who will represent Canada at the event.
CurlTV (www.curltv.com) is providing event coverage to its subscribers.
Alberta leads Cdn. Mixed with 3-0 mark. PEI still winless
Posted Sunday, November 11, 2007 by derekm
Sunday, November 11, 2007 Source: Canadian Curling Association
CALGARY, November 11�Alberta, skipped by Calgary�s Dean Ross, is now the only undefeated team after three draws of the Canadian Mixed Curling Championship.
Sunday afternoon, the host province kept its unblemished record intact, defeating Quebec 7-3 to move to 3-0 and alone in first place.
Previously unbeaten Northern Ontario, skipped by Mike Assad of Thunder Bay, bowed to Ontario�s Bob Turcotte of Toronto, 7-2 to fall into a five-way tie for second, all with 2-1 marks.
Joining Northern Ontario and Ontario are Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Manitoba, skipped by Reid Carruthers of Winnipeg, beat winless Prince Edward Island, 9-3. Nova Scotia�s Peter Burgess of Truro edged British Columbia, 7-6 in an extra end while Newfoundland and Labrador, skipped by Brian Bailey of Corner Brook, also won in an extra end, 8-7 over New Brunswick.
In the other game, Saskatchewan, skipped by Ian Mayoh of Debden, won its first by a 6-3 margin over Yukon/Northwest Territories.
Round robin play continues with Draw 4 at 6:00 pm MT/8:00 pm ET at the Calgary Curling Club.
Twelve teams, representing the 10 provinces plus separate entries for Northern Ontario and Yukon/Northwest Territories, are battling this week for the 2008 Canadian Mixed title, which has been won by Alberta and Saskatchewan a leading eight times each since 1964.
The round robin concludes on Thursday morning, followed by any required tiebreakers before the playoffs. The first place team will advance to Friday afternoon�s final, while the second and third place teams meet in a semi-final.
Two members of the winning team will also compete in the inaugural 2008 World Mixed Doubles Championship, March 9-15 in Vierum�ki, Finland. The team members will decide who will represent Canada at the event.
CurlTV (www.curltv.com) is providing event coverage to its subscribers.
New PEI Mixed Title Sponsor
Posted Sunday, November 11, 2007 by derekm
The PEI Curling Association is pleased to announce that M&M Meatshops is the new title sponsor of the PEI M&M Meatshops Provincial Mixed Curling Championship. This season's event will be held at the Cornwall Curling Club from March 6-10th 2008, with the winner advancing to the Canadian Mixed next November. Last season's winners, the Kyle Stevenson rink from the Charlottetown Curling Club, are currently in Calgary playing in this year's Canadian event.
Pictured below (left to right) are M&M Meat Shops Charlottetown owner Heather Campbell, Kyle Stevenson, and PEICA Vice-President Shirley Lank, making a contribution to Stevenson and his rink just before their departure for Calgary.
M&M Meat Shops is Canada's largest retail chain of specialty frozen foods, with locations from coast to coast. On the national front, they are the sponsors of the M&M Meatshops Canadian Junior Curling Championships, which take place February 2-10 2008 in Sault Ste. Marie Ontario.
Only two teams unbeaten after Day 1 at Mixed-Stevenson slips to 0-2
Posted Sunday, November 11, 2007 by derekm
Saturday, November 10, 2007 Source: Canadian Curling Association
CALGARY, November 10�Just two teams remained undefeated after two draws of the Canadian Mixed Curling Championship, taking place at the Calgary Curling Club.
Alberta and Northern Ontario won both their games on opening Saturday to stand atop the leaderboard after Day 1.
Skipped by Dean Ross of Calgary, host Alberta whacked Ontario�s Bob Turcotte of Toronto, 8-3 in the evening draw, stealing three in the third end and a single in the fourth to go up 5-0, essentially putting the game away. In the first draw, Alberta defeated Prince Edward Island, 8-6.
Northern Ontario, skipped by Thunder Bay�s Mike Assad, stayed even though, defeating Prince Edward Island�s Kyle Stevenson of Charlottetown, 8-4, to go with its 6-2 win over New Brunswick in Draw 1.
In other Draw 2 results, Yukon/Northwest Territories, skipped by Wade Scoffin of Whitehorse, beat Brian Bailey�s Newfoundland and Labrador squad, 11-3. British Columbia�s Bryan Miki of New Westminster edged Saskatchewan (Ian Mayoh of Debden), 6-5. New Brunswick�s Jamie Brannen of Fredericton stole two in an extra end to defeat Manitoba�s Reid Carruthers of Winnipeg, 10-8, while Nova Scotia�s Peter Burgess of Truro nipped Quebec�s Simon Dupuis of Thurso, 8-7, also in an extra end.
Thus, going into Draw 3 Sunday at 12 noon MT/3:00 pm Atlantic, Alberta and Northern Ontario are 2-0. Eight teams are at 1-1: British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec and Yukon/NWT. Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan are winless at 0-2.
Twelve teams, representing the 10 provinces plus separate entries for Northern Ontario and Yukon/Northwest Territories, are battling this week for the 2008 Canadian Mixed title, which has been won by Alberta and Saskatchewan a leading eight times each since 1964.
The round robin concludes on Thursday morning, followed by any required tiebreakers before the playoffs. The first place team will advance to Friday afternoon�s final, while the second and third place teams meet in a semi-final.
Two members of the winning team will also compete in the inaugural 2008 World Mixed Doubles Championship, March 9-15 in Vierum�ki, Finland. The team members will decide who will represent Canada at the event.
CurlTV (www.curltv.com) is providing event coverage to its subscribers.
Canadian Curling Association President to attend PEI Curling Hall of Fame Induction (corrects earlier story)
Posted Sunday, November 11, 2007 by derekm
(note: corrects earlier story - World Curling Federation President Les Harrison was also planning to attend, but has now cancelled due to commitments at the Monctonian bonspiel)
David Murphy, president of the PEI Curling Association, has confirmed that Al Forsythe, President of the Canadian Curling Association, will be in attendance for the first annual PEI Curling Hall of Fame and Museum induction ceremony, Thursday Nov. 15 at 7 pm at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club. PEI curlers attending will have the opportunity to meet Forsythe, and participate in a question and answer session. Tickets for the event are $10 and are available at PEI curling clubs, and through Greg Lucas at Sport PEI, 40 Burns Ave., Charlottetown, phone 368-4986.
Photos: Al Forsythe
The first ten inductees to be honoured for their outstanding contribution to the sport of curling are: Thane Campbell (posthumously), Doug Cameron, Cathy Dillon, George Dillon, Robert Dillon, Elizabeth Linkletter (posthumously), Alexander (D. Alex) MacDonald, Kathleen MacDonald, Helen Robbins and Hugh Robbins.
Brett Gallant in hunt for Oak Island Jr. Cashspiel treasure
Posted Sunday, November 11, 2007 by derekm
The Oak Island Junior Cashspiel wraps up today at the Chester Curling Club in Nova Scotia. Fifteen junior men's and an equal number of junior women's rinks from the four Atlantic provinces, Massachusetts and Scotland began play on Friday, including PEI rinks Sarah Fullerton and Isaac Shaw from Cornwall, Sam Ramsay from the Silver Fox, and Brett Gallant and Tim Cullen from Charlottetown. Round robin play wrapped up Saturday night with junior men's rinks Jeremy Mallais from the Moncton Beausejour club and Kendall Thompson from the Lakeshore club in Nova Scotia, Stephen Dropkin from Massachusetts and Glen Muirhead of Scotland, along with Brett Gallant of PEI and Paul Filbee-Dexter from the Halifax Mayflower club advancing to the playoff round in the men's division. The Filbee-Dexter rink, which includes lead Ben Mayhew, is coached by Ben's father Alan who played third for Charlottetown's Bill Jenkins rink when they won the World Junior championship in 1977. PEI's Gallant rink includes third Adam Casey, second Anson Carmody, and lead Alex MacFadyen, with coach Kathie Gallant.
Women's semi-final qualifiers are Jennifer Brine of Lakeshore and Tanya Hilliard of the Mayflower, Anna Sloan of Scotland and Jaclyn Crandall of the Fredericton Capital Winter Club, along with Marie Christianson from CFB Halifax and Ashley Howard of the Beausejour..
Canadian Mixed underway in Calgary
Posted Saturday, November 10, 2007 by derekm
Saturday, November 10, 2007 Source: Canadian Curling Association
CALGARY, November 10�The 45th edition of the Canadian Mixed Curling Championship got underway Saturday afternoon at the Calgary Curling Club.
Twelve teams, representing the 10 provinces plus separate entries for Northern Ontario and Yukon/Northwest Territories, will battle over the next seven days for the right to be crowned 2008 Canadian Mixed champions.
The round robin concludes on Thursday morning, followed by any required tiebreakers, before the playoffs. The first place team will advance to Friday afternoon�s final, while the second and third place teams meet in a semi-final.
Two members of the winning team will also compete in the inaugural 2008 World Mixed Doubles Championship, March 9-15 in Vierum�ki, Finland. The team members will decide who will represent Canada at the event.
In first draw action, host Alberta, skipped by Calgary�s Dean Ross, prevailed over Prince Edward Island (Kyle Stevenson of Charlottetown), 8-6, despite giving up single steals in the ninth and 10th ends.
Alberta last won the Mixed in 2004 in Schumacher, Ontario, when Shannon Kleibrink became the first woman skip to win the event. The province is currently tied with Saskatchewan, with a leading eight Mixed titles apiece, since the championship began in 1964 in Toronto.
In other games, Ontario, skipped by three-time Canadian Seniors champion Bob Turcotte of Toronto, had no trouble disposing of Nova Scotia (Peter Burgess of Truro), 10-4. Northern Ontario�s Mike Assad of Thunder Bay put away New Brunswick (Jamie Brannen of Fredericton), 6-2, taking three in the 10th end for the victory. Manitoba�s 2003 provincial junior champion Reid Carruthers of Winnipeg bested Yukon/NWT�s Wade Scoffin of Whitehorse, 6-2, while Quebec�s Simon Dupuis of Thurso took two in the 10th end to upset British Columbia, skipped by 2000 world men�s champion Bryan Miki of New Westminster, 8-6.
In the other game, which went to an extra end, Newfoundland and Labrador, skipped by Brian Bailey of Corner Brook, edged Saskatchewan (Ian Mayoh of Debden), 7-5.
Play continues with Draw 2 tonight at 6:00 pm MT/9:00 pm Atlantic.
CurlTV (www.curltv.com) is providing event coverage to its subscribers.
Curling season getting underway at Western
Posted Friday, November 9, 2007 by derekm
(From www.albertoncurlingclub.ca/) The Western Community Curling Club (WCCC) in Alberton, PEI, is set for another season of good curling and good times. The three ice surfaces are ready, sign-up sheets are filling up and players are keen to get at it.
The season began with open house events between Nov.1 and Nov. 4 to welcome new members and greet returning players.
Full play will resume shortly when the draw schedule is finalized.
Club President Fr. Art Pendergast invites anyone interested in winter fun and exercise to come check out the Western Community Curling Club.
There are many opportunities to curl for fun or competitively at a number of levels, including provincials and beyond.
The first bonspiel of the year is the Credit Union Bonspiel scheduled for November 23-25. Other bonspiels will be posted once the schedule is finalized.
This year the Western Community Curling Club will host the provincial junior championship and the provincial Royal Canadian Legion competition.
These are a great opportunity to watch top level provincial curlers in action.
The club is run entirely by volunteers and the board of directors ensures it is a fun, relaxing place to spend a few hours.
Even if you don't want to play, consider volunteering to experience the club's atmosphere. There is no shortage of things to be done and people to meet.
Upcoming events at the Montague Curling Club
Posted Friday, November 9, 2007 by derekm
Free curling lessons at Montague on Sunday Nov. 18
Posted Friday, November 9, 2007 by derekm
Soirees and Shindiggs Ladies Spiel
Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 by derekm
The Soirees and Shindiggs Ladies Curling Spiel takes place November 16 - 17, 2007 at the Cornwall Curling Club. Women from all clubs are welcome at this event. Entry fee is $100 per team, and includes a light meal on Friday evening, and lunch and a pot luck dinner on Saturday. 16 teams maximum. To register, call the Club at 566-4427, Karen Currie at 675-2563 or Valerie Acorn at 566-4432.
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Kyle Stevenson rink to represent PEI at Canadian Mixed, which starts Saturday
Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 by derekm
CALGARY, November 6, 2007�The 45th edition of the Canadian Mixed Curling Championship gets underway this Saturday at the Calgary Curling Club.
Twelve teams, representing the 10 provinces plus Northern Ontario and Yukon/Northwest Territories, will compete in the round robin, after which the first place team advances directly to the final on Friday, November 16, while the second and third place teams meet in a semi-final to determine the other finalist.
In addition to winning the Canadian championship, two players from the winning team will also represent Canada at the inaugural World Mixed Doubles Championship, March 9-15, 2008 in Vierum�ki, Finland.
This is the first time that Calgary has hosted the Mixed, which began in 1964 in Toronto. However, the Calgary Curling Club has staged two other Canadian championships in recent years, the 2001 Canadian Seniors and 1998 Canadian Juniors. And, of course, the city successfully hosted the 1997 and 2002 Canadian men�s curling championships and will stage the Tim Hortons Brier, once again, in 2009.
Among the competing skips are British Columbia�s Bryan Miki, who won the 2000 Canadian and Ford world men�s curling championship as second for Greg McAulay; Ontario�s Bob Turcotte, a three-time (1996, 1997 and 2000) Canadian Senior champion, former provincial junior champions Reid Carruthers of Manitoba and Prince Edward Island�s Kyle Stevenson and Northern Ontario�s Mike Assad, who has previously competed in a Canadian Juniors, Brier and Canadian Mixed.
Photo (L-R) Tricia Affleck, Doug MacGregor, Tammi Lowther, Kyle Stevenson
Alberta and Saskatchewan lead all provinces with eight Mixed titles each. Alberta�s last win came in 2004 in Schumacher, Ontario by Calgary�s Shannon Kleibrink, who also became the first female skip to win the Canadian championship.
Last year in Kitchener, the Mixed was captured by New Brunswick�s Terry Odishaw. The last time the Mixed was held in Alberta was in 2000 in Lethbridge, when it was won by the host province�s Kevin Koe. Alberta third Susan O�Connor was also a member of that championship team.
(Teams listed in order of skip, third, second and lead)
Dean Ross, Susan O�Connor, Tim Krassman, Susan Wright
Reid Carruthers, Theresa Cannon, Jason Gunnlaugson, Sarah Wazney
Jamie Brannen, Heather Munn, Nick Munn, Lesley Hicks Brannen
Brian Bailey, Susan Curtis, Gary Alcock, Diane Keating
Northern Ontario � Port Arthur CC,
Mike Assad, Ashley Miharija, Mike McCarville, Larissa Stevens
Peter Burgess, Colleen Pinkney, Chuck Patriquin, Shelley MacNutt
Bob Turcotte, Kristin Turcotte, Roy Weigand, Andrea Lawes
Kyle Stevenson, Tammi Lowther, Doug MacGregor, Tricia Affleck
Simon Dupuis, Isabelle N�ron, Jean-Fran�ois Charest, Marie-Jos�e Pr�court
Ian Mayoh, Susan Altman, Neil Vaughan, Marcia Indzeoski
Yukon/Northwest Territories -
Wade Scoffin, Nicole Baldwin, James Buyck, Helen Strong
12 and Under Mini Cash Spiel
Posted Tuesday, November 6, 2007 by derekm
An age 12 and under "Mini Cash Spiel" is in the planning stages, and will be held if there is sufficient interest (from 8 to 12 teams). Dates are Friday and Saturday Dec. 28-29, with an $80 entry fee per team, guaranteeing three games. Both boys and girls welcome. If you are interested in putting in a team, call Kevin Smith at 621-0207 or 218-0737 cell.
Maritime Junior Cash Fling
Posted Monday, November 5, 2007 by derekm
Twenty-four top junior teams are competing in the Maritime Junior Cash Fling, Nov. 16, 17, and 18 at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside.
Teams entered include PEI Junior Women's champion Erin Carmody, Anita Casey, who won the South Zone Junior Cashspiel in Rothesay NB this past weekend, Provincial 17 and Under champion Sam Ramsay, and runner-up Spencer Pitre, New Brunswick Junior champion Stephen Burgess, Nova Scotia 17 and Under champion Paul Dexter, and Atlantic 17 and Under champion Kendall Thompson.
Play gets underway Friday the 18th, with draws at 12:30, 3, 6 and 8:30 pm. The final round-robin draw goes Saturday evening at 8, with semi-finals Sunday at 9 am, and the junior men's and women's finals at 1 pm. Games are 8 ends, with 10-end finals. Winning junior men's and women's rinks will take home $500 cash, with $250 going to the runners-up, and $100 going to each of the remaining semi-finalists.
Here are the opening draws:
Friday Nov. 16 at 12:30 pm:
Laura Cleveland (Dartmouth) vs Darcee Birch (Silver Fox), Erin Carmody (Silver Fox) vs Nikki Arsenault (Maple Leaf), Allison Hudson (Dartmouth) vs Mary Day (Dartmouth), Katie Lines (Mayflower) vs Anita Casey (Silver Fox), Mary Myketyn-Driscoll (Dartmouth) vs Jessica Ronalds (Moncton), Sarah Clow (Cornwall) vs Jessica Daiele (Thistle St. Andrews)
Friday Nov. 16 at 3 pm: Lee Buott (CFB Halifax) vs Sam Ramsay (Silver Fox), Travis Colter (Dartmouth) vs Stephen Burgess (Capital Winter Club), Isaac Shaw (Ch'town) vs Matthew Nabuurs (Montague), Paul Dexter (Mayflower) vs Spencer Pitre (Western), Travis Stone (Sydney) vs Kendall Thompson (Lakeshore), Tim Cullen (Ch'town) vs Matt Bordian (Dartmouth).
Complete round robin draw, team rosters, and live results available at http://www.silverfox-pei.com/curling/junior_cash_spiel_2007/junior_cash_spiel-07.htm
Men's bonspiel - just across the bridge!
Posted Monday, November 5, 2007 by derekm
The Sackville Men's Open Bonspiel will be held at the Sackville Curling Club, 22 Lansdowne St., Sackville NB, Jan. 18, 19, and 20, 2008. Entry fee is $130 per team. This bonspiel features mussels, roast beef dinner, live entertainment, full prize table, winners' breakfast, and more. To register, contact Don Dickie at 506-536-9668 or email [email protected].
Gallant picks up $400 at OVCA Jr. Superspiel
Posted Sunday, November 4, 2007 by derekm
The OVCA Junior Superspiel wrapped up today in Ottawa.
PEI's Brett Gallant rink lost a close 5-4 decision to Greg Drummond of Scotland in the consolation final, taking home $400, with $600 going to Drummond.
The men's champion in the event was Manuel Ruch of Switzerland, who edged Travis Bale of Manitoba 7-6. Ruch takes home $2000, with $1500 going to Bale.
The women's division was won by Marlene Albrecht of Switzerland, who scored five points in the last two ends in a 10-9 come-from-behind win over Kaleigh Strath of Manitoba. Albrecht and Strath also take home $2000 and $1500, respectively.
Gallant won his opener 7-5 over Colin Dow of the Ottawa area, but lost 5-4 to David Baertschiger of Switzerland in his second game, and 8-4 to Travis Bale of Manitoba in his third. Gallant suffered his third loss, 7-1, to Neil Sinclair on Saturday morning.
On the women's side, PEI's Erin Carmody rink was eliminated from further play Saturday evening, losing 6-3 to Michele Jaggi of Switzerland. Carmody won her Friday morning opener, 4-3 over Stephanie Brown of Ontario, but lost 8-7 in an extra end to Jaggi in her second game. On Saturday morning, the PEI rink beat Julie Deveraux of Newfoundland 6-5, but lost 7-2 to Marlene Albrecht of Switzerland.
Summerside's Anita Casey rink wins NB Junior Cashspiel
Posted Sunday, November 4, 2007 by derekm
The rink of Anita Casey, Madeline Campbell, Dannielle Chaisson, and Bethany MacDonald, with coach Leo Stewart, from the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club defeated the Sarah Ronalds rink from Club Beausejour in Moncton by a 6-2 score to win the women's section of the South Zone Junior Cashspiel, which wrapped up this afternoon at the Riverside Country Club in Rothesay NB. The Casey rink lead 6-0 after five ends, with the Ronalds rink taking their points in ends six and seven. Both teams had 3-2 win-loss records in round robin play.
In the men's final, Jeremy Mallais of Club Beausejour edged Tyler Milson of Fredericton 6-5 in an extra end.
The other Island rink in the event, Darcee Birch of Summerside, finished round robin play with a 1-4 record.
Howard and Gaudet win Rodd Classic
Posted Sunday, November 4, 2007 by derekm
Two-time world champion and Olympic gold medallist Russ Howard from Moncton, and current PEI women's champion and former world junior champion Suzanne Gaudet are the winners of the 2007 Rodd Curling Classic, which wrapped up today at the Charlottetown Curling Club.
Howard, with teammates Grant Odishaw, Mark Dobson, and son Steve Howard (5th player is Terry Odishaw) edged out Scott Saunders of Halifax by a 5-4 score. Howard had a 4-1 lead going in the seventh end of the eight-end final, when Saunders tied the game with a triple before Howard scored the winning point in the final end. Other members of the runner-up Saunders rink are Bruce Lohnes, Rob Harris, and Dave Stephenson.
Howard beat out defending Rodd Champion John Likely of Charlottetown by a 5-3 score in semi-final play, while Saunders defeated PEI's Rod MacDonald, also by a 5-3 score. MacDonald and Howard had byes to the semis, while Likely doubled Shawn Adams of Halifax 10-5, and Saunders beat out Andrew Robinson by another 5-3 score in qualifying games.
MacDonald, Howard, and Adams all finished round robin play with an unblemished 5-0 win-loss record, while Saunders was 4-1 and Likely and Robinson were 3-2.
Team Howard takes home $5000, while the Saunders rink gets $3300. Semi-finalists Likely and MacDonald each receive $2200, while Robinson and Adams take home $1400.
On the women's side, Gaudet, and her teammates Robyn MacPhee, Carol Webb and Stefanie Clark (5th player is Sinead Dolan) beat out the Nova Scotia rink skipped by former Ontarian Theresa Breen, who played 3rd for Ontario Anne Merklinger when they were Canadian women's championship finalists in 1998 and 2000, by a 7-5 score. Gaudet took an early lead with a second-end triple, and maintained it for the rest of the game. Other members of the Breen team are Lisa Stephenson, Cathy Frank, and Cheryl McBain.
Gaudet, Breen, Mary Anne Arsenault of Halifax, and Shelly Bradley of Charlottetown all finished round-robin play with 4-1 win-loss records and advanced to the semi-final round, where Breen got by Arsenault 6-5 in an extra end, and Gaudet defeated Bradley 6-2.
The winning Gaudet team receives $3500, while Breen takes home $2100. Arsenault and Bradley each receive $1600. There is also a $60 payout per round robin win.
Eighteen men's and twelve women's teams took part in this annual event.
OVCA Superspiel wraps up today in Ottawa - Gallant in consolation round Finals are set for 4 pm this afternoon at the OVCA Junior Superspiel in Ottawa. PEI's Brett Gallant rink have made it to the consolation round, where they play Amber Moulton from the Ottawa area at 9 this morning (both men's and women's teams play in the consolation round), with the winner playing either defending women's champion Rachael Homan from Ottawa, or Mark Fleischhaker from the Ottawa area in the consolation semi-final at 1 pm, and that winner advancing to the consolation final at 4. Gallant won his opener 7-5 over Colin Dow of the Ottawa area, but lost 5-4 to David Baertschiger of Switzerland in his second game, and 8-4 to Travis Bale of Manitoba in his third. Gallant suffered his third loss, 7-1, to Neil Sinclair on Saturday morning. Bale, and Manuel Ruch of Switzerland have qualified for the 1pm men's semis. C and D qualifiers in this triple knockout event go at 9 this morning. On the women's side, PEI's Erin Carmody rink was eliminated from further play Saturday evening, losing 6-3 to Michele Jaggi of Switzerland. Carmody won her Friday morning opener, 4-3 over Stephanie Brown of Ontario, but lost 8-7 in an extra end to Jaggi in her second game. On Saturday morning, the PEI rink beat Julie Deveraux of Newfoundland 6-5, but lost 7-2 to Marlene Albrecht of Switzerland. Kaleigh Strath of Manitoba and Katie Morrissey of the Ottawa area have quaified for the 1pm semi-finals. C and D qualifiers go this morning at 9.
Posted Sunday, November 4, 2007 by derekm
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Rodd Classic playoff round set
Posted Sunday, November 4, 2007 by derekm
Weather and electricity permitting, the championship round is set as the Rodd Curling Classic cashspiel wraps up today at the Charlottetown Curling Club.
In the men's division, PEI's Rod MacDonald and Moncton's Russ Howard both finished round robin play with perfect 5-0 records, and have earned berths in the semi-final round, scheduled for noon.
MacDonald will face either Scott Saunders of Halifax, or Andrew Robinson from the host club, while Howard will play either Shawn Adams of Halifax, or defending champion John Likely of Charlottetown. These teams play off in 9 am qualifying games. Adams also sports a 5-0 record after defeating Robinson 9-2 last night, taking five points in the fifth end. Robinson finished the round robin at 3-2. Likely lost a close 5-4 decision to Howard last night, and is also 3-2, while Saunders has a 4-1 record.
The final is scheduled for 3 pm.
In the women's section, three teams finished round-robin play with 4-1 win-loss records: Theresa Breen, former third for Anne Merklinger in Ontario, who is now skipping a Nova Scotia team which includes Lisa Stephenson, Kathy Frank, and Cheryl McBain, along with another Halifax rink, Mary Ann Arsenault, will square off in one noon-semi-final, while PEI teams Shelly Bradley and Suzanne Gaudet will play in the other. Semi winners advance to the 3 pm final.
In Saturday night play, Breen lost 5-0 to New Brunswick's Andrea Kelly, while Bradley doubled Sylvie Robichaud of NB 6-3, Gaudet edged Jocelyn Nix of Nova Scotia 4-3, and Arsenault edged Donna Butler of Cornwall 6-5.
Cornwall Cashspiel concludes
Posted Saturday, November 3, 2007 by derekm
The final draws took place this afternoon at the Cornwall Cashspiel. This inaugural event was well-received by the 12 participating teams, as it gave them a chance to get in some valuable competition before the provincial championship season gets underway, and at a reasonable price ($120 per team). Teams played three games, and took home $60 per win.
The final win-loss records were:
Kyle Stevenson (Ch'town), Matthew Nabuurs (Montague), Kevin Ellsworth (Silver Fox) 3-0
Karen Currie (Cornwall), Joyce White (Ch'town) 2-1
Faith LeClair (Silver Fox), Bob MacWilliams (Cornwall), Angus Kennedy (Cornwall), Karen MacDonald (Charlottetown), Sherren Morrison (Cornwall) 1-2
Shirley Berry (Cornwall), Kimball Blanchard (Cornwall) 0-3
Level 2 Technical Training
Posted Saturday, November 3, 2007 by derekm
The PEICA will be holding a CCA Level 2 Technical Clinic at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club on December 15 from 9 am until 4:30 pm, and continuing on Dec. 16 from 9 am until 2:30 pm. Cost is $85 (make cheques payable to PEI Curling Association), and registration deadline is Dec. 7th. For more info or to register, please contact Gayle Johnston at 368-1071 or email: [email protected], or contact Carson at the Silver Fox.
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Kinsmen to hold funspiel
Posted Thursday, November 1, 2007 by derekm
Everyone is welcome to enter a team in the 1st Annual J. Ken MacDonald Memorial Funspiel taking place at the Charlottetown Curling Club Nov. 16 and 17. This is an initiative of the Charlottetown Kinsmen, with lots of fun and prizes to be won. Your entry fee of $120 per team guarantees three games, plus breakfast on Saturday morning. To register, call Chris Hodgson at 628-6475 or email [email protected]. Entry deadline is Nov. 12.
Asham 8-Ender Contest
Posted Tuesday, October 30, 2007 by derekm
The Asham 8-Ender Contest is on again this season. Any team that gets an 8-Ender in the 2007 curling season (September 15, 2007 � March 15, 2008) will win $400.00 in Asham Merchandise and be entered in a grand prize draw for $8,000 in cash and merchandise. The winner will be selected in the Spring �08. For more info, and to enter your 8-ender, visit www.asham.com. Also, if you do score one, please inform the PEICA, who will forward the info to the Canadian Curling Association, who will issue pins and certificates to each team member.
Seniors: why not head to Fredericton for a one-day spiel?
Posted Monday, October 29, 2007 by derekm
The Capital Winter Club in Fredericton NB Is looking forward to hosting a Senior (and up!) FUN Bonspiel.
WHEN: Saturday November 24,2007
FEE: $120/Team Includes 2 games, lunch, supper and prizes.
DEADLINE for ENTRIES: Friday November 9, 2007
Payment by cheque must accompany entry.
Make cheque payable to: Capital Winter Club � Women�s Section
Please include the names of your team members and contact information: ie phone or e-mail
First ten men�s teams and first ten women�s teams to send in their entry, with money, will be accepted.
FORMAT:
There will be a men�s and a women�s section.
Two eight end games.Total points. Stick curlers are welcome.
SEND ENTRIES TO: Capital Winter Club, 232 Rookwood Ave., Fredericton, NB E3B 2M2 Att�n: Barb Hallett
For further info contact Barb at (506) 459-2668 or [email protected]
Upcoming Junior Cashspiels at the Fox
Posted Sunday, October 28, 2007 by derekm
The Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club is holding two junior cashspiels in the near future.
The sixth annual Junior Boxing Day Cashspiel goes December 27-28 (note date change), and is open to the first 12 teams in both 20 and Under and 15 and Under divisions. Entry fee is $120 per team. Entry Deadline is Dec. 8th.
The January Thaw Junior Cashspiel takes place January 18-20, and is open to the first 24 teams to apply. Entry fee is $100 per team, and entry deadline is Jan. 8th.
For both these events, send entry fee (make cheque payable to Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club) and form (available at PEICurling.com) to:
Sheila Compton, 268 All Weather Highway, Summerside PE C1N 4V4. For more info, email [email protected], or phone 436-5629.
Peter Gallant rink semi-finalists at Fredericton CWC Cashspiel
Posted Sunday, October 28, 2007 by derekm
Charlottetown's Peter Gallant rink lost out to Marc Lecocq of New Brunswick by a 4-2 score in semi-final play this afternoon at the CWC Capital Cup Cashspiel in Fredericton NB. Lecocq went on to double another New Brunswick rink, skipped by Tommy Sullivan, 8-4 in the final. Playing with Lecocq are Jim Sullivan, Shaun Mott, and Andy McCann. Other members of the Gallant rink are Kevin Champion, Mark O'Rourke, and John Desrosiers.
Gallant, the only Island rink in the event, was undefeated in round-robin play, with a 4-0 win-loss record. He defeated Steven Burgess of NB 7-5 in the quarter-final.
Lecocq picks up $3000 for the win, with $2000 going to Sullivan. Gallant, and Peter Burgess of NS pick up $1000 as semi-finalists. Teams also received $25 per round-robin win.
PEICA to hold Level I Technical Workshop
Posted Sunday, October 28, 2007 by derekm
A Canadian Curling Association Technical Club Coach Workshop (Level 1) will take place at the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O'Leary on Saturday Nov. 24 from 9 am to 4 pm, and Sun. Nov. 25 from 9 am until 3:30 pm. Cost is $85.00, and registration deadline is Monday Nov. 19.
To register please contact Rushell Macdonald at 859-3012 or email: [email protected]
Please make cheques payable to the PEI Curling Association.
Upcoming at the Charlottetown Curling Club
Posted Tuesday, October 23, 2007 by derekm
Curl Atlantic High Performance Junior Camp postponed
Posted Tuesday, October 23, 2007 by derekm
The Curl Atlantic High Performance Camp that was scheduled for this week-end
27-28 Oct. at the Charlottetown Curling Club has been cancelled due to lack of sufficient
teams.
Curl Atlantic and the PEICA are presently working on rescheduling this camp
for 1 � 2 Dec. at the CCC but as a two-tier camp � 20 years and under teams and
15 year and under. There would be 8 teams (including coaches) accepted for
each age group.
Charlie Sullivan would be the camp director/head instructor and the cost
would be $250.00 per team including coaches � which works out to be $25.00
per day per participant. Registration will be on a first come, first paid
basis. All other details are presently being worked on and a camp flyer
with registration form should be available by Friday 26 Oct.
Kleibrink wins Casinos of Winnipeg Classic
Posted Tuesday, October 23, 2007 by derekm
Suzanne Gaudet and her PEI rink were eliminated on Sunday at the triple-knockout event, when they lost a 7-6 extra-end game against current US and 2003 World women's champion Debbie McCormick. The Wisconsin rink stole a triple in the seventh, but Gaudet tied the game with an eighth-end double before McCormick scored a single in the extra for the win. Gaudet won her opener 7-5 over Michelle Englot of Sask., but lost 6-5 to Kim Link of Manitoba, and 10-2 to another Manitoban, Janet Harvey.
Gaudet's teammates are Robyn MacPhee, Carol Webb and Stefanie Clark, with fifth player Sinead Dolan.
CCA and CIS to present first University curling ch'ships
Posted Monday, October 22, 2007 by derekm
The Canadian Curling Association (CCA) and Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) are proud to present the first CIS / CCA Curling Championships and the qualifying event determining Canada�s men�s and women�s teams for the 2009 FISU (Federation Internationale de Sport Universitaire) Winter Universiade in Harbin, China!! The championships will be hosted by the University of Waterloo and held in Guelph, Ontario at the Guelph & Elora Curling Clubs. The dates are March 12-16, 2008. The event is open to one men�s team and/or one women�s team from CIS member universities.
Visit http://www.curling.ca/fan_central/2008_university_curling.asp for more information, including a competitor's guide and an application form.
Sarah Rhyno wins Lady Monctonian - PEI's Butler quarter-finalist. Gaudet out in the 'Peg
Posted Sunday, October 21, 2007 by derekm
The Sarah Rhyno rink from the Lakeshore Curling Club in Sackville Nova Scotia defeated New Brunswick's Andrea Kelley rink by a 6-4 score this afternoon to win the Lady Monctonian Invitational women's curling spiel at Club Beausejour in Moncton. Rhyno edged Mary Ann Arsenault of Halifax 5-4 in the semi-final, while Kelley defeated Sylvie Robichaud of the host club 5-2 to advance to the final. Other members of the winning Rhyno rink are Jennifer Brins, Jessica Bradford, and Heather Ross.
In quarter-final play, Kelly edged Mary Jane McGuire 5-4, Arsenault beat Ashley Howard of Moncton 7-4, Rhyno beat Morgan Muise 6-2, and Robichaud beat Donna Butler of Cornwall PEI 7-3.
The Butler rink finished round robin play with a 3-2 win-loss record, good enough for second place in their pool (behind Rhyno at 4-1) and a spot in the quarter-finals. The other PEI rink in the competition, Charlottetown's Shelly Bradley, also had a 3-2 record, but trailed Andrea Kelley (5-0) and Ashley Howard (4-1) in her pool, and did not advance to the money round.
In round robin play, Butler beat Rhyno 9-6, lost 9-1 to Meridith Harrison, beat Kelley 8-3, won 8-6 over Jocelyn Palmer, and doubled Jaclyn Crandall 6-3
Bradley beat Nancy McConnery 6-4 in her opener, lost 8-3 to Kelley, beat Bridget Thornton 8-2, lost 6-3 to Howard and beat Harrison 9-1.
Playing with Butler are Marie Molyneaux, Melissa Andrews, and Carolyn Coulson, while Tammi Lowther, Janice MacCallum and Tricia Affleck round out the Bradley foursome.
Meanwhile, Suzanne Gaudet and her rink are out at the triple-knockout Casinos of Winnipeg Classic Grand Slam event in Winnipeg, losing their third game in the 12:30 pm Sunday draw by a 7-6 extra-end score against current US and 2003 World women's champion Debbie McCormick. The Wisconsin rink stole a triple in the seventh, but Gaudet tied the game with an eighth-end double before McCormick scored a single in the extra for the win. Gaudet won her opener 7-5 over Michelle Englot of Sask., but lost 6-5 to Kim Link of Manitoba, and 10-2 to another Manitoban, Janet Harvey.
Gaudet's teammates are Robyn MacPhee, Carol Webb and Stefanie Clark, with fifth player Sinead Dolan.
Cheryl Bernard and Cathy King, both from Alberta, have qualified for the playoff round on the A side, with Jennifer Jones and Shannon Kleibrink winning the B section qualifiers.
The final four qualifiers will be decided this evening, at 7:30 Winnipeg time. The championship game is Monday at 7 pm Winnipeg time.
New PEI Curling Hall of Fame and Museum to induct ten members
Posted Friday, October 19, 2007 by derekm
The Prince Edward Island Curling Hall of Fame and Museum, recently formed under the auspices of the PEI Curling Association, is set to host its first annual induction ceremony on November 15, 2007 at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside.
The first ten inductees to be honoured for their outstanding contribution to the sport of curling are: Thane Campbell (posthumously), Doug Cameron, Cathy Dillon, George Dillon, Robert Dillon, Elizabeth Linkletter (posthumously), Alexander (D. Alex) MacDonald, Kathleen MacDonald, Helen Robbins and Hugh Robbins.
The main objectives of the Hall of Fame and Museum are "to recognize, honour and pay tribute to individuals or teams on the basis of playing ability, sportsmanship and character, who have achieved extraordinary distinction in the sport of curling, whether that distinction be as an amateur or a professional" and "to recognize, honour and pay tribute to those individuals who have given distinguished service and have made major contributions to the development of curling on PEI".
"It is long past due that PEI curlers and builders be recognized for their achievements in their sport", says Jerry Muzika, a member of the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame, and Chairman of the new PEI Hall and Museum. Muzika notes that the selection committee had a tough job in selecting the first recipients from an impressive group of worthy candidates.
David Murphy, President of the PEI Curling Association, says that he is very pleased that the Curling Hall of Fame and Museum is up and running, and invites everyone to come out and honour the first ten inductees.
Beth Sullivan, Vice President of the Canadian Curling Association, in Charlottetown for a meeting of the PEI Curling Association, at which the new Hall and Museum received the go-ahead, said that she is very pleased to see that PEI curlers are honouring those who built the sport here, and mentioned that, while several provinces have done this, there are still some that have yet to do so. She mentioned that CCA President Al Forsythe plans to be at the inaugural ceremony.
The event, with Master of Ceremonies Paul H. Schurman, gets underway at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $10.00 each, and are available from Greg Lucas at Sport PEI, 40 Burns Ave., Charlottetown, phone 368-4986, and at PEI curling clubs.
Photo (L-R): (L-R) David Murphy, President, PEI Curling Association,
Beth Sullivan, Vice-President, Canadian Curling Association, and
Jerry Muzika, Chairman, PEI Curling Hall of Fame and Museum, review inaugural Hall of Fame inductee list.
Grattan defeats Brannen in Courtenay Bay final
Posted Sunday, October 14, 2007 by derekm
Both Likely and Robinson finished round robin play at 4-1, while the other PEI rink in the event, skipped by Rod MacDonald, went 2 and 3.
Calgary to stage 2009 Tim Hortons Brier; Tim Hortons renews sponsorship through 2010
Posted Saturday, October 13, 2007 by derekm
(CCA) CALGARY, October 12, 2007�Calgary has been awarded the 2009 Tim Hortons Brier, it was announced today by the Canadian Curling Association (CCA).
The 80th edition of the Canadian men�s curling championship will be held March 7-15, 2009 at the Pengrowth Saddledome. It will mark the sixth time that the city has hosted the event. Calgary will join Toronto as the only cities to have staged the Brier at least six times, since it began in 1927. It will be the 12th time the Brier has been held in Alberta, the latest being 2005 in Edmonton.
It was also confirmed that Tim Hortons, the largest quick service restaurant chain in Canada, has renewed its title sponsorship of the Brier through 2010. As well, the new three-year agreement includes sponsorship of the 2009 Tim Hortons Canadian Curling Trials (site and date to be announced), which will determine Canada�s representatives for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.
�The Canadian Curling Association is excited to have its premier championship returning to Calgary to enjoy the spirit of Alberta,� said CCA Board member Bernadette McIntyre. �The curling venue is terrific and a stampede atmosphere in the Brier Patch will be enjoyed by all. It�s also tremendously gratifying to know that Tim Hortons has enjoyed the involvement in our sport enough to renew its sponsorship of the Brier and the Trials for the next three years. It�s an excellent Canadian company to be associated with and we certainly appreciate their support."
Calgary last hosted the Brier in 2002, attracting 245,296 fans, the third highest in Brier history. The city also staged the 1997 Brier, setting an attendance record, at the time, of 223,322, in addition to the 1948, 1961 and 1980 Briers. In 2009, Calgary will hold the unique distinction of having staged a Brier for the event�s four title sponsors over the years�Macdonald Tobacco (1927-79), Labatt (1980-2000), Nokia (2001-2004) and, since 2005, Tim Hortons.
�Tim Hortons has been a long-time supporter of curling in Canada for over 12 years,� said Bill Moir, Executive Vice President, Marketing, Tim Hortons. �The sport of curling, similar to the Tim Hortons brand, has a unique Canadian identity and community appeal and we are both proud and excited to be a part of this world-class event.�
�I am very pleased that the Brier is returning to Calgary and the Pengrowth Saddledome in 2009,� said Host Committee Chairman Ian Henderson, who held a similar post for the very successful 2002 event. �It will be our first Tim Hortons Brier and we are looking forward to putting that special Calgary stamp on what is one of Canada�s premier sporting events. Our city has experienced significant growth since the last Brier here in 2002 and our challenge is to catch the spirit of Calgary and grow the Brier as well, building on the successes in 1997 and 2002.�
Tickets for the 2009 Tim Hortons Brier, which is being presented once again by Monsanto Canada, are expected to go on sale in February of 2008. The Keith�s Brier Patch and Purple Heart Lounge will be located in the adjacent, refurbished Big Four Building.
The Brier began in 1927 in Toronto and has been played in 31 different cities across Canada, from Victoria to St. John�s. Manitoba has won a record 26 Briers, while Alberta is next with 22. New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Yukon/Northwest Territories have yet to win.
The Brier competition involves 10 provinces plus teams representing Northern Ontario and Yukon/Northwest Territories playing a round robin, leading to the Page Playoff system involving the top four teams. The first and second place teams meet in the Page 1 vs 2 game, with the winner advancing to the final while the loser goes to the semi-final. The third and fourth place teams meet in the Page 3 vs 4 game, with the winner advancing to the semi-final while the loser is eliminated.
The Brier attendance record is 281,985, set by Edmonton in 2005 at the first Tim Hortons Brier, which eclipsed the former mark of 248,793 established in 2000 in Saskatoon.
The 2009 Tim Hortons Brier will also be the first time that TSN will officially provide exclusive coverage of the championship, from the round robin, through the Page Playoffs, semi-final and final.
Since 1980, when the first Labatt Brier was held in Calgary and a playoff format was introduced, 18 of 28 Brier winners have gone on to win the world men�s curling championship. The latest was Ontario�s Glenn Howard, who won the 2007 Tim Hortons Brier in Hamilton and the Ford world men�s curling championship in Edmonton.
The winner of the 2009 Tim Hortons Brier will then represent Canada at the Ford world men�s curling championship in Moncton, New Brunswick, April 4-12. Other 2009 events confirmed to date are the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, February 21-March 1 in Victoria, British Columbia and the world women�s curling championship, March 21-29 in Gangneung, Korea.
Meanwhile, the 2008 Tim Hortons Brier will be held at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, March 8-16, with the winner then representing Canada at the world men�s championship in Grand Forks, North Dakota, April 5-13.
Victoria BC to Host 2009 Scotties Tournament of Hearts
Posted Wednesday, October 10, 2007 by derekm
| Wednesday, October 10, 2007 | Source: Canadian Curling Association |
 |
| Victoria, BC � The Scotties Tournament of Hearts will be hosted in BC for the fifth time in the championship�s twenty-eight year history. Following on the heels of a very successful World Curling Championship in 2005 at the new Save-On Food Memorial Centre, it was announced today that Victoria has been awarded the premier women�s sporting event in Canada.
�This Canadian Women�s Curling Championship will showcase the best women�s teams representing the provinces and territories,� said Jack Bowman, Director of the Canadian Curling Association and a Victoria resident. �The Victoria curling community is looking forward to a very successful and memorable championship with all of the excitement associated with a pre-Olympic year.� Kruger Products Limited is the longest sponsor of amateur sport in Canada. David Ronald, Western Region Manager, Canada and the U.S. said, �Our curling teams have an impressive record on the international stage, bringing home Olympic medals in 1998, 2002 and again in 2006.� He added, �The competition amongst curlers is already fierce and the winner of the 2009 Scotties Tournament of Hearts will gain valuable points towards the Olympic trials and the ultimate dream of representing Canada right here in BC.� Chris Atchison, Chair of the Host Committee thanked, �Kruger Products for their unyielding commitment to curling, the Provincial government for investing in a key winter core sport just one year away from the largest sport tourism event this province will have ever seen and the City of Victoria for embracing this major curling event�. Atchison will assemble over 600 volunteers to work on the event over the next 16 months. The 2009 Scotties Tournament of Hearts will be held from February 21 � March 1. |
New features at PEICurling.com PEICurling.com, Prince Edward Island's curling website, launches its seventh season with a number of new features, in addition to its end-by-end coverage of PEI curling championships: - The Home (main) page now includes a news feed from CurlTV.com, featuring "News from the Ice" video reports, and other up-to-date curling news. - The Events page provides schedules of curling events on PEI, including cashspiels, recreational funspiels, the Seniors tour, and curling training opportunities. - Discussion forums have been setup to give PEI curlers and curling fans their chance to share information and opinions on the sport of curling on PEI. Categories include provincial playdowns, juniors, club curling, and curling items for sale. To minimize spam, registration (free of charge) will be required before posting information. PEICurling.com is sponsored by the PEI Curling Association, as part of its mandate to promote curling on PEI. The PEICA is also publishing minutes from its meetings on the site, and maintains a history section, with information on curling's past on PEI.
Posted Sunday, October 7, 2007 by derekm
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National Coaching Certification Program
Posted Friday, October 5, 2007 by derekm
The 2007-2008 National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) course schedule is available on the PEI Government website at the following address:
http://www.gov.pe.ca/cca/index.php3?number=1005801&lang=E
The NCCP is a coach training and certification program for 65 sports (including curling) across Canada.
Fees and dates are available in the NCCP brochure on the site.
(Click here to view the brochure in PDF format)
For more information on the program, contact Jo-anne Wallace at (902) 859-8861, or email [email protected].
Cornwall seeking Junior Coordinator
Posted Friday, October 5, 2007 by derekm
The Cornwall Curling Club is seeking a Junior Coordinator to look after its extensive Youth Curling Program, which runs from early November through the end of March. A generous honorarium is offered. Call Club manager Bev McCormick at 566-4427 for more information.
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Junior Curling Camp for competitive juniors
Posted Thursday, October 4, 2007 by derekm
On October 27 and 28, Curl Atlantic, in conjunction with the PEI Curling Assoc. is organizing a weekend Junior Curling Camp for competitive junior men and women teams from across Prince Edward Island. The Camp, to be held at the Charlottetown Curling Club, is directed at Juniors from 13 -17 years of age.
CAMP TIMES:
Saturday, October 27, 2006: 8:30 a.m. Registration, 9:00 a.m. � 5:00 p.m. Camp
Sunday, October 28, 2006: 9:00 a.m. � 5:00 p.m. Camp
CAMP Curriculum:
The Camp will deal with the finer points of both the technical and mental side of the game, and will touch on the following topics.
�
On-Ice Skill Development�
Strategy & Tactics�
Team Communication & Dynamics�
Game & Season Planning�
Mental Preparation�
Physical Preparation and NutritionThe cost of the camp is $250.00 per team (a team is 4 players and 1 coach). Please note this fee does not include the cost of accommodations, meals or transportation. Space is limited to 12 teams, and selection will be on a first-come first-served basis.
Application and cheque (payable to CURL ATLANTIC) must be received before October 24, 2007.
Mail applications to: Gayle Johnston, 46 Kirkdale Rd., Box 3 Site 10, Charlottetown, PEI C1E 1N6
For more information, contact Gayle Johnston at (902) 368-1071 or Karen Ouellette at (902) 229-2689 or by email at
[email protected]Curler Helen Robbins receives Order of Prince Edward Island
Posted Thursday, October 4, 2007 by derekm
Three Islanders received the highest honour bestowed by the province during a distinguished event at Government House Wednesday.
Bill MacLean of Wilmot, Ray Murphy of Stratford and Helen Robbins of Montague were presented to Lt.-Gov. Barbara Hagerman, who placed the Order of Prince Edward Island medallion on each of them
Click to read this story from The Guardian.
PEI Curling season getting underway
Posted Wednesday, October 3, 2007 by derekm
The season is getting underway at several Island curling clubs.
The Charlottetown Curling Club is holding free adult curling instruction from 6 to 8 pm Thursday October 4th and Friday Oct 5th, and Tuesday Oct 9 to Friday Oct 12th.
Their first bonspiel of the season is the first-annual Fall Fun-Raiser, with golf at Dog River and curling at the club on Saturday Oct. 13th.
The Cornwall Curling Club kicks off their curling season with their sixth annual Golf and Curling Transition Spiel at Countryview Golf Course and the curling club on Oct. 14th. New and prospective curlers are welcome at this event. Their free adult curling school takes place Oct. 15-17 from 7-9 pm. Returning members registration is Oct. 10th, while new members can register during the curling school. Junior registration goes Oct. 15 and 16 from 7-9.
The Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside is holding a free new curlers clinic Oct. 15-17 from 7-9 pm. The first club bonspiel of the season is the 39th Annual Summerside Chrysler Dodge Opening, October 26-28.
Discounted memberships from CurlTV on sale now! The new partnership forged with Lakeview Hotels & Resorts has positioned CurlTV to offer a limited number, 4000 Annual memberships, at a reduced price of $34.95/year. This price is $25.00 off the new Season 3 annual price of $59.95/year and $40.00 off last season�s price of $74.95. These memberships can be purchased on CurlTV.com between October 1st, 2007 and November 30th (or while supplies last). �We are excited to be partnered with Lakeview Hotels & Resorts which has allowed us to provide curling fans this great opportunity to watch curling coverage at an even lower price. One of our goals is to help grow the sport of curling, and we feel this partnership is integral to achieve this goal by providing affordable curling coverage for every age and every level of curling fan.� says David Nedohin, President of CurlTV.com. �CurlTV.com focuses on providing fans with quality broadcast curling coverage from around the world. Including both live and archived games as well as coaching tips and daily breaking news to help develop interest in this rapidly growing sport.� �We are proud that our partnership with CurlTV.com has had such an immediate benefit for curling fans.� says Laurie Barkman, Director of Sales & Marketing for Lakeview Hotels & Resorts. �Lakeview Hotels & Resorts is committed to providing our guests with a quality stay and are pleased to be partnered with an organization that has the same commitment to quality.� Curling fans will not want to miss the second broadcast for the 2007/08 season, live from the Royal City Curling Club in New Westminster, B.C. The West Coast Curling Classic begins Thursday, October 4, with the finals on Monday October 8th. You can check out www.curltv.com for the full draw schedule. Don�t forget to check out The Daily Curling News for all the latest action, featuring charismatic news anchor Kris Laudien. The daily news is part of the free area of the site, and is a staple for thousands of fans each day to get all the latest news and action on and off the ice. Check it out today at www.curltv.com.
Posted Tuesday, October 2, 2007 by derekm
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PEICA to hold Technical Club Coach workshop
Posted Tuesday, October 2, 2007 by derekm
The PEI Curling Association is conducting a CCA Technical Club Coach Workshop (Level 1) at the Charlottetown Curling Club on Saturday Oct. 20 from 9 am-4 pm, and continuing on Sunday Oct. 21 from 9:30 am until 4 pm. Cost is $85.00. Registration Deadline is Wednesday Oct. 17.
To register, or for more information, contact Gayle Johnston at 368-1071 or email [email protected]. You may also leave your name and phone number with Charlottetown Curling Club manager Rob Warren. Please make cheques payable to the PEI Curling Association.
Curling among 24 sports featured at 1st Sport Fair
Posted Saturday, September 29, 2007 by derekm
(Sport PEI) The first annual Sport Fair - hosted by Sport PEI and U.P.E.I, with support from Aliant and CARI, is scheduled to take place Tuesday and Wednesday, October 2/3, with over 2000 elementary school students in grades 4 through 6 expected to attend and try out a variety of new sports.
The Fair - which will be spread out over the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre and the CARI facility, has been in the planning stages for the last six months, and organizer Lyall Huggan of Sport P.E.I is confident that it will be a big success.
�We are shooting in the dark a bit because this is the first fair of its kind in the province,� said Huggan, �but we have followed the Nova Scotia model closely in terms of set up and theirs has always been very successful. The sport centre and CARI are great sites to host something like this. Getting such a large number of students in and out will be a challenge but we have a large number of volunteers lined up through Panther athletes and the Aliant Pioneers, and we are confident that the children will not only have fun, but learn about some sports that they wouldn�t normally try.�
Twenty-four sports will be represented at the Fair, along with other organizations that promote active living and healthy lifestyles. There will be a variety of demonstrations and activities for the children to try, including karate, floor hockey, throwing a baseball measured by radar, and wheelchair basketball to name just a few.
Although the daytime sessions will be attended by students of the 23 elementary schools that have signed up for the Fair, the evening session on the Tuesday, from 6.00pm-8.00pm, is open to the public. Entry to the Fair is just $2, with all proceeds going to the Kidsport Fund.
For more information on the Sports Fair, call Sport P.E.I at 368-4110.
Suspicious fire destroys 99-year-old Windsor NS curling club
Posted Wednesday, September 26, 2007 by derekm
WINDSOR, N.S. - Fire officials say a fire that destroyed three buildings in Windsor, including the town's curling club, is suspicious in nature.
Click to read this story from The Canadian Press.
Atlantic Curling Tour begins new season
Posted Sunday, September 23, 2007 by derekm
Although the ice is not yet in in most clubs. the Atlantic Curling Tour is underway for the 2007-2008 season. In the Sounds Fantastic Early Bird Challenge, which wrapped up today in Moncton, James Grattan defeated Russ Howard 7-6 in the final. Grattan took home $4800, while two-time world champ and Olympic gold medallist Howard pocketed $3200. Other winners were Andrea Kelley, Marc LeCoq, Jeremy Mallais, Mark Kehoe, Cheryl McBain, and Steve Burgess.
Next weekend, the Tour will travel to the Lakeshore Curling Club in Sackville NS for the 8th Annual Appleton Rum Cashspiel, with wraps up on the 30th.
Warren Ellis roast huge success - Registration up next at Maple Leaf
Posted Thursday, September 20, 2007 by derekm
The Warren Ellis Roast, a fundraiser for the Maple Leaf Curling Club, was held at the O'Leary Community Sports Centre. Close to 250 people bought tickets to the event, and some went home with prizes, as an elimination draw was held in conjunction with the event.
Warren Ellis got off with a mild scorching, though, as roasters spent most of their turns reminding audience members of Ellis's community support, including assistance for the Community Sports Centre, where the roast was held, and the $182,000 the Ellis family contributed through pledges to the Terry Fox run since 1980.
The Maple Leaf Curling Club Board of Directors were very pleased that the event was such a success, stating that "It is a terrific help to the Club and we thank Warren and his family for their dedication to the Community and support for the Club."
In a release, the Board stated that the next goal for the Club is Registrations. "While fundraising is a key part of non-profit organizations, it's members and participants that keep the doors of Recreational facilities open. We encourage everyone to get out there and register. Everyone is welcome"
Registration is taking place September 27 @ 7pm at the Club. Deadline for Registration is September 30th, 2007. Anyone interested in more information can contact the Curling Club and leave a message, or check out the club's website at www.mlcclub.net.
Curling News from CurlTV.com
