PEI’s Peter MacDonald rink lost their opener 9-3 to Alberta on Saturday at the World Financial Group Canadian Seniors in Ottawa.
Shirley Berry also lost to Alberta, by a 9-5 score, and scored two points in the last end to edge the Northwest Territories/Yukon team 7-6. MacDonald plays the Territories at 11 this morning PEI time.

Next up for the Islanders is British Columbia, at 4 (men) and 8:30 pm (women) Atlantic.

Alberta, Sask., and NB currently lead the women’s standings, at 2-0, while Albarta, Quebec, BC, Northern Ont. and Sask. all have one win on the men’s side.

Rod MacDonald throws fourth stones for the Peter MacDonald rink, with Peter calling the game and throwing second. Peter Gallant throws third, with Doug MacGregor throwing lead stones.

The Shirley Berry rink includes third Sandy Hope, second Shelley Ebbett, and lead Arleen Harris.

By Larry Wood, Eye Opener Editor (CCA)

SWIFT CURRENT, March 20, 2010 — The Stars and Stripes were waving furiously at the Ford World women’s curling championship on opening day.

U.S. skip Erika Brown of Madison, Wis., directed her American champion team of Nina Spatola, Ann Swisshelm and Laura Hallisey to the front of the pack after two draws at the Credit Union iplex.

Brown polished off Japanese veteran Moe Meguro of Aomori 10-3 on the late shift Saturday after earlier rallying with three stolen points in the latter stages en route to an 8-6 afternoon conquest of Russia’s entry skipped by Anna Sidorova of Moscow.

“It feels great,” said Brown, when informed she would carry the day alone on top of the 12-team standings with a 2-and-0 record. “We’d better take a picture of the scoreboard. This is just what we had planned. It’s where we wanted to be, obviously.”

Brown’s outfit was the last of the 12 teams to be decided for the Ford Worlds, having won its U.S. Nationals a mere week ago.

“I honestly feel we did have that advantage today,” said Brown. “Just based on our circumstances. We hadn’t had a lot of ice time together, so we had 12 great well-played games together at the Nationals and finished on a high note, took a few days off and went right back at it. That was our plan the whole season. We always knew there wasn’t going to be a lot of time so we were ready for it.”

The Yanks stole five points from Japan in the third and fourth ends for a 6-0 lead, after which it was a runaway.

In the opener, Brown twice missed draws that cost her points but she had the debate square after five ends, then stole in front with a critical deuce in the sixth, which severely deflated the Russians. In the end, that deuce proved the margin of victory although Brown needed a double in the 10th to secure the verdict.

Elsewhere, Canada’s Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg survived an early scare against a young Swedish team two years out of junior competition before stealing three in the sixth end and another in the seventh to turn around their opener and prance away to a 9-6 win.

Karlstad skip Cecilia Ostlund, 22, had Canada on the run for four ends, scoring deuce, single, deuce after Jones drew the four-foot for a single while looking at a first-end Swedish pair.

But the relatively inexperienced Swedish skip rubbed off a rock of her own in the fifth, leaving Jones a draw for two.. Then the Swedish sweepers miscalculated on Ostlund’s out-turn draw to the four-foot against four in the sixth and the Swedish rock ground to a halt, cutting out only one of the four Canuck counters.

“We got outplayed at the start, we couldn’t get our rocks in the right spots, we had a couple of zeroes every end and just didn’t perform the way we wanted to,” Jones said of the game’s first half. “And they played awesome, they were on fire.

“But our philosophy always has been that when we’re down we keep trying to get a good feel for the ice and get something out of a game. Experience isn’t necessary but it doesn’t hurt. We know we can come back. We’ve done it a few times.  You’ve got to have wins like this along the way. We had to make some good shots with our backs to the wall and that’s good for us.”

Ostlund was suspicious first-night nerves cost her team.

“We were quite nervous,” she admitted. “It was our first game in our first world championship. It was just nice to have the good start and have the lead. We must take that with us when we play our next game.”

In other late tiffs, Norway’s Linn Githmark shaded Binia Feltscher of Switzerland 7-6 without requiring the hammer when the Swiss skip wrecked on her last shot.

Russia, with Anna Sidorova skipping, rebounded from the afternoon loss to defeat the rookie Latvian crew skipped by Iveta Stasa-Sarsune 4-2.

Denmark faces China in a battle of first-day losers Sunday morning at 8:30 while Scotland goes against Germany, both first-day winners.

The finals go at 5 this afternoon at the Dominion PEI Curling Club Championship in Cornwall, with seven men’s and six women’s teams competing to advance to the national The Dominion event, November 23-28 at the Cornwall and Charlottetown clubs.

The host club’s Lorianne Davies rink, which includes Melody Beck, Tracy MacDonald, and Lynda Turnbull, finished round robin play with a perfect 5-0 record, and advances directly to this afternoon’s women’s final. The Kim Aylward rink from the Silver Fox, with teammates Jeanne Duffenais, Michelle Weaver, and Debbie Caissy, finished second with a 3-2 win-loss record, and will play in the 2 pm semi-final. There was a three-way tie for third at 2-3 after round robin play, with Sharon Horne of Alberton’s Western Community club blanking defending champion Vanessa Hamming of Crapaud 7-0 in the first tiebreaker on Saturday night. Horne will now play Charlottetown’s Micki Cageorge rink in the second tiebreaker at 10 am, with the winner of that game facing Aylward in the semi-final. The winner of the semi then plays Davies for the title.

In the men’s section, the Dave Ross rink from Charlottetown were undefeated going into last night’s final round robin draw, but lost their game against Western’s Kevin Ellsworth team by a 7-3 score, putting them into a three way tie for first with Ellsworth, and Montague’s Donald Clarey rink. After draw to the button records were compared, Ellsworth was awarded first place, and advances directly to the 5 pm final. Second place Clarey and third place Ross square off in the 2 pm semi-final, with the winner playing Ellsworth in the final.

Other members of the Kevin Ellsworth rink are Fred Fraser, Allan Gaudet, and Gifford Costain. Playing with Donald Clarey are Larry Richards, Elliot Morrison, and Cameron Lerch, with fifth player Mike Clarey. Nick Fraser, Paul Gaudet, and Lester Wah round out the Ross team.

There’s just one game left at the Island Petroleum Provincial Junior Mixed Curling Championship at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club.

On Saturday afternoon, the Charlottetown Curling Club rink of Alex Matters, Emily Keen, Andrew Cameron, and Emma Matheson, with coach Derrick Cameron, captured the 15 and Under division, winning three straight in their best of five series against the combined Charlottetown/Silver Fox rink skipped by Christopher Gallant. Other members of the Gallant team are Jenny McLean, Kyle Holland, and Lauren MacFadyen, with coach Dr. Don Vickerson. The scores in the three games were 6-1, 6-3. and 5-4.

In the 20 and Under division, the Adam Casey team from Charlottetown handed the combined Cornwall and Silver Fox Sarah Fullerton foursome their first loss  in the final round robin draw on Saturday night, by a 7-3 score. Both teams finished round robin play with 3-1 records, and advanced to the 1st vs 2nd place final, Sunday at 2 pm.  Casey’s teammates are his sister Anita Casey, along with Anson Carmody and Hillary Thompson and coach Jeff Wilson, while Justin Richard, Sara MacRae, and Corey Miller, with coach Brenda MacMillan round out the Fullerton squad.

Also on Saturday night, the Spencer Pitre team from Charlottetown eliminated a possible tiebreaker for the Colton Griffin rink from Alberton’s Western Community club, by edging the Western rink by a 5-4 score. This left both teams out of the playoffs with 2-2 records. The fifth rink in the division, skipped by Cody Dixon of Montague was 0-4 in the event.

One of the two champions has been decided at Island Petroleum Provincial Junior Mixed Curling Championships at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside.

On Saturday afternoon, the Charlottetown Curling Club rink of Alex Matters, Emily Keen, Andrew Cameron, and Emma Matheson, with coach Derrick Cameron, captured the 15 and Under division, winning three straight in their best of five series against the combined Charlottetown/Silver Fox rink skipped by Christopher Gallant. Other members of the Gallant team are Jenny McLean, Kyle Holland, and Lauren MacFadyen, with coach Dr. Don Vickerson. The scores in the three games were 6-1, 6-3. and 5-4.

Meanwhile, going into the final round robin draw at 7 pm Saturday evening, the Sarah Fullerton rink from Cornwall and the Silver Fox are the only undefeated rink in the 20 and Under division, with a 3-0 record. They face the Adam Casey rink from Charlottetown, who are in third place at 2-1, after losing 10-4 to Colton Griffin of Western this afternoon. Griffin is also 2-1, but as he beat Casey, is in second place. Griffin plays Spencer Pitre, who is in fourth place at 1-2, tonight. The top three teams advance to the Sunday championship round, with Fullerton assured of a berth. A Casey loss, combined with a Pitre win would tie the other three teams in contention at 2-2. The Cody Dixon rink from Montague are out of playoff contention at 0-4.

SWIFT CURRENT, Saskatchewan…The 2010 Ford World Women’s Curling Championship, presented by Monsanto, gets underway today at the Credit Union i-plex in Swift Current.
             
It’s the second time that a world women’s curling championship has been held in Saskatchewan.  In 1983, the event took place in Moose Jaw and was won by Switzerland’s Erika Müller.
 
Twelve countries will be represented in the nine-day competition, with the top four teams qualifying for the playoffs, starting Friday, March 26 after the conclusion of the round robin.   The first and second place teams face off in one game, with the winner advancing to the gold medal final, while the loser goes to the semi-final. The third and fourth place teams will also meet, with the winner advancing to the semi-final on Saturday, while the loser goes to the bronze medal game on Sunday morning, where it will play the semi-final loser.  The Ford World Women’s final is slated for Sunday, March 28 at 3:00 pm CT/6:00 pm AT.
 
TSN will carry all Team Canada games throughout the round robin, followed by the playoffs and final.
 
Canada will be represented by four-time Scotties Tournament of Hearts winning skip Jennifer Jones and her St. Vital Curling Club team from Winnipeg of Cathy Overton-Clapham, Jill Officer and Dawn Askin.  They also teamed to win the 2008 Ford World Women’s in Vernon, British Columbia.  Canada plays its first game on Saturday evening at 7:00 CT/10:00 pm AT against Sweden.
 
China is skipped by Bingyu Wang of Harbin, who last month earned a bronze medal at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver and is the reigning world champion, after capturing the 2009 World Women’s in Gangneung, Korea.
 
Five other teams which will compete in Swift Current also participated in the recent Winter Olympics – skipped by Denmark’s Angelina Jensen, Germany’s Andrea Schöpp, Japan’s Moe Meguro, Russia’s Liudmila Privivkova and Scotland’s Eve Muirhead (who represented Great Britain).
 
Jensen won a silver medal at the 2007 Worlds, Schöpp, the reigning European champion, will be making her 17th Worlds appearance, all as skip, having won in 1988, Privivkova won the 2006 World Juniors and 2006 European Championship while Muirhead is a three-time (2007, 2008, 2009) World Junior champion.
 
Completing the field are Latvia’s Iveta Stasa-Sarsune, Norway’s Linn Githmark, the 2004 world junior champion and 2004 Worlds silver medallist, Sweden’s Cecilia Östlund, the 2008 World Junior silver medallist, Switzerland’s 2006 Olympic silver medallist Binia Feltscher and Erika Brown of the United States, who has twice won silver medals at both the Worlds and World Juniors.

After two days of play at The Dominion PEI Curling Club Championship at the Cornwall Curling Club, the Dave Ross team from Charlottetown remains undefeated on the men’s side, with a 4-0 win-loss record, while the Lorianne Davies squad from the host Cornwall club, and the Kim Aylward foursome from the Silver Fox lead the women, with 3-0 records.

There will be one less undefeated women’s team after the noon Saturday draw, when these two teams face off. Defending champion Vanessa Hamming from Crapaud, Sharon Horne from Alberton’s Western Community club, and Charlottetown’s Micki Cageorge have one win against two losses on the women’s side, while June Moyaert and her Montague rink are 0-3.

In games today, Aylward took a five-ender in a lopsided 13-1 win over Cageorge, and beat Moyaert 6-2. Davies stole triples in both a 9-2 win over Hamming, and a 7-2 victory over Horne.

In Friday men’s play, Ross beat Barry Cameron of the Silver Fox 9-2, and Cornwall’s Roddie MacLean 9-2. 

Kevin Ellsworth of Alberton and Donald Clarey of Montague are next in the men’s standings, with 3-1 and 2-1 record, respectively.  Kevin Smith of Crapaud, along with Cameron and MacLean are 1-2. Glen Betts of the Maple Leaf is winless in four starts.

Round robin play wraps up Saturday with men’s draws at 9:30 am and 2:30 and 8 pm, and women’s games at 12 noon and 5:30 pm. The championship round goes Sunday with the second and third place teams playing in the semi-finals at 1 pm, and the semi winner facing the first place team in the 5 pm finals.

The winning teams will advance to the national The Dominion Curling Club Championship, co-hosted by the Cornwall and Charlottetown curling clubs, November 23-28.

After opening day play at the Island Petroleum Junior Mixed Curling Championship at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside, the Sarah Fullerton rink from Cornwall and the Silver Fox is 2-0, while the Adam Casey foursome is 1-0 in round robin play in  the five team 20 and Under division. The two 15 and Under division teams are playing a best of 5, with the Alex Matters rink of Charlottetown leading the Christopher Gallant foursome from the Charlottetown and Silver Fox clubs two games to none.

Fullerton, with teammates Justin Richard, Sara MacRae, and Corey Miller, and coach Brenda MacMillan, took four points in the first end of her opener, and hung on for a 7-6 win over the Spencer Pitre team from Charlottetown.  The Fullerton team then stole a triple in the first end of their second game, against Colton Griffin of the Western Community club in Alberton, and won by a 7-5 score.

Casey, whose team includes Anita Casey, Anson Carmody, and Hillary Thompson, with coach Jeff Wilson, doubled Cody Dixon of Montague 6-3 in his opener, and had a second round bye. Pitre won his second game, over Dixon, picking up seven points in ends six and seven in an 11-7 come-from-behind win, to finish the day at an even 1-1. Griffin is 0-1,  while Dixon is 0-2.

In the 15 and Under division, Matters, with teammates Emily Keen, Andrew Cameron, and Emma Matheson, with coach Derrick Cameron, won his first game 6-1 over Gallant, and his second by a 6-3 score.  Other members of the Gallant team are Jenny McLean, Kyle Holland, and Lauren MacFadyen. Dr. Don Vickerson is their coach.

Play continues Saturday at 11 am, and 2 and 7 pm. and wraps up on Sunday.

Ottawa, ON (CCA) The World Financial Group Canadian Senior Men’s and Women’s Curling Championships get underway Saturday at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club.

Twelve men’s and 12 women’s teams will compete in the national championships, slated for March 20-28. At the conclusion of the round robin on Friday night, the first place teams advance directly to Sunday’s finals at 2:30 pm Atlantic, while the second and third place teams meet in semi-finals on Saturday.

The winners of the 2010 Canadian Seniors will then represent Canada at the 2011 World Seniors, April 15-24 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA.

This year’s fields are two of the best in Canadian Seniors history. The men’s roster includes Northern Ontario’s Al Hackner, a two-time (1982, 1985) Brier and world champion, in addition to also being a Canadian Seniors champion in 2006.

Other skips include Brier veterans Peter MacDonald of Prince Edward Island, Brian Rafuse of Nova Scotia, Quebec’s Pierre Charette and Saskatchewan’s Brad Heidt.

The women’s line-up boasts Alberta’s Diane Foster of Calgary, the 2008 World Seniors champion, British Columbia’s 2008 Canadian and 2009 World Seniors championship team, this time skipped by Christine Jurgenson, while former skip Pat Sanders is now at second. Both Jurgenson and Sanders are also former Canadian and World champions.

The field also includes veteran Scotties Tournament of Hearts skips Heidi Hanlon of New Brunswick, Laura Phillips of Newfoundland/Labrador and Quebec’s Agnes Charètte, also a three-time (1997, 1999, 2000) Canadian Seniors champion. PEI is represented by Shirley Berry, making her fourth trip to the Senior nationals.

The Canadian Seniors were last held in Ontario in 2002 in St. Thomas.
Ottawa has twice previously hosted the Seniors. It staged the inaugural Canadian senior women’s championship in 1973 and the men’s event in 1976, when the championships were conducted separately, prior to being combined, starting in 1985 in Yorkton, Saskatchewan.

Manitoba and Ontario have each won 10 Canadian senior men’s titles since the championship began in 1965 in Port Arthur, while Ontario has also won a leading 10 women¹s crowns since 1973.

Ontario (Bruce Delaney of Ottawa) and Nova Scotia (Colleen Pinkney of Truro) won the 2009 Canadian Seniors in Summerside, Prince Edward Island and will represent Canada at the 2010 World Seniors, April 16-24 in Chelyabinsk, Russia.

The 2008 Canadian Senior champions, Eugene Hritzuk of Saskatchewan and Pat Sanders of British Columbia, won gold medals at the 2009 World Seniors in New Zealand, while the 2007 Canadian Senior champions, Alberta’s Pat Ryan and Diane Foster, also won gold medals at the 2008 World Seniors in Vierumäki, Finland.

The final event in the 2009-2010 PEI Curling Association championship season is the Island Petroleum Junior Mixed, which gets underway this afternoon, and wraps up on Sunday at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside. The five teams in the age 20 and under division will play a round robin format, with the top two teams advancing to the Sunday afternoon final, while the two 15 and under division teams will play a best of five. Defending 20 and Under champions, the Mitch Rowley rink from O’Leary’s Maple Leaf Curling Club, are not back this year, while the 15 and Under winning skip, Colton Griffin, from the Western Community club in Alberton,  has moved up to the 20 and Under division.

Results will be available at peicurling.com/juniormixed

Here are the team rosters (skip to lead, coach, club)
20 and Under Division
Spencer Pitre, Michelle McQuaid, Connor MacPhee, Whitney Young, coach Trevor Young, Charlottetown
Adam Casey, Anita Casey, Anson Carmody, Hillary Thompson, coach Jeff Wilson, Charlottetown
Cody Dixon, Caroline Rose, Jonathon MacDonald, Sarah MacPhee, coach Brent MacDonald, Montague
Sarah Fullerton, Justin Richard, Sara MacRae, Corey Miller, coach Brenda MacMillan, Cornwall/ Silver Fox
Colton Griffin, Chantal Clements, Shawn Pitre, Jessica Chapman, coach Roger Gavin, Western Community (Alberton)

15 and Under Division
Alex Matters, Emily Keen, Andrew Cameron, Emma Matheson, coach Derrick Cameron, Charlottetown
Christopher Gallant, Jenny McLean, Kyle Holland, Lauren MacFadyen, coach Dr. Don Vickerson, Charlottetown/Silver Fox

Here is the draw:
Draw One Friday March 19 at 4 pm
Spencer Pitre vs Sarah Fullerton, Alex Matters vs Christopher Gallant, Adam Casey vs Cody Dixon

Draw Two Friday March 19 at 7 pm
Christopher Gallant vs Alex Matters, Cody Dixon vs Spencer Pitre, Sarah Fullerton vs Colton Griffin

Draw Three Saturday March 20 at 11 am
Colton Griffin vs Cody Dixon, Spencer Pitre vs Adam Casey

Draw Four: Saturday March 20 at 2 pm.
Alex Matters vs Christopher Gallant, Adam Casey vs Colton Griffin, Cody Dixon vs Sarah Fullerton

Draw Five Saturday March 20 at 7 pm
Sarah Fullerton vs Adam Casey, Christopher Gallant vs Alex Matters (if needed), Colton Griffin vs Spencer Pitre

Tiebreakers (if needed):  Sunday March 21 at 9 am and 12 noon (if two), or 11 am (if one).

Final draw: Sunday March 21, 2010 at 2 pm (3 pm if 2 tiebreakers)
Alex Matters vs Christopher Gallant (if needed), 20 and Under final (1st vs 2nd)

One men’s and one women’s draw, plus the opening ceremonies took place this evening, as The Dominion PEI Curling Club Championship got underway at the Cornwall Curling Club. The Cornwall and Charlottetown clubs will be the co-hosts of the national The Dominion Championship, November 23-28.

In the opening men’s draw, wins were recorded by Dave Ross of Charlottetown, Kevin Ellsworth of the Western Community club in Alberton, and Montague’s Donald Clarey rink. Ross  stole four points in the second end en route to an 8-6 win over Crapaud’s Kevin Smith team, Ellsworth beat Summerside’s Barry Cameron by a 5-2 score, and the Clarey foursome beat the Glen Betts team from the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O’Leary by a 7-3 score. The Roddie MacLean rink from Cornwall had the bye in the first draw.

In the six team women’s division, Cornwall’s Lorianne Davies rink downed the Micki Cageorge team from Charlottetown 11-1 in six ends. Kim Aylward of Summerside’s Silver Fox club beat the Sharon Horne rink from Alberton 8-5, and defending champion Vanessa Hamming of Crapaud scored a five ender in a 13-6 win over the June Moyaert team from Montague.

Leigh Armstrong from The Dominion, MLA Ron McKinley, Cornwall Mayor Patrick MacFadyen, and PEI Curling Association president Shirley Lank were among those on hand for the opening ceremony.

Round robin play continues on Friday and Saturday, with men’s draws at 9:30 am, and 2:30 and 8 pm. Women’s draws are 12 noon and 5:30 pm.

The championship round is on Sunday, with the semi-finals at 1 and the finals at 5 pm.

It was an all Nova Scotia final in the men’s section of the second annual Maritime Stick Curling Championships, sponsored by Ferguson Funeral Homes, which wrapped up this afternoon at the Cornwall Curling Club.

The duo of Ted Lohnes and Ron Crowe beat the team of Wayne Gormann and Ray Shillington by a 7-1 score in the final, taking two points in the opening end, and stealing a deuce and a single in the next two ends to build up an early 5-0 lead. Lohnes/Crowe doubled PEI’s Grant Laird/Vernon Chowan twosome 4-2 in one semi-final, while Gormann/Shillington got by the Vince Clark/Kerry Gardner pair, also from Nova Scotia, by a 7-5 score in the other.

The Clark/Gardner team edged the Laird/Chowan rink 4-3 in the consolation final, between the losers of the semi-final matches. Twelve teams participated in the men’s division.

In the four team women’s divison, with all PEI teams this year, the Ruth Stavert/Gloria Clarke team from the host Cornwall Curling Club beat out the team of Cornwall’s Shirley Lank and Crapaud’s Ruth Walsh by a 7-1 score in the final. Lank/Walsh had finished the round robin in first place with a 5-1 win-loss record, while Stavert/Clarke were second at 3-2.

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. Two curlers, one from each team, alternately deliver 6 stones each per end, while their teammate skips that end. The roles are then reversed, and the partners deliver the stones back. All games are six ends.

Next year’s Maritime Stick championship will be in New Brunswick.

The first and second “All Canadians” teams were announced at the closing ceremonies on Sunday for the CIS/CCA Canadian University Curling Championships in Edmonton. UPEI’s Anson Carmody, second on the silver-medallist Brett Gallant rink, made the first men’s team, for having the highest curling percentage among seconds.

Photo (L-R): Laura Lochanski (CCA Governor),  Skip: Jon Beuk (Queen’s), Third: Stephen Ryan (Memorial).
Second: Anson Carmody (UPEI), Lead: Trent Hilliard (Dalhousie)

Click for a wrapup of the championships, including complete winners list.

The Canadian rink under the guidance of skip Jim Armstrong played a tight battle against Korea to win 6-4 in eighth draw action Wednesday night, clinching first place in round robin play at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Games.

Canada sits at 7-1 with a final match to play against Italy on Thursday. The United States is in second at 6-2, but Canada beat the Americans in the round robin and would still finish first should the two rinks finish with 7-2 records.

Click to read this story at CTVOlympics.ca

‘I was speechless … it seems like a dream’, girl says of meeting Hannah Montana

JIM DAY
The Guardian

Eight year old Olivia Craig’s wish to meet her hero Hannah Montana, the popular TV character played by Miley Cyrus, came to fruition at a concert in Boston on Nov. 7.

The funds for the wish were raised last year during the annual Vogue Optical Curl for Wishes. The celebrity curling event raised just under $20,000 — enough to cover two wishes.

Click to read this story in today’s Guardian.

The Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada Prince Edward Island Chapter and Vogue Optical along with the Charlottetown Curling Club would like to announce the sixth annual “Vogue Optical Curl for Wishes” taking place on April 8th – 10th, 2010. 

Thirty Curling teams will have an opportunity to play with one of Canada’s top curlers and in the process help grant the wish of an Island Child. Once again this year the top ten fundraising teams will have first choice of their celebrity skip. Registration includes a minimum of 4 games, an opening reception hosted at Hunter’s Ale House, live entertainment, lunch provided each day and awards presentation at the Charlottetown Curling Club. There will be a silent auction held throughout the tournament which will include numerous items from around the curling world.

“It’s PEI’s most fun and entertaining curling event of the season” says Stefanie Clark, Chair of the Organizing Committee for the, “Vogue Optical Curl for Wishes”.  “It is a weekend filled with good times and good memories that can be enjoyed by all regardless of their curling ability”.  
 
For more information, please contact the Children’s Wish Foundation office:
22 Allen Street
P.O. Box 2614
Charlottetown,  PE  C1A 8C3
pei@childrenswish.ca
1- 800-267-9474

The Mel Bernard foursome from the George R. Pearkes VC Branch in Summerside finished second at the Dominion Legion Curling Championships in Stephenville NL. The Bernard rink finished round robin play at 5-3, behind the Jeff Stewart team from Manitoba/Northwest Territories, who went 6-1.  Other members of the Bernard team are Blair Jay, Doug Simmons, and Earle Proude. They wrapped up play on Wednesday with two wins — 10-4 over Nova Scotia/Nunavut, and 7-1 over Newfoundland and Labrador.

The second annual The Dominion Provincial Club Curling Championship gets underway Thursday afternoon, following the Maritime Stick finals,  at the Cornwall Curling Club, with opening men’s draw at 5:30, followed by the opening ceremonies and a reception. The opening women’s draw is scheduled for 8 pm.  Club champions from all seven PEI clubs will be competing in the men’s section, along with women’s champions from six clubs. Defending champions are the Vanessa Hamming rink from the Crapaud Community Curling Club, and the Louis Walsh foursome from the Silver Fox. Hamming and her team are back this year. The winning provincial rinks will advance to the national The Dominion Curling Club championship, which is cohosted by Cornwall, and the Charlottetown Curling Club, and will take place November 23-28.

The provincial and national club championships, sponsored by The Dominion, one of the country’s largest property and casualty insurers, are designed to give regular club curlers across the country an opportunity to compete in provincial and national level competitions. Any profit generated from provincial or national Dominion Curling Club Championship events will be directed to charities including the Canadian Paraplegic Association, as well as developmental curling initiatives in communities across Canada.

In the provincial event, the men’s and women’s divisions will play round robin formats, with alternating men’s and women’s draws at 5:30 (men) and 8 pm (women) on Thursday, and on Friday at 9:30 am (men), and 12 noon (women), 2:30 (men), 5:30 (women) and 8 pm (men). The round robin wraps up on Saturday with men’s draws at 9:30 am, and 2:30 and 8 pm, and women’s play at 12 noon and 5:30 pm.

Tiebreakers, if needed, go Sunday at 10 am, with the semi-finals at 1 and the final at 5 pm.

End by end results will be available at peicurling.com/thedominion.

Here are the men’s team rosters (skip to lead, fifth, club)

Dave Ross, Nick Fraser, Paul Gaudet, Lester Wah,   Charlottetown
Roddie MacLean, Paul Durant, Edgar Coffin, George Younker,  Cornwall
Kevin Smith (throws 1st), Calvin Smith (throws 4th), Todd Gilbert (throws 3rd), Donald Whitehead (throws 2nd), Crapaud Community
Glen Betts, Rodney Ellis, Lowell Morrison, Reggie Clements, Ricky Cook (5th), Maple Leaf (O’Leary)
Donald Clarey, Larry Richards, Elliot Morrison, Cameron Lerch, Mike Clarey (5th), Montague
Barry Cameron, Corey Montgomery, Andrew Windsor, Steven Arsenault, Silver Fox (Summerside)
Kevin Ellsworth, Fred Fraser, Alan Gaudet, Gifford Costain, Western Community (Alberton)

Here are the women’s team rosters (skip to lead, fifth, club)

Micki Cageorge, Velma MacLean, Debbie Mol, Wilma Smith, Charlottetown
 
Lorianne Davies, Melody Beck, Tracy MacDonald, Lynda Turnbull, Cornwall
 
Vanessa Hamming, Ruth Walsh, Lindsay Moore, Heather MacRae, Crapaud Community
 
June Moyaert, Shelley Rice, Darlene Larter, Carole Sullivan, Montague
 
Kim Aylward, Jeanne Duffenais, Michelle Weaver, Debbie Caissy, Silver Fox (Summerside)
 
Sharon Horne, Kim Ellsworth, Wendy Fraser, Cheryl Bell, Western Community (Alberton)

Round robin draw

Thursday March 18 5:30 pm (men)
Dave Ross vs Kevin Smith, Barry Cameron vs Kevin Ellsworth, Glen Betts vs Donald Clarey

Thursday March 18 8 pm (women)
June Moyaert vs Vanessa Hamming, Kim Aylward vs Sharon Horne, Micki Cageorge vs Lorianne Davies

Friday, March 19 9:30 am (men)
Kevin Ellsworth vs Donald Clarey, Glen Betts vs Roddie MacLean, Barry Cameron vs Dave Ross

Friday, March 19 12 noon (women)
Kim Aylward vs Micki Cageorge, June Moyaert vs Sharon Horne, Lorianne Davies vs Vanessa Hamming

Friday March 19 2:30 pm (men)
Glen Betts vs Kevin Smith, Dave Ross vs Donald Clarey, Roddie MacLean vs Kevin Ellsworth

Friday March 19 5:30 pm (women)
Sharon Horme vs Lorianne Davies, Vanessa Hamming vs Micki Cageorge, June Moyaert vs Kim Aylward

Friday March 19 8 pm (men)
Dave Ross vs Roddie MacLean, Kevin Ellsworth vs Kevin Smith, Barry Cameron vs Glen Betts

Saturday March 20 9:30 am (men)
Glen Betts vs Kevin Ellsworth, Roddie MacLean vs Kevin Smith, Barry Cameron vs Donald Clarey

Saturday March 20 12 noon (women)
Micki Cageorge vs June Moyaert, Lorianne Davies vs Kim Aylward, Vanessa Hamming vs Sharon Horne

Saturday March 20 2:30 pm (men)
Kevin Smith vs Donald Clarey, Barry Cameron vs Roddie MacLean, Glen Betts vs Dave Ross

Saturday March 20 5:30 pm (women)
Vanessa Hamming vs Kim Aylward, Lorianne Davies vs June Moyaert, Sharon Horne vs Micki Cageorge

Saturday March 20 8 pm (men)
Barry Cameron vs Kevin Smith, Dave Ross vs Kevin Ellsworth, Roddie MacLean vs Donald Clarey

Sunday March 21 10 am
Tiebreakers, if needed

Sunday March 21 1 pm
Semi-finals: 2nd vs 3rd place

Sunday March 21 5 pm
Finals: 1st vs winner semi-final

Nova Scotia rinks finished in first place in both round robin pools at the Ferguson Funeral Homes Maritime Stick Curling Championship, which wraps up Thursday afternoon at the Cornwall Curling Club.  Three teams finished at 3-2 records in the first pool, with the Ted Lohnes/Ron Crowe duo from Nova Scotia grabbing first place after points were compared, followed by the Wayne Gorman/Ray Shillington twosome, also from NS. The New Brunswick rink of Ken Grattan and Al Gauvreau finished third. The other three teams in the pool, all from PEI, had 2-3 win-loss records.

In the second pool, the Nova Scotia team of Vince Clark and Kerry Gardner were first, with a 4-1 win-loss tally. Two PEI rinks, the Grant Laird/Vern Chowan duo from the host club, who were awarded second place, and the third place Bob Leard/Barry MacDonald team, were 3-2. Two teams went 2-3, with one at 1-4.

At 10 am Thursday, the second place team from one pool will play the third place team from the other, with Gorman/Shillington facing Leard/MacDonald, and Grattan/Gauvreau playing Laird/Chowan. The winners will then take on first place teams Lohnes/Crowe and Clark/Gardiner at 12 noon, with the winners of those two games playing in the 2 pm final, and the losers going to the consolation game at the same time.

With one round robin draw remaining, Thursday at noon,  in the four team women’s section, with all teams coming from PEI, the rink of Shirley Lank and Ruth Walsh from the Cornwall and Crapaud clubs have sewn up first place with a 4-1 win-loss record.  The other three teams are at 2-3. Lank/Walsh will play the second place finisher in the women’s final, at 2 pm.

 The Mel Bernard rink from the George R. Pearkes VC Branch in Summerside has a 3-2 win-loss record after five draws at the 2010 Dominion Legion Curling Championship  in Stephenville NL, after splitting their two Tuesday games, losing 9-8 in an extra end to New Brunswick’s Graeme MacKinnon foursome, and winning 7-3 over Jeff Cheal of Quebec. Bernard plays  Ivan Deveau of Nova Scotia/Nunavut and Rick Cook of Newfoundland and Labrador today. (Info from Transcontinental Media)

Waldron’s Wanderings by Waldron Leard

At the recent Lady Hawks Women’s Hockey Tournament in Souris, there was a lot of buzz about another usage for the Eastern Kings Sportsplex. Many of the folks were excited for the return of curling to the Souris area.

Click to read this story in the Eastern Graphic

After opening day play at the second annual Maritime Stick Curling Championships, sponsored by Ferguson’s Funeral Homes,  being played at the Cornwall Curling Club, only one rink, the Nova Scotia duo of Ted Lohnes and Ron Crowe, remains undefeated, with a 2-0 win-loss record. Five men’s rinks — two from Nova Scotia, two from PEI, and one from New Brunswick, are 2-1. In the women’s section, with all teams entered this year coming from PEI,  all four teams are at 1-1. Round robin play continues on Wednesday, with draws at 10 and 11:15 am, along with 12:45, 2 and 3:30 pm.

The final women’s round robin draw is Thursday at noon, with first and second place teams playing off in the final at 2 pm. In the 12 team men’s division, second and third place men’s teams in opposite pools play off at 10 am Thursday, with the winners playing against the first place teams at noon. The winners of the noon contests will then play in the final at 2 pm, while the losers will play in the consolation final at the same time.

VANCOUVER — Funny pants worn by the Norwegian team and a Korean skip who believes that if he yells at the rocks, they will listen. Such is the quirky world of wheelchair curling.

No wonder the sport, both the able-bodied and wheelchair varieties, has taken off in popularity at these Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Click to read this story in the Vancouver Sun

Many of the best stick curlers in the three Maritime provinces will  be at the Cornwall Curling Club Tuesday March 16 through Thursday the 18th for the second annual Maritime Stick Curling Championships, sponsored by Ferguson Funeral Homes. There are two men’s pools, with four Nova Scotia teams, one New Brunswick rink, and seven PEI duos. For the first time there is also a women’s pool, with all the women’s teams coming from PEI for this year. Defending men’s champions are the rink of Vince Clark and Lorne Breckon from the Truro Curling Club. Clark is back this year, with teammate Kerry Gardner.