Round robin play wrapped up Saturday night at the Charlottetown Curling Club’s annual Rodd Classic cashspiel.
Charlottetown’s John Likely, and Brian Rafuse of Bridgewater NS advanced directly to the noon semi-finals In the 18 team men’s division. Likely finished round robin play with a 5-1 win-loss record, losing only his opener, to PEI’s Mike Gaudet rink. Rafuse also went 5-1, losing to PEI’s Jamie Newson rink in the last round robin draw. Other members of the Likely rink are Phil Gorveatt, Mark Butler, Mike Dillon and 5th Robert Campbell, while Chris Palmer, Alan Darragh and Dave Slauenwhite round out the Rafuse foursome.
Likely and Rafuse await the winners of 9 am qualifiers between Mark Kehoe from Windsor NS and Marc LeCocq from Moncton, and between Nova Scotians Chris Sutherland and Brent MacDougall.
The noon semi-finals are set in the twelve team women’s section, with Charlottetown’s Kim Dolan playing Mary Jane McGuire of Fredericton NB, and PEI’s Robyn MacPhee facing another former Canadian Junior champion, Andrea Kelly of New Brunswick.
Kim Dolan is playing with Kathy O’Rourke, Nancy Cameron, and Trish Affleck this season, with Megan McGuire, Sarah Berthelot and Jocelyn Adams completing the McGuire foursome. MacPhee’s rink includes her sister Rebecca Jean at third, and Shelly Muzika and Tammi Lowther on the front end. Kelly’s rink, coached by former Islander Daryell Nowlan, includes his wife Denise at third, along with Jodie de Solla, and Lianne Sobey, and 5th Melissa Adams. Kelly had only one round-robin loss, 6-5 in an extra end to defending champion Suzanne Birt. This was Birt’s only win in the event. Dolan also went 4-1, dropping her opener to MacPhee, who also went 4-1, losing only to Jill Mouzar of Halifax. McGuire’s record was 3-2, after losses to Kelly and Nancy McConnery of Halifax.
The finals go at 3 this afternoon, with the men’s winner taking home $4500, and the championship women’s rink pocketing $3500. Runners-up will get $3300 and $2100 respectively. The losers of the semi-finals will receive $2200 (men) and $1600 (women), while the losers of the men’s quarter-final round receive $1400. There is also a $60 payment per round robin win in the women’s section.