Following a 24 hour weather delay, the 2009 Pepsi Provincial Junior Curling Championships got underway on Saturday. Both defending champions are undefeated after opening day in the triple-knockout competition, with Brett Gallant of Charlottetown beating clubmate Patrick Shepherd 7-1 in only five ends, and Erin Carmody of Summerside edging Cornwall’s Sarah Fullerton 5-4, and beating Lindsay Hughes of Charlottetown 6-1.
Hot on Gallant’s heels are high-scoring Sam Ramsay of the Silver Fox, who picked up a five-ender in a 14-6 win over Tyler Davies of Charlottetown, and followed two triples with a double in a 10-4 victory over Spencer Pitre of Alberton, along with Nick van Ouwerkerk, playing out of Charlottetown, who beat Parker Clements of O’Leary’s Maple Leaf club 7-4, and Matthew Nabuurs of Montague by a 7-3 score.
Also undefeated in the junior women’s section are Sarah Clow of Cornwall, who beat clubmate Trish Sanderson 11-6 in her only Saturday game, and Anita Casey of the Fox, who doubled Katie Sharkey of Charlottetown 12-6 in her opener, and Tiffany Sweet of the Maple Leaf club in O’Leary 8-4 in her second game.
On Sunday morning at 8, van Ouwerkerk faces Gallant, with the winner taking on Ramsay in the junior men’s A division final, at 4 pm.
Also at 8 am, Carmody takes on Clow, with the winner meeting Casey in the women’s A section final, also at 4 pm.
Winners of A, B, and C divisions will advance to the two-game championship round, on Wednesday. The eventual winners will compete in the M&M Canadian Juniors, January 31 to February 8 in Salmon Arm BC.