After Sunday play in the triple-knockout Pepsi Provincial Junior Curling Championships at the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O’Leary, the Brett Gallant rink are in the driver’s seat on their journey to their fifth consecutive junior men’s title, winning the B section, and advancing to the C finals. As they won the A section on Saturday, a win in any of their next three games – the C final, or the two championship round games, will give them another trip to the M&M Canadian Juniors, where they are the defending champions, and last year’s World silver medallists.
On Sunday, Gallant, and teammates Adam Casey, Anson Carmody, and Alex MacFadyen, with coaches Kathie and Peter Gallant, defeated the Matthew MacLean rink from the host club by a 9-2 score in the B final, scoring two four-enders in the process. The A final on Saturday was also against MacLean, with Gallant winning by an 11-2 score, aided by a six-ender. Gallant then recorded an 8-6 win over Charlottetown clubmate Spencer Pitre to advance to the C final, Monday at 1 pm against MacLean, who edged Maple Leaf clubmate Parker Clements by a 5-4 score to advance. Should Gallant win the C final, he will take the championship without the two game playoff round, scheduled for Monday at 6 pm, and Tuesday at 3 pm. Should MacLean win, he would also have to win both championship games, to take the title, while Gallant would repeat as champ if he won either.
In the Junior Women’s section, Cornwall’s Sarah Fullerton rink won the B section, doubling Charlottetown’s Anita Casey rink 8-4, aided by a stolen ninth-end deuce. Fullerton, with teammates Michelle McQuaid, Sara MacRae, and Whitney Young, and coach Brenda MacMillan, had won the A final on Saturday, 6-5 over Amanda MacLean of the host Maple Leaf Club.
Fullerton did not advance to the C final, after suffering her first loss, by an 8-4 score, to MacLean, who will now face Casey in that game, Monday at 1 pm. Casey advanced with a 9-8 extra-end win over Tiffany Sweet of the Maple Leaf. The championship round games go Monday at 6 pm, and, if necessary, Tuesday at 3 pm.
Since Fullerton won two sections, she will play in both championship games against the C winner, and take her first Junior championship if she wins either.
The winning junior men’s and women’s rinks will advance to the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Junior Championships, January 16-24 in Sorel-Tracy Quebec.