Defending champion Shirley Berry from the Cornwall and Charlottetown curling clubs, and Karen MacDonald and her Charlottetown rink are undefeated after opening day play in the seven team women’s division at the Credit Unions of PEI Provincial Seniors Curling Championships at the Charlottetown Curling Club. Berry, with teammates Sandy Hope, Shelley Ebbett, and Arleen Harris, and coach Butch McGee, won their opener against Nola Murphy of Summerside by a 7-4 score, and doubled Debbie Rhodenhizer of Cornwall 6-3. MacDonald, playing with Paula Creamer, Kay Atkinson, and Karen Hardy, had an opening round bye, and got by Karen Currie of Cornwall 8-6. This puts Berry and MacDonald in the 2 pm Friday A division final of this triple-knockout event.
In the eleven team men’s section, four teams remain undefeated, skipped by Clair Sweet of O’Leary’s Maple Leaf club, Dale Cannon of the Silver Fox, and Bill Hope and Peter MacDonald from Charlottetown. Sweet edged Grant Somers of Summerside 7-6 in an extra end in his only Thursday game. Somers beat Silver Fox clubmate and defending champion Mel Bernard 8-5 in his opener. Cannon also had only one game, beating George Koke of Montague 9-8. Hope, whose team includes six-time Seniors champ Ted MacFadyen, beat Charlottetown clubmates Charlie Wilkinson and Gordon MacDonald by 7-3 and 8-4 scores, respectively. Peter MacDonald, whose team includes his brother Rod, who has skipped Tankard winning teams four out of the last six years, and Peter Gallant, who won the other two years, along with Doug MacGregor at lead, beat Leo Stewart of Summerside 10-7, and Gil Jubainville of Charlottetown 10-4.
Sweet now plays Hope, while MacDonald takes on Cannon Friday at 9 am, with the winners advancing to the A final of this triple-knockout competition, set for Friday afternoon at 2. Play continues Friday at 7, with Saturday draws at 9, 2, and 7. The B finals are in the last Saturday draw. Sunday draws are also at 9, 2 and 7, with the two game championship round between the section winners scheduled for Monday at 9 am and 2 pm. If a team wins all three sections, the championship round will not be needed. If a team wins two sections, they will win the championship if they take either.
The winning men’s and women’s teams will advance to the Canadian Seniors, March 19-28 in Ottawa.