Photo (L-R): Mel Bernard, Ted MacFadyen, Lou Nowlan, Earle Proude
The Mel Bernard rink from the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside edged out the Bill Hope foursome from the Charlottetown Curling Club by a 5-4 score on Sunday evening to win the twice-delayed final in the Marco Polo Land Provincial Masters Curling Championships, for curlers age 60 and over. Although the event was hosted by the Charlottetown Curling Club, Sunday’s game was played at the Fox, as some of the players were not able to compete during the ice time scheduled for Monday in Charlottetown, after a Thursday storm delay, and a Friday postponement due to ice plant problems. Hope had beaten Bernard 7-2 in the “B” section final, played at the Cornwall Curling Club on Friday afternoon.
In this evening’s final, the Hope rink scored first, with the teams trading single points in each end and Bernard stealing one point in the seventh end of the eight end game to force an extra end, where Bernard had hammer and picked up the win. Playing with Bernard are Ted MacFadyen, Lou Nowlan, and Earle Proude, while the runner-up Hope team includes Craig Mackie, David Murphy, and John DeLuca.
Meanwhile, the women’s Masters “B” section final, between Diane MacKay of Cornwall and Jeanne Duffenais of the Silver Fox, will be contested Monday at 10 am back at the Charlottetown club. The “B” final winner then faces “A” final winner and defending champion Carol Sweetapple from Cornwall in the 1 pm championship final, also at Charlottetown.
Sixteen men’s and four women’s teams took part in the double-knockout event.
Winners and runners-up earn the right to compete in the Maritime Masters Championships, February 14-19, at the Charlottetown Curling Club.
Winners may also participate in the Canadian Masters, March 30 to April 5 at the Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club in Winnipeg.