The Credit Unions of PEI Provincial Seniors Curling Championships, for curlers age 50 and over, got underway at two venues on Thursday evening, with the eight teams in the Men’s division playing at the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O’Leary, and the Women’s division, also with eight teams, playing at the Crapaud Community Curling Club. Both divisions are playing a triple knockout format.
At the Men’s event, opening draw winning skips were Rod MacDonald of the Silver Fox and Charlottetown curling clubs, who was on last year’s winning team, and beat Dale Cannon from the Fox by an 8-2 score, along with Bob Matheson of the host club, who scored three points in the last end to beat John Holmes of Summerside 11-8. Matheson moved up from third, as original skip Clair Sweet’s wife passed away this week. Other winners in the first draw were Grant Somers, who edged Silver Fox clubmate Barry Cameron 7-6, and Bill Hope of Charlottetown, who beat Summerside’s Mel Bernard 10-8.
On the women’s side, Cornwall’s Debbie Rhodenhizer downed Summerside’s Sheila Compton 11-4, Karen Anne MacDonald and her Charlottetown curling Club rink beat Cornwall’s Karen Currie foursome 9-7, June Moyaert of Montague beat Paula Baglole of the Silver Fox 10-6, and Shirley Berry of Cornwall doubled Nola Murphy of Summerside 6-3.
Play continues on Friday with draws in both events at 1 and 6 pm. Saturday and Sunday play is at 11 and and 4 pm. The winners of the A, B, and C sections in the triple knockout will advance to the two game championship round at 1 and 6 pm on Sunday. If a team sweeps all three sections, the final round will not be needed.
The winning men’s and women’s teams advance to the World Financial Group Seniors, March 19-26 in Digby NS.