(by Eric McCarthy)

O’LEARY – The Sylvan Learning P.E.I. provincial 17-and-under curling championship the Amanda MacLean rink captured on Monday has been the high point of their curling season so far.

But their season goes through the roof Sunday.

A dream MacLean, third stone Kassinda Bulger, second stone Emily Gray and lead Aleya Quilty have been holding fast to for years becomes a reality when they step out on the curling ice in Halifax for their first game of the 2011 Canada Winter Games.

The MacLean foursome won the right to represent P.E.I. just over a year ago, but at least three of the team members have been preparing for that opportunity since the last Winter Games.

“This past weekend is definitely going to be a help on the mental part of the game, knowing that you can do this sort of thing, got what it takes,” acknowledges Amanda’s father and team coach, Glen MacLean. Shelley Gray, mother of the team’s second stone, is an apprentice coach with Team P.E.I. women’s curling.

Cool under pressure

The P.E.I. skip, who is known for her ability to keep cool under pressure, admits this Canada Games experience is bigger than anything her team has ever encountered in the sport.

“Our major goal,” she said, “is we’d like to come home with a medal. But our realistic goal is basically to come in the top half of the board.

“But our ultimate goal is the medal.”

Pitre on male team

There’s a fourth West Prince athlete curling for P.E.I. in the Canada Games. Shawn Pitre from Kildare, and a member of the Western Community Curling Club in Alberton, was added to the Tyler Smith team last spring. He throws third stones.

Pitre recently returned from the M&M Meat Shop Canadian junior curling championships, where he cheered on Team P.E.I., skipped by his brother, Spencer.

Click for full story in the Journal-Pioneer.

Photo ( L-R): Glen MacLean (Coach), Amanda MacLean, Kassinda Bulger, Emily Gray, Aleya Quilty, Shelley Gray (Apprentice Coach)