The Bill Hope rink from the Charlottetown and Cornwall curling clubs is in the driver’s seat at the Credit Unions of PEI provincial men’s curling championship being played at the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O’Leary. Hope and his team of Craig Mackie, John Mullin and David Murphy have captured both the A and B finals of the triple knockout event. This advances them to both championship rounds on Monday and will give them the championship if they win either game, while their opponent, the winner up the upcoming C final would have to win both. If the Hope foursome also wins the C event, they will win without having to play the championship round.
In this evening’s B final, Hope recorded a triple in end five, and stole a deuce in the ninth end on the way to a 7-4 over Bob Matheson of the host Maple Leaf club. Hope advanced to the B final with a 7-3 win over Rod MacDonald and his combined Silver Fox/Charlottetown rink, who were last year’s champions, with MacDonald’s brother Peter not playing this year, Rod moving up to skip, and Tom Fetterly joining the rink. Matheson advanced by downing Dale Cannon of Summerside 9-3 this afternoon. Hope also played Matheson in the A final on Friday, winning 6-3. MacDonald is now out of the competition, losing 9-5 to Grant Somers of Summerside this evening. Cannon eliminated Fox clubmate John Holmes this evening, with a 9-7 win.
On Sunday morning at 11, Hope will play Cannon, with Matheson taking on Somers. The winners will square off in the C final at 4 pm. The two game championship round, if needed, goes Monday at 1 and 6 pm, with the winner advancing to the World Financial Group Canadian Seniors, March 19-26 in Digby NS. Eight teams took part in the men’s section of the PEI championship.
There are also eight teams in the Credit Unions of PEI provincial women’s curling championship. being played at the Crapaud Community Curling Club. There are separate A and B section winners, with two-time defending champion Shirley Berry and her Cornwall/Charlottetown rink winning the A section over Karen Anne MacDonald on Friday, and June Moyaert and her Montague Curling Club team beating Berry 7-4 this evening to win the B. Other members of the Moyaert rink are Sherren MacKinnon, Terry Thompson, and Kathy Clarey. Playing with Berry are Sandy Hope, Shelley Ebbett, and Arleen Harris.
Moyaert advanced to the B final with an 11-2 win over MacDonald this morning, while Berry got there by edging Summerside’s Nola Murphy 6-5 in an extra end. On Sunday at 11 am Berry plays Cornwall clubmate Debbie Rhondenhizer, while Moyart meets Murphy, with the winners squaring off in the 4 pm C final.
The two game championship round will be played Monday at 1 and 6 pm, with the winner advancing to the World Financial Group Canadian Seniors, March 19-26 in Digby NS.