Two PEI rinks are undefeated following Saturday action at the inaugural Curl Atlantic Championship, which wraps up on Monday at the Tantramar Veterans Memorial Civic Centre, in Sackville NB, with trips on the line to the Perth Masters in Perth, Scotland for the winning men’s team and the International Bernese Ladies Cup in Berne, Switzerland for the women.
After Saturday action, PEI’s Suzanne Birt rink leads the women’s side, with a 4-0 win-loss record. Also undefeated are New Brunswick’s Andrea Kelly and Nova Scotia’s Mary-Anne Arsenault, both at 3-0. Arsenault’s former teammate Colleen Jones, and New Brunswick’s Sylvia Robichaud are both 3-1. PEI’s Kim Dolan rink are at 1-2.
On Friday, the Birt rink, the defending PEI Scotties champs, recorded a 5-4 win over Robichaud, and a 5-2 victory of New Brunswick’s Sandy Comeau (1-3). Saturday action saw the Birt team, which includes Shelly Bradley at third, second Robyn MacPhee, and Leslie MacDougall at lead, edged Jones 6-5, and scored four points in the final end to double Kelly MacIntosh (1-3) of Nova Scotia by an 8-4 score. Birt, who finishes up round robin play with a game against Mary Mattatal (0-4) at 4 this afternoon is assured a berth in the semi-finals, Monday at 9. The finals go at 1 pm.
PEI’s Kim Dolan team, which includes third Rebecca Jean MacDonald, Dolan’s daughter Sinead at second, lead Nancy Cameron, and alternate Michala Robison, lost their Friday opener 8-3 to Arsenault, and split their Saturday contests, beating Heather Smith-Dacey of Halifax 6-4, and losing an extra end decision to Marie Christianson of Nova Scotia by a 6-5 score. Seven Mile Bay native Anita Casey is on on the roster for the Christianson rink. The Dolan team plays New Brunswick’s Kelly at 8 this morning, and takes on Melissa Adams of NB at 8 tonight.
On the men’s side, PEI’s Brett Gallant rink, which this year includes last year’s PEI Tankard championship skip Eddie MacKenzie at third, along with Gallant’s long-time teammates Anson Carmody and Alex MacFadyen at second and lead respectively, are tied with New Brunswick’s James Grattan rink atop the standings at 3-0. Ian Juurlink of Nova Scotia is 3-1, followed by the Ian Fitzner-LeBlanc rink of Nova Scotia, which includes PEI native Robbie Doherty at second, along with the Mark Dacey rink of Nova Scotia, with PEI’s Adam Casey playing lead, and the Jamie Murphy rink, also from Nova Scotia, all at 2-1.
Gallant doubled Fitzner-LeBlanc 4-2 on Friday, edged Murphy 7-6 in an extra end on Saturday morning, and downed Peter Burgess 8-1 Saturday night. The PEI foursome take on the Colin Thomas rink from St. John’s NL (0-3) at noon today, and finish up round robin play tonight at 8 against Paul Dobson of NB (1-2).
Men’s and women’s semi-finals are Monday morning at 9, with the finals following at 1 pm. Tickets can be purchased at the door. Day passes are $15, and individual draw passes are $5.