The defending champion Suzanne Birt rink from the host Charlottetown Curling Club will not get a chance to repeat as PEI Scotties champions. In this morning’s final round robin draw, the Meaghan Hughes foursome came from behind to win 7-4 and eliminate Birt from the playoff round.

 Photo credit: Jason Simmonds/Journal Pioneer

Suzanne Birt releases a shot while second stone Robyn MacPhee, left, and lead Leslie MacDougall prepare to sweep during Saturday afternoon’s round-robin game against Kim Dolan’s rink in the 2012 P.E.I. Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Charlottetown.

Birt opened the scoring with a stolen triple in the second end, and led the game 4-3 after seven ends, but Hughes took a triple in the eighth, stole a single in the ninth, and ran the Birt rink out of rocks in the final end. In the other games this morning, the Sarah Fullerton rink from Charlottetown and Cornwall beat Montague’s Tammy Dewar 8-6, while Kim Dolan lost 6-5 to Charlottetown clubmate Donna Butler.

Birt finished round robin play with a 2-3 win-loss record, while Hughes, and PEI Junior champ Fullerton ended play at 4-1, and Dolan finished at 3-2. These three teams advance to the playoff round.  Since the Hughes rink beat the Fullerton in their round robin game on Saturday, they will be awarded first place, and will advance directly to the final, Monday at 6:30 pm. Second place Fullerton and third place Dolan will face off in the semi-final, at 3 this afternoon.

The PEI Scotties winner will advance to the national Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Feb. 18-26 in Red Deer Alberta.