(by Marcel Vander Wier)
P.E.I.’s Sarah Fullerton foursome will be taking its third shot at a Canadian junior curling championship while the Alex Matters rink will be making its debut
Sarah Fullerton hopes her rink has saved their best junior curling performance for last.
The 20-year-old Cornwall skip and her teammates departed for Ontario Thursday morning with high hopes of making a long playoff run at this year’s national championships.
Alex Matters’ Charlottetown-based rink will represent the Island in the men’s tournament.
The M&M Meat Shops Canadian junior men’s and women’s curling championships begin today in Napanee, Ont.
Skip Sarah Fullerton, right, discusses a shot with mate Michelle McQuaid during action recently at the provincial junior women’s curling championship. Guardian photo by Mitch MacDonald
It is the third-straight time Fullerton’s rink is representing P.E.I. and will mark the team’s final appearance on the junior circuit.
“With it being our third time, we are confident,” Fullerton told The Guardian this week. “We’ve been there before and we’re hoping our experience will help us out. We really believe in ourselves this year, more than any other year.”
Her rink, which includes fellow 20-year-olds Michelle McQuaid (third), Sara MacRae (second) and Hillary Thompson (lead), is coming off a great performance at the provincial Scotties championship last month, where they finished 4-2.
The Matters rink, which includes Chris Gallant (third), Kyle Holland (second) and Andrew Cameron (lead), is hoping to surprise as the youngest team in the men’s tournament.
Cameron is the youngest of the four at 15, while Gallant and Matters tag in at 16.
Holland is the veteran at just 17 years old.
“The shock has kind of worn off,” Matters said of their provincial win. “We’re excited about it and we’re prepared.”
Wednesday night, the rink spent its final moments at the Charlottetown Curling Club talking strategy with 2009 Canadian junior champion Brett Gallant.
Click for full story in The Guardian.
P.E.I.’s round robin draws at the Canadian junior women’s and men’s curling championships (all times AT):
Today
3:30 p.m. – Northwest Territories vs. P.E.I.
Sunday
11 a.m. – Alberta vs. P.E.I.
8 p.m. – P.E.I. vs. Newfoundland & Labrador.
Monday
11 a.m. – Manitoba vs. P.E.I.
3:30 p.m. – P.E.I. vs. B.C.
Tuesday
11 a.m. – P.E.I. vs. Ontario.
3:30 p.m. – P.E.I. vs. Yukon Territories.
Wednesday
3:30 p.m. – Northern Ontario vs. P.E.I.
8 p.m. – Saskatchewan vs. P.E.I.
Thursday
11 a.m. – Nova Scotia vs. P.E.I.
3:30 p.m. – P.E.I. vs. New Brunswick.
Friday
2 p.m. – P.E.I. vs. Quebec.