Canada’s Best Value Inn Curling Classic wrapped up this afternoon at the Charlottetown Curling Complex with two close and exciting final games. New Brunswick’s Sylvie Robichaud rink pulled out a 7-6 win over PEI’s Suzanne Birt team on the women’s side, while PEI’s Rod MacDonald squad needed an extra end to beat Moncton’s Terry Odishaw team, with two-time world champ and Olympic gold medallist Russ Howard subbing for Odishaw this weekend, by a 6-5 score.
MacDonald had the hammer in the eighth end in his final, but an extra end was needed after he rolled too far on a tap back against 2 Odishaw counters in the 4 foot. In the extra, Howard was sitting two behing the tee line, and MacDonald drew to the backing for the win. Birt placed a rock on the button with her final shot, but Robichaud picked it out for the championship.
Other members of the MacDonald rink are third Kevin Champion, second Mark O’Rourke, and lead Andrew Robinson. Rounding out the Odishaw rink are third Andy McCann, second Scott Jones, and lead Grant Odishaw. The Robichaud rink includes third Danielle Nicholson, second Marie Richard, lead Danielle Lister, and alternate Denise Nowlan.Third Shelly Bradley, second Sarah Fullerton, and lead Leslie MacDougall complete Team Birt.
In this morning’s women’s semi-finals, Robichaud handed Charlottetown’s Kim Dolan her first loss in the event, by a 7-4 score, while Birt beat Nova Scotia’s Sarah Rhyno, also by a 7-4 score. MacDonald stole a deuce in the final end of his men’s semi, to win 7-5 over Saint John’s Jason Vaughan, while Team Odishaw fought back from a 4-2 deficit after 4 ends, stealing the last three ends in a 7-4 decision over Charlottetown’s Jamie Newson rink.
In women’s A pool round robin play, Dolan finished with a spotless 5-0 win-loss record, while Rhyno was 4-1. Both Birt and Robichaud were 3-1 in the B pool.
Vaughan grabbed the first qualifying spot for the men’s semis on Saturday morning with a 5-4 extra-end victory over Team Odishaw. The B side qualifier was won by the Odishaw rink, 5-2 over MacDonald. Newson edged Nova Scotia’s Mark Kehoe 6-5 in an extra end to claim one of the C side qualifiers, while the last qualifying spot went to MacDonald, who recorded a 5-ender in a 9-3 win over Charlottetown clubmate Robert Campbell.
10 men’s and 9 women’s teams began play Thursday in the event.
Complete results and schedule are available at curlingresults.com/best.