The Pepsi Provincial Junior Curling Championships got underway on Wednesday evening at the Cornwall Curling Club with a two game opening draw – two games that we very different from each other. The junior women’s match was a battle of two host club rinks, skipped by Veronica Smith and Rachel O’Connor, with Smith, who was last year’s Under 18 champ. picking up a lopsided 13-3 win. Smith led 6-3 after six ends, but picked up a triple in the seventh and stole four points in the eighth to end the game early..

The junior men’s game was a see-saw battle between the Cody Dixon foursome from the Montague Curling Club, and the Alex MacFadyen team out of the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside. Dixon was in control the first three ends, having the hammer in the opening end and scoring a single, and then stealing a deuce and a single in ends two and three to lead 4-0. MacFadyen recovered with a triple in four, and followed a Dixon single in five with a deuce to tie the game at five-all after six ends. Dixon regained his lead with a pair in the seventh, but MacFadyen moved in front with a three-point eighth end. A deuce in nine gave Dixon a one point lead, coming home without hammer. MacFadyen was only able to pick up a single in the 10th, to bring the game into an extra end, where he stole a single for the come-from-behind win, by a 10-9 final score.

Round robin action continues on Thursday, with draws at 10 am, and 2:30 and 7 pm. The opening ceremonies are at 6:15 pm. The semi-finals, between the second and third place teams from the round robin go Sunday at 2:30 pm, with the winners taking on the first place teams in the 7 pm final.

The full draw and end-by-end results are available at peicurling.com/juniors There is no admission charge to watch the event. A 50×50 draw will take place.

Seven junior men’s teams, and five junior women’s rinks are taking part. The winning teams will advance to the M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors, February 2-10, in Fort McMurray Alberta.