Photo (L-R): Veronica Smith, Aleya Quilty, Emily Gray at the Pepsi Jrs.

They were rivals last weekend at the Pepsi Provincial Juniors Curling Championship, but this weekend winning skip Veronica Smith has joined forces with three members of the runner-up Amanda MacLean rink – Jane Di Carlo who is playing third, second Emily Gray and lead Aleya Quilty, to represent the University of Prince Edward Island at the Atlantic University Women’s Curling Championships, which get underway Friday afternoon and wrap up on Sunday morning at the CFB Halifax Curling Club.  Six teams, from Dalhousie (Dal), Acadia, St. FX, UPEI, Saint Mary’s (SMU), and Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) are taking part.

The Smith rink lost their opener on Friday –  7-5 to the Micayla Dorey foursome from Acadia. Their next game is at 2:30 this afternoon against Dal, skipped by Katarina Hakansson. If UPEI wins, they take on the winner of a 2:30 game between St. FX and Acadia, at 7:30 this evening, with the winner of that game playing in the 8:30 am Sunday B final. A loss in any of their games puts them out of the double-knockout event.

Defending champion MUN, skipped by Carolyn Suley, and last year’s runner-up, St. Mary’s, skipped by Sara Spafford with PEI native Anita Casey at third, had opening round byes, and then won their openers, putting them in the A final at 2:30 this afternoon, with the loser of that final getting a bye into the B final, Sunday morning at 8:30.

The men’s championship will follow January 25-26 at the same club, with four teams entered, from SMU, Dal, MUN, and Acadia.

The A and B winners  from both events will advance to the CIS Championship,  in Kamloops BC March 20 -24.

The defending  women’s champions are the Erin Porter rink from Memorial University of Newfoundland. Carolyn Suley, who has moved up from lead to skip is the only returning member on this year’s MUN team.

Seven Mile Bay native Anita Casey, who skipped last year’s runner up Acadia rink, is back again this year, playing third for the team, skipped by Sara Spafford.

Here is the event draw (PDF): AUC Championship Womens Draw 2013

Results from both Atlantic championships are available at LiveCurling.com

Link to women’s results: http://livecurling.com/index.php?option=com_jumi&fileid=4&b_id=146/index.php?/?option=com_jumi&fileid=4&b_id=146

Here are the women’s team rosters: