The opening draw goes Thursday at 2 pm, with the final set for Sunday evening at seven, as the PEI Scotties Tournament of Hearts provincial women’s curling championship, sponsored by Kruger Products and Curl PEI, gets underway at the Charlottetown Curling Complex. Five rinks, including the defending champion Kim Dolan foursome, are signed up for this year’s event, with the winning team advancing to the national Scotties in Kingston Ont., Feb. 16-24.
Dolan, a nine time PEI Scotties champ and a 2012 PEI Curling Hall of Fame inductee, is again joined by Rebecca Jean MacDonald, her daughter Sinead Dolan, and Michala Robison, who was alternate on her team last year. Nancy Cameron, last year’s lead, is not competing this year.
Six-time PEI Scotties winner Kathy O’Rourke, who led a rink which included Erin Carmody and Geri-Lynn Ramsay, who are now curling on the Crystal Webster rink in Alberta, to a silver medal finish at the 2010 Scotties in Sault Ste. Marie Ont., and then took time off from competitive curling, is back this year. She retains Tricia Affleck from her 2010 rink at lead, with last year’s PEI runner-up skip Meaghan Hughes throwing fourth rocks, and Jackie Reid at second stone.
Former world junior champion and six-time PEI Scotties champ Suzanne Birt returns this year with third Shelly Bradley and lead Leslie MacDougall. Her long-time teammate Robyn MacPhee (now Robyn Green) took this year off to, among other things, plan her recent wedding, and Sarah Fullerton, a three-time PEI Junior champion who last year skipped her own team in the Scotties, losing to Dolan in an extra end in the semi-final, has replaced her at second.
The only team entered this year that does not curl out of the host Charlottetown Curling Complex is the Tammy Dewar foursome from Montague. Dewar led her team to a second-place finish behind O’Rourke in the 2010 PEI Scotties championship, after the O’Rourke team broke a tie with a stolen deuce in the last end of the final. Dewar is joined this year by Darlene London, Tracy Yorston-Campbell, and Gail Greene.
Lisa Jackson, whose only previous entry as skip in the PEI Scotties was in 2010, and returns to the event his year with a team that includes Carolyn Coulson and Melissa Morrow from last year’s Donna Butler rink, and Hillary Thompson from last year’s Fullerton team, rounds out the five team field.
The teams play a round robin format, with draws Thursday at 2 and 7 pm, Friday at 11 am and 4 pm, and Saturday at 2 pm. Opening ceremonies go Thursday at 6:15 pm. Tiebreakers, if required, follow at 7 pm Saturday, and if needed 9 am Sunday. The semi-final, between the second and third place finishers from the round robin, goes Sunday at 2 pm, with the winner taking on the first place team from the round robin in the championship game at 7 pm.
Admission to watch the action is $5 per game, or $25 for an event pass.
End-by-end results will be available at peicurling.com/scotties
Team Rosters (skip to lead, alternate/coach-club)
Suzanne Birt, Shelly Bradley, Sarah Fullerton, Leslie MacDougall, Peter Gallant (Coach) -Charlottetown Curling Complex
Tammy Dewar, Darlene London, Tracy Yorston-Campbell, Gail Greene-Montague Curling Club
Kim Dolan, Rebecca Jean MacDonald, Sinead Dolan, Michala Robison, John Likely (Coach)-Charlottetown Curling Complex
Lisa Jackson, Carolyn Coulson, Melissa Morrow, Hillary Thompson-Charlottetown Curling Complex
Kathy O’Rourke (throws 3rd), Meaghan Hughes (throws 4th), Jackie Reid, Tricia Affleck, Stefanie Clark (Alternate), Peter MacDonald (Coach)-Charlottetown Curling Complex
Round Robin Draw:
Thursday January 24 at 2 pm
Sheet 3: O’Rourke vs Dolan
Sheet 4: Jackson vs Dewar
Thursday January 24 at 7 pm
Sheet 2: Dewar vs Dolan
Sheet 3: Jackson vs Birt
Friday January 25 at 11 am
Sheet 2: O’Rourke vs Jackson
Sheet 4: Dewar vs Birt
Friday January 25 at 4 pm
Sheet 2: Birt vs Dolan
Sheet 3: O’Rourke vs Dewar
Saturday January 26 at 2 pm
Sheet 3: Jackson vs Dolan
Sheet 4: O’Rourke vs Birt