The Montague Curling Club rink of Jennifer Scott, June Moyaert, Terri Thompson, and Fran McGowan, a reuniting of their rink who won the PEI women’s championship back in 1988, wasted no time in building up a big lead today in their A qualifier game against Summerside’s Nola Murphy at the Credit Unions of PEI Provincial Senior Curling Championships being played at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside, also the site of the national Seniors in March. The Montague team took a deuce in the first end, followed by steals of 1, 5, 1, and 1, to lead 10-0 at the half. The teams then traded singles, and shook hands. This win earns the Scott team a day off on Saturday, and a spot in the Page 1-2 game, Sunday at 2 pm.
Murphy will now play the winner of this evening’s 6 pm match between her Summerside clubmates Karen MacDonald and Marg Nowlan in the B qualifier, Saturday at 1 pm. MacDonald doubled Cornwall’s Karen Currie 10-5 this afternoon, while Nowlan beat Montague’s Kathy Clarey 10-3 this afternoon to advance to the second of four qualifying games for the Page round.
In the men’s division, Summerside’s Rod MacDonald, and his Charlottetown Curling Complex team of John Likely, Mark O’Rourke, and Rod’s brother Peter MacDonald are now the only unbeaten men’s rink, going to 2-0 with an 8-3 win over Summerside’s Mel Bernard this afternoon, aided by a four point ninth end. Bernard, Bill Hope, Blair Jay, and Lou Nowlan are all at 1-1, while Montague’s Donald Clarey and his Charlottetown team are 0-2 in the round robin men’s event. Nowlan edged Hope 6-5 this afternoon, while Jay downed Clarey 8-2.
There are three men’s and three women’s draws at 6 this evening, with Bernard taking on Clarey, Hope vs Jay, and Nowlan facing unbeaten MacDonald on the men’s side. Besides the other Nowlan vs MacDonald game on the women’s side, Karen Currie takes on Kathy Clarey and defending champion Shirley Berry (Cornwall/Silver Fox) takes on Masters champ Diane MacKay of Cornwall.
Saturday draws are also at 1 (including the second women’s qualifier) and 6, with men’s tiebreakers (if needed), the final two women’s qualifiers, and the men’s semi-finals going Sunday, with the finals taking place Monday at 2 pm.