The Montague Curling Club is hosting the O’Connor Glass/Curl PEI Provincial Under 18 (formerly the 17 and Under) Curling Championships, from February 21-24. The defending champions the Matthew MacLean rink from the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O’Leary, and the Veronica Smith team from the Cornwall Curling Club are not in the event this year, so there will be new champions.
The winning rinks advance to their choice of either the Atlantic Under 18 Curling Championships, March 28-31 at the Caribou Curling Club in Stephenville NL, OR the Optimist International Under 18 Curling Championships, March 27-31 in Surrey and Langley BC, with the runners-up going to the other event. Starting last year, the option to attend the Optimist rotates annually between the four Atlantic Provinces, and 2013 is PEI’s turn.
The six U18 men’s teams will play a single round robin, with the second and third place teams playing in a semi-final, with the winner facing the first place team in the championship game.
The four U18 women’s rinks will play a double round robin, with the top two teams advancing to the final.
The finals go at 3:30 pm on Sunday if there are no tiebreakers at 10 am, or 7 pm if there are 10 am tiebreakers.
Here are the team rosters (skip to lead, coaches-club)
U18 Men’s
Justin Campbell, Jordan MacLean, Ben Gardiner, Brett Murphy, coach Eldon Kilbride
– Silver Fox Curling & Yacht Club
Owen Collier (throws 3rd), John Campbell(throws 4th), Dawson Chatman, Jayde Maynard, coaches Arnie Nabuurs,Nancy Collier-Montague Curling Club
Donald DeWolfe, Avery Wells, Riley Taweel, Nicholas Johnston, coach Aleya Quilty-Cornwall Curling Club
Alex MacFadyen, James Dalton, Matthew MacDonald, Parker MacFadyen, coach Dave MacFadyen – Silver Fox Curling & Yacht Club
Tony Nabuurs, Parker O’Connor, Alan MacLean, Noah O’Connor, coach Glen MacLean-Charlottetown Curling Complex, Montague Curling Club, Maple Leaf Curling Club
Tyler Smith, Brooks Roche, Dylan Lowery, Ryan Lowery, coaches Tammy Dewar, Kevin Smith-Montague Curling Club / Crapaud Community Curling Club
U18 Women’s
Heather Drake, Danielle Collings, Emma Nabuurs, Chloe Jardine, coach Tammy Dewar-
Montague Curling Club
Emily Keen, Jessica Watts, Kayla Schut, Jenny Mutch, coaches Butch McGee, David Ross
– Charlottetown Curling Complex / Cornwall Curling Club
Jenny McLean, Lauren MacFadyen, Ava Whitney-Coulter, Emily Vaniderstine, coach Don
Vickerson – Silver Fox Curling & Yacht Club
Rachel O’Connor (throws 3rd), Meghan Ching (throws 4th), Lauren Lenentine, Breanne Burgoyne, coach Pat Quilty-Cornwall Curling Club
Here are the opening draws::
Thursday, Feb. 21 at 10 am (Men’s)
Justin Campbell vs Donald DeWolfe, Alex MacFadyen vs Tony Nabuurs, Tyler Smith vs Owen Collier
Thursday, Feb. 21 at 2:30 pm (Women’s, plus two men’s games)
Emily Keen vs Rachel O’Connor, Heather Drake vs Jenny McLean, Justin Campbell vs Owen Collier, Donald DeWolfe vs Tony Nabuurs)
Full draw and end by end results at PEICurling.com/under18