The Rideau Curling Club in Ottawa, celebrating its 125th anniversary this season, is the site for the Canadian Mixed Curling Championship, which got underway Thursday with the Pre-Qualifying draw, with the main event beginning Saturday. PEI, represented by the Rod MacDonald rink from the Silver Fox Curling & Yacht Club in Summerside, begins play Saturday evening at 8:30 pm AST against Team British Columbia, skipped by Keith Switzer.
Photo (L-R): Rod MacDonald, Kathy O’Rourke, Mark O’Rourke, Karen MacDonald
Other members of Team PEI are Rod’s sister Kathy O’Rourke at third stone, her husband Mark O’Rourke at second, with Rod’s wife Karen playing lead. The MacDonald foursome beat the Bill Hope rink from the Cornwall Curling Club by a 9-2 final score to win the provincial championship in March and advance to the Canadian event.
The double-knockout Pre-Qualifying round saw teams from the Northwest Territories, the Yukon, Nunavut, and Newfoundland and Labrador squaring off, with only two of the four teams continuing on to the main event. These teams were ranked 11th through 14th
at last year’s Canadian mixed in Mount Royal QC.
Newfoundland/Labrador skip Gary Oke emerged from the Pre-Qualifying round with a hard fought 7-5 extra-end win over the Yukon’s Bob Smallwood and a berth in the main round robin at the Canadian Mixed Curling Championship Thursday at the Rideau Curling Club in Ottawa. On Friday, Steve Moss from the Northwest Territories survived an opening loss and won the second qualifier over the Yukon, skipped by Bob Smallwood, by a 9-4 score.
Last year’s champs, the Cory Heggestad rink from Orillia Ontario, are back looking to defend their title in their home province. Greg Balsdon, who recently completed in the Road to the Roar Olympic Pre-Trials, plays second on the team.
Here is PEI’s schedule (all times Atlantic)
Saturday Nov. 16 at 8:30 pm vs BC
Sunday Nov. 17 at 11 am vs Alberta
Sunday Nov. 17 at 8 pm vs NB
Monday Nov. 18 at 3:30 pm vs Sask.
Monday Nov. 18 at 8 pm vs Northern Ont.
Tuesday Nov. 19 at 11 am vs Newfoundland/Labrador
Tuesday Nov. 19 at 8 pm vs Manitoba
Wed. Nov 20 at 11 am vs Quebec
Wed. Nov 20 at 3:30 pm vs Nova Scotia
Thurs. Nov 21 at 3:30 pm vs Ontario
Thurs. Nov 21 at 8 pm vs Northwest Territories
Click for full draw. Click for team rosters.
The final goes Saturday November 23 at 3 pm.
Event website: www.curling.ca/2014mixed-en/
Host website: www.canadianmixed.com/