UPEI Panthers lose openers, but Panther women advance to B semi-final at Atlantic University Curling Championships

Posted on by January 4, 2014

The UPEI Men’s Panthers, skipped by Kyle Holland lost their opener 9-4 to the 2011 Canadian university champions, the Colin Thomas rink from St. John’s Memorial University of Newfoundland Friday evening at the Atlantic University Curling Championships being played at the Capital Winter Club in Fredericton NB.  The teams were tied 2-all at half time, but a triple in the sixth gave the Newfoundland and Labrador squad the lead. Holland responded with a deuce, but Thomas scored another triple and stole a single for a 9-4 lead, and ran the Panthers out of rocks coming home. The MUN team includes lead Spencer Wicks, whose mother is a Summerside native. Other members of the UPEI team are third Connor MacPhee, Second Andrew Cameron, Lead Taylor McInnis, with Coach Eric Pidgeon. The UPEI team was pleased with their opening performance, saying that it was a good game, “with a couple of tough breaks.” They play next at 2 pm, against the loser of a 9 am game between St. FX, skipped by David Quinn, and UNB, captained by Josh Barry.

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Photo: UPEI Women’s Panthers

Meanwhile, the Veronica Smith-skipped UPEI Women’s Panthers lost a close 4-2 decision to the Saint Mary’s team, skipped by Sara Spafford, in their low-scoring opening game, which the UPEI team described as “a nail-biter ’til the last rock”. The first two ends were blanked, with Smith, whose team includes third Jane DiCarlo, second Emily Gray, and lead Aleya Quilty, with coach Paul Smith, stealing a single in the third. Spafford responded with singles in the fourth, fifth,and seventh ends, with the teams trading singles in the ninth and tenth ends. UNB came from behind with a triple in the final frame in a 6-5 edging of Acadia in the other Friday evening contest. UPEI was scheduled to against the loser of a game between UNB and DAL today, but DAL have withdrawn from the tournament, and the Panthers were given a bye in that game, and now play at 9 am Sunday, with the winner of that game advancing to the 2 pm “B” championship.

Two men’s and two women’s teams advance from this event to the CIS/CCA championships, March 19-23 at Regina’s Callie Curling Club, with the University of Regina as host.The first teams to advance will be determined in the 7 pm Saturday draw, with the second teams selected in the 2 pm Sunday games.

 

 

 

 

 

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