PEI’s Tammi Cudmore rink picked up an 11-4 win over Newfoundland and Labrador in the opening draw of the Travelers Curling Club Championship on Monday at the Mayflower Curling Club in Halifax. The Island men, skipped by Phil McInnis, lost their first game, also against NL, by a 7-3 score. Nova Scotia women, skipped by PEI native Marion MacAulay picked up a 9-4 win over Nunavut.
Photo (C) Travelers Canada: Left – Tammi Cudmore, Right: Julie Scales
In the sixth end in very tight game between the women from PEI and Newfoundland and Labrador, PEI was leading 5-4 and Newfoundland had hammer. Cudmore from PEI made a nice hit with her last to sit two and try to force Newfoundland’s Susan Curtis to one. Final shot was a bit thin resulting in a steal of two. PEI put the game out of reach, with another steal, of four points, in the seventh. In the final end, the skip from Newfoundland was forced to play a tough run-back double to open up the house and ended up clearing off the guard. Cudmore tapped her stone to the four-foot leaving a wide in-turn draw that came up a bit short. Handshakes for PEI and the win.
Photo (C) Travelers Canada: Phil McInnis provides direction as his team sweeps his rock into the house
The PEI men’s game, with team member Dave Arsenault celebrating his 31st birthday, was also a tight match. In the fifth end PEI was left a very tough angle raise to make a bid for one. The angle was a bit steep and left a wide draw for three for Rod Feltham. It was a great attempt but Newfoundland and Labrador scored a deuce. In the sixth the men from Newfoundland were up 5-3 onPEI and were sitting two with skip stones to come. PEI was trying to bring a red stone from the 12-foot into play. After a flashed rock and another draw, the McInnis was looking at a draw to the 8-foot to take one. The rock slid a bit too far resulting in a steal of one for Newfoundland. The team from the Rock stole another in the 7th, and won by a 7-3 score.
PEI teams have only one game today, againt Saskatchewan, with the men hitting the ice at 4:45 pm,, and the women at 8:15 pm.
View opening draw photos, including both PEI teams, at the event Facebook page: http://www.curling.ca/scoreboard/competitions/1348-2014-travelers-curling-club-championship/scoreboard/
(With info from Day One Recap)
Link to scores and standings http://www.curling.ca/scoreboard/competitions/1348-2014-travelers-curling-club-championship/scoreboard/