Day one is over at the Pepsi Provincial Junior (Under 21) Curling Championships at the Charlottetown Curling Complex, with two draws played, and all 12 teams (6 women’s, 6 men’s) seeing action. The first of three qualifying games for the championship round is now set in both the men’s and women’s divisons, with the men’s A qualifier going at 9 am Sunday, and the women’s following at 2 pm.
The men’s A qualifier will see Tyler Smith and his Crapaud/Montague team take on the Matthew MacLean rink from the Cornwall Curling Club and the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O’Leary, while two-time defending champion Veronica Smith and her Cornwall team faces the host club’s Jane DiCarlo foursome in the women’s A qualifier.
Canada Games representative Tyler Smith won his opener 12-2 in 7 ends over Cornwall’s Devin Schut rink, and beat the Donald DeWolfe team, also from Cornwall, 11-2 in 8 ends in his second game. MacLean had the morning draw off, and came from behind in the afternoon draw to win his opener over Alex MacFadyen of the Silver Fox, trailing 7-5 after 9 ends, and then forcing the extra end with a deuce in 10, and stealing another pair in the extra for a 9-7 win to advance to the A qualifier.
Veronica Smith won both her games by an 8-3 score, scoring 4 points in the 9th end in her first match, against clubmate Jenny McLean, and then breaking open a close 4-3 game with a deuce in the seventh and single steals in 8 and 9 in her second game, against Kaleigh Mackay and her combined Crapaud/Montague team. DiCarlo stole a triple in the seventh in her opener against clubmate Lauren Moerike, going on to win 7-2, and, aided by a 5 point 4th end, beat Cornwall’s Lauren Lenentine 9-4.
Sunday action has a men’s draw at 9, which includes the A qualifier, and a women’s draw at 2, with the women’s A qualifier. A combined men’s/women’s draw follows at 7 pm.
The B section finals go Monday at 7 pm, with the C qualifiers taking place 7 pm Tuesday, and the two game championship round, if needed, being played on Wednesday at 9 am and, if needed, 2 pm.
Championship round scenarios:
1. One team wins all three qualifiers: Championship Round is not required.
2. One team wins two qualifiers. They play in both championship games and win the event if they win either game, while the other winner plays in the first game, and has to win it to advance to the second game.
3. Three separate winners: the team that played in the most qualifying games gets a bye to the second game, while the other winners play off in the first game. If there is a tie in number of qualifying games played, then the team that qualified earliest goes to Z and the other two teams play off in X and Y.
Website: peicurling.com/juniors20142015