The Suzanne Birt rink from the Charlottetown Curling Complex beat their clubmates the Kathy O’Rourke team by a 10-4 score in eight ends this afternoon to win the PEI Scotties Tournament of Hearts Provincial Women’s Curling Championship, sponsored by Kruger Products, at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside. It’s Birt’s 8th PEI women’s title. This time she was playing with third Shelly Bradley, second stone Michelle McQuaid, and lead Susan McInnis. Peter Gallant coaches Team Birt.
Photo (L-R): Suzanne Birt, Shelly Bradley, Michelle McQuaid, Susan McInnis
The runner-up O’Rourke team includes Robyn Green, who throws fourth stones, Meaghan Hughes, who tosses third, lead Tricia Affleck, alternate Stefanie Clark, and coach Al Ledgerwood. O’Rourke, who was also runner-up last year, throws second, and calls the game. Both skips are Summerside natives. The winning Birt rink will now advance to the national 2015 Scotties in Moose Jaw SK, Feb. 14-22.
Photo (L-R): Stefanie Clark, Kathy O’Rourke, Meaghan Hughes, Robyn Green, Tricia Affleck
O’Rourke won the A event in the modified triple knockout round, while Birt took the B and C, eliminating defending champion and clubmate Kim Dolan in the latter. The fourth team in the event, skipped by Lisa Jackson out of the Cornwall Curling Club, didn’t manage to pick up a win.
As Birt won two of the three knockout round sections, she would have taken the title had she won either the 1 pm or the 6 pm games today, while O’Rourke would have had to win both. As Birt won on the first try, the evening draw is not required.
In this afternoon’s final, Birt got on the board early, using last rock advantage to draw for a deuce in end one. O’Rourke’s last-rock-thrower Robyn Green tied it with a draw for 2 in the second end, but Birt responded by drawing for a triple in the third. Green was facing three Birt counters in the fourth end, but made her draw for a single to narrow the score to 5-3. However, Birt drew for a triple in the next end to make it 8-3 going to the fifth end break.
In end six, Green attempted to hit her own rock onto a Birt counter to stay for two, but missed, giving up a steal of 1. Green drew for a single in the 7th to make it 9-4 for Birt. In the eighth, Birt attempted to put the game out of reach with a hit and stick for two, but she rolled out and had to settle for 1. However, one turned out to be enough, as Team O’Rourke decided it was handshake time, with a six rock deficit.
The Future Scotties developmental event for female curlers under 21 was held at the same time and venue as the Scotties, with Lauren Lenentine of Cornwall going 3-0 in the round robin, Lauren Moerike of Charlottetown finishing at 2-1, Sierra Clyke from Crapaud and the Silver Fox going 1-2, and Kristie Rogers of Cornwall finishing at 0-3
End by end curlcast results are available at curlatlantic.com/scoreboard (