Two draws are complete after opening day play at the PEI Masters Curling Championship at the Crapaud Community Curling Club. Defending women’s champ, Shirley Berry, playing with a new team this year, is the only undefeated rink in the three team, double round robin women’s competition, with a 1-0 record, after beating the Sandy Hope rink, which includes three members of Berry’s team last year, by a 9-4 score. Hope shaded Myrna Sanderson 6-5 in her other match to sit at 1-1, with Sanderson at 0-1. All three teams are from the Cornwall Curling Club.
On the seven team men’s side, Ted MacFadyen, whose team includes three members of the defending champ Mel Bernard rink (Bernard himself is not playing), and Silver Fox clubmate Louis Walsh, both picked up double wins to advance to the “A” section final of the modified triple knockout draw, at 9 am Saturday. MacFadyen edged clubmate Blair Jay 7-6, while Walsh got by the host club’s Dario Zannier 6-5 in the morning draw. MacFadyen took four points in the sixth end and stole a single in the 7th in an 8-3 win over Cornwall’s Paul Arsenault in the afternoon, while Walsh edged Charlottetown’s Craig Mackie 7-6. Jay and while Clair Sweet and his Maple Leaf team are 0-2 after opening day play, after losing to Arsenault in the morning and Jay in the afternoon, both by a single point.
There are three draws on Saturday, at 9 am and 12:30 and 4 pm.
Winners and runners-up from the provincial championships will advance to the 2016 Maritime Masters Curling Championships to be held at Thistle-St. Andrews Curling Club from March 11 to 13, 2016. The winning rinks, or the runners-up if they don’t choose to attend, are also invited to participate in the 2016 Kings County Canadian Masters Championships, April 4-10 at the Glooscap Curling Club in Kentville NS and the Wolfville Curling Club.