Defending champion Adam Casey and his team from the Silver Fox and Charlottetown clubs are well on their way to repeat as PEI Tankard champs, after capturing the second of three section finals in the six team modified triple knockout provincial men’s championship at the Charlottetown Curling Complex.
Photo: Adam Casey, right, calls for sweeping from Robbie Doherty (left) and Anson Carmody
The B qualifier, like the A, was against Charlottetown’s Jamie Newson rink, but was much closer than the 11-3 score in the A game. In the B, the score was tied 6-6 coming home, but Casey had the last rock advantage, and scored a single for a 7-6 win. Newson, who had last rock advantage in the opening end, scored first in today’s game, with a second end single. Casey took a triple in end three, and the teams exchanged deuces in four and five to give Casey a 5-3 lead at the 5th end break. He then stole 1 in the sixth, but Newson came back with a single and a stolen deuce to tie the game 6-all after 8. Casey blanked the 9th to retain last rock advantage in the 10th end, and scored a single for the win.
In other games this morning, the young Tyler Smith rink from Crapaud and Montague eliminated Tankard veteran Robert Campbell with a 7-6 win, while Tyler Harris and his Charlottetown and Montague team knocked out three time Tankard winner Eddie MacKenzie by an 8-7 score.
At 4 pm today, Casey plays Smith, with Newson taking on Harris, with the winners advancing to the C final, Monday at 1 pm. Also at 4 is the final game in the U21 Future Tankard developmental event, with the Schut brothers tied at 1 game apiece.
Winning two sections puts the Casey rink in a very good position. If they win their C semi-final this afternoon against Smith, a win in any one of their next three games (the C final or the two championship round games, at 6 pm Monday and 4 pm Tuesday) would give them the championship, while their opponent would have to win all three of their games. If they lose against Smith, they would still advance to both championship round games (against the C winner), and would take the title if they won either game, while their opponent would have to win both.
The eventual Tankard winner will advance to the Tim Hortons Brier, March 5-13, 2016 at TD Place in Ottawa Ontario.
End by end Tankard and Future Tankard scoring is available at PEICurling.com