Four of the spots in the PEI Credit Unions Provincial Senior Men’s and Women’s curling championship round have been filled following Saturday play at the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O’Leary.
Kim Dolan
Kim Dolan and her Charlottetown rink have captured both the A and B sections of the 4 team women’s modified triple knockout. If she wins the third qualifying game, too, a championship round will not be necessary. Even if another team wins the third section, Dolan will have a big advantage, as she will play in both championship games, and win the title if she takes either, while her opponent would have to win both. Dolan shut out Montague’s Kathy Clarey 8-0 in her first qualifier on Friday, and doubled clubmate Shelley Ebbett 10-5 in the B final, pulling ahead with a four point fifth end, and sealing the win with a triple in the 7th. Dolan plays her third qualifier at 3 pm Sunday, against the winner of an 11 am match between Ebbett and Clarey. If she wins, it’s over. If not, the championship round against the winner of that final goes at 11 am and, if necessary, 3 pm on Monday.
File photo: Rod MacDonald
Meanwhile, there were separate winners of the men’s A and B modified triple knockout sections, with Charlottetown’s Blair Weeks team stealing singles in ends 5 through 7 in a 5-1 win over defending champ Rod MacDonald and his Silver Fox and Charlottetown rink to take the A final of the six team event. MacDonald rebounded in the B final, with an 8-2 win over Summerside’s Blair Jay, taking four points in the 5th end, and stealing a single in the sixth to bring the game to an early conclusion. Jay beat Weeks 7-5 to advance to the B final, while MacDonald defeated the host club’s Clair Sweet 7-3.
MacDonald now faces Master’s champ Ted MacFadyen from the Silver Fox, while Jay takes on Daryl MacDonald and his Western and Maple Leaf combined team, in the “C” semi-finals at 11 am Sunday, with the winners going to the 3 pm “C” final. The winners of the three section finals then advance to the two game championship round, Monday at 11 am and, if needed, 3 pm. If either Weeks or MacDonald win the “C”, they’ll only have to win one of the Monday games, while their opponent would have to win both.
The winning women’s and men’s teams will advance to the 2016 Everest Canadian Senior Curling Championships, March 28-April 2, 2016 in Digby, NS.