The Shelley Ebbett rink from the host Charlottetown Curling Complex will have an advantage in the Women’s championship round at the modified triple-knockout PEI Credit Unions Seniors Championships, for curlers age 50+, with four women’s and an equal number of men’s rinks taking part.
Photo (L-R): Women’s “A” and “B” pool winner Shelley Ebbett and Men’s “B” winner Robert Campbell
They won the “A” section on Friday, stealing a deuce in the final end to edge Cornwall’s Shirley Berry team 8-7, and shaded another Cornwall rink, skipped by Debbie Rhodenhizer, 6-5 in the B final Saturday afternoon, taking 2 points in the final end.
Ebbett beat Iva Griffin and her Western and Maple Leaf team 7-3 on Saturday morning to advance to the B final, while Rhodenhizer defeated clubmate Berry, also by a 7-3 score. Ebbett now has a “double life” in the two-game championship round, as she would take the championship with a win in either game, while her opponent would have to win both games. Should Ebbett also win the “C” event, the championship round would not be played.
There are separate A and B winners in the Senior Men’s, with the host club’s Phil Gorveatt scoring three points in the extra end to double Summerside’s Blair Jay 6-3 to win the “A” final, but losing 7-4 to clubmate Robert Campbell in the “B”, with Campbell breaking open a tie game with a three-point seventh end. Gorveatt beat Bill Hope from Cornwall and Charlottetown 9-6 in the B semi-final, while Campbell downed Jay 11-3 in four ends, bringing the game to a half-time wrap up with five points in the first end, and a six-point fourth frame.
Photo: Phil Gorveatt, Men’s “A” section winner
Play continues Saturday evening at six, with the “C” semi-finals. The Women’s event sees Rhodenhizer play Griffin, and Berry face Ebbett, while Jay takes on Gorveatt, and Hope battles Campbell. in the Men’s. The Women’s and Men’s winners then square off in their respective “C” finals Sunday morning at 10. The Championship round games are scheduled for 2 pm Sunday and, if needed, 10 am Monday.
This year’s winners will advance to the 2017 Everest Canadian Seniors Curling Championships, March 18-26 in Fredericton NB. The competition will be played at two facilities: the Capital Winter Club and Willie O’Ree Place, with the men’s and women’s finals both scheduled for the latter.