The Provincial Under 18 Curling Championships got underway Friday at the Charlottetown Curling Complex, with five boy’s and six girl’s teams competing, three draws played, and the “A” sections final winners determined in the Modified Triple Knockout draw. The “A” winners, both from the Cornwall Curling Club, were the defending girl’s U18 champion Lauren Lenentine rink, three members of whom are on the reigning U21 team as well, and the Mitchell Schut team, who finished third last year in the boy’s section. They have earned berths in their respective Monday championship rounds, and also drop down to compete in the “B” and “C” sections. If either Lenentine or Schut were to win all three sections, their respective 2 game Monday championship round would not be necessary. If a team wins two sections, they would win the championship if they won either championship round game, while their opponent would have to win both.
Photo: Lauren Lenentine delivers a rock, while Tati Kelly (left) and Rachel O’Connor prepare to sweep.
Lenentine, whose team includes third Kristie Rogers, second Tati Kelly, and lead Rachel O’Connor, with coach Pat Quilty, dominated in her “A” final game against Cornwall clubmate Rachel MacLean, taking 5 points in the first end, and going on to win 13-1 in just six ends. Lenentine won her opener 7-1 against Alexis Burris, also from Cornwall, while MacLean beat clubmate Lauren Ferguson 7-4 in her first game, taking three points in the final end.
Photo: Skip Schut joins in the sweeping, and third Colin MacKenzie steps in too, to get the winning rock into the rings.
Mitchell Schut and his team of third Colin MacKenzie, second Michael MacEwen, lead Liam Kelly and coach Nancy Yeo, edged last year’s runner-up team, skipped by Cornwall clubmate Donald DeWolfe, with members from the Cornwall, Silver Fox, and Western Community clubs, 5-4 in their opener, but ran into trouble in the seventh end of the “A” final against Parker MacFadyen and his rink from the Silver Fox, Montague, and Cornwall, when MacFadyen picked up four points to lead 8-5 going into the final end. Schut was lying three going into his final shot, a draw for the win, and knew he was light on release, but, with a lot of sweeping, the rock managed to hit the rings for the 9-8 comeback win. MacFadyen beat the other Schut brother in the event, Devin, 7-2 to advance to the “A” final.
Lenentine now takes on the host club’s Katie Shaw rink, while MacLean faces clubmate Burris in the girl’s “B” semi-finals at 9:30 Saturday morning, with the winners advancing to the “B” final at 1:30 pm. Schut is already in the 1:30 pm boy’s “B” final, where he will play the winner of a 9:30 game between MacFadyen and DeWolfe. The “C” event goes on Sunday, also with 9:30 am and 1:30 pm draws, with the championship round, if needed, going Monday, also at 9:30 am and, if necessary, 1:30 pm.
The winning U18 teams earn the right to compete in the inaugural Canadian Under 18 Boys and Girls Curling Championship, operated by Curling Canada, April 18 to 22 at Curl Moncton and on arena ice at Moncton’s Superior Propane Centre.