CORNWALL, P.E.I. – Robyn MacPhee has enough fingers to count how many P.E.I. Scotties Tournament of Hearts women’s provincial curling championships her rink has won this decade as a foursome and with other teams.
MacPhee, the skip of last year’s Scotties winner, third Sarah Fullerton, second Meaghan Hughes and lead Michelle McQuaid each have two titles, including the 2017 crown as a foursome.
So given her experience MacPhee sees no issue between defending a title and winning it the first time.
“I don’t think it will be any different. You try and look at each event the same way,” said MacPhee, who curls out of Charlottetown. “We take kind of a balance approach, aggressive at times when needed.”
Today’s opening draw begins at 2 p.m. at the Cornwall Curling Club. Opening ceremonies go at 6:15 p.m. Draw 2 follows at 7 p.m.
Vying for the title are MacPhee, last year’s runner-up the Veronica Smith team from Cornwall, two-time defending junior women’s champion skipped by Lauren Lenentine from Cornwall, the 2015 Canadian Travelers champion skipped by Lisa Jackson who plays out of Charlottetown and Tammy Dewar skipping the lone Montague entry.
MacPhee won her first Scotties as a second with Suzanne Birt in 2011, while Fullerton’s also came as a second with Birt in 2013.
Hughes is gunning for her third straight title (she threw second with Birt in 2016 and MacPhee last year) and McQuaid is eyeing her third provincial trophy after last year with MacPhee and in 2015 as a second with Birt.
It all adds up to a squad likely unfazed by anything that might come its way.
“There’s some good competition this year, should be a good weekend,” McQuaid said. “I think we just have to stay true to our game, play smart, play as a team and keep doing what we’ve been doing the past couple of years.”