The Bill Hope and Shirley Berry rinks from the Cornwall Curling Club have captured the first of three section finals, and berths in the championship round of the PEI Seniors Curling Championships, for curlers age 50 and over, at the Crapaud Community Curling Club. With the modified triple knockout format, they also drop down to compete in the next section. Three men’s and five women’s teams are in this year’s championships.

Bill Hope (left)

Hope beat Charlottetown’s Philip Gorveatt rink 6-2 to win the men’s “A”, while Berry got by the Sharon Horne foursome from the Western Community Curling Club in Alberton 8-7 in an extra end in the women’s. Berry was trailing 7-4 going into the eighth end, but took a triple for the tie, and stole a single for the extra-end win.

Hope now plays the winner of the 2 pm “B” semi, between Gorveatt and Crapaud’s Dario Zannier, in the 6 pm “B” final. Dannier lost his opener 8-1 to Hope.

Shirley Berry (centre) lines up a shot

The women’s “B” semi at 2 pm sees Horne play Cornwall’s Debbie Rhodenhizer, who lost her opener to clubmate Berry, but then reeled off a  pair of wins, over Charlottetown’s Shelley Ebbett, and Crapaud’s Heather MacRae,  The winner faces Berry at 6 pm in the “B” final.

The “C” event goes Sunday at 2 and 6. The winners of the three sections advance to the Monday championship round.

If Hope or Berry were to win all of their three sections, that division’s Monday championship round would not be required. If a team wins two sections, they would win the event if they took either championship game, while their opponent would have to win both,

Three men’s and five women’s teams are competing.   Winners advance to the 2018 Everest Canadian Senior Men’s and Women’s Curling Championship, March 24 to 29 at the Stratford Ontario Rotary Complex.

Live results from the PEI Seniors are available at PEICurling.com.