It was an amazing two days for the Debbie Rhodenhizer rink from the Cornwall Curling Club, winning two tiebreakers, the semi-final, and then two final games (both in extra ends) against previously-undefeated Melissa Morrow and her rink from the Silver Fox in Summerside, to capture the PEI Travelers Women’s Championship at the Montague Curling Rink. On Monday the Cornwall team, who finished the round robin tied for third with a 2-3 win-loss record, beat both Western’s Sharon Horne rink, and Crapaud’s Amanda Holm squad in tiebreakers, and then doubled second-place Tammy Dewar and her Montague foursome in the semi-final. On Tuesday the Cornwall team came from behind to win two final games against the Morrow rink, both in extra ends.
2018 PEI Travelers Women’s Champions (L-R): Larry Richards (Montague Curling Rink representative), Cindy Nicholson, Sandra Sobey, Nancy MacFadyen, Debbie Rhodenhizer
Morrow had a 3-2 lead after four ends in the first game on Tuesday morning, aided by a stolen third-end deuce, but single steals in ends six and seven gave the Cornwall team a 4-3 lead going into the eighth, where Morrow was kept to a single, forcing the extra end, in which Rhodenhizer scored the winning point. The rules state that because Morrow went through the round robin undefeated, she had to be beaten twice, so a second, winner-take-all final, equally as close, took place on Tuesday afternoon.
2018 PEI Travelers Finalist rink (L-R): Larry Richards (Montague Curling Rink representative), Melissa Morrow, Darcy Birch, Lindsey Spencer, Miranda Ellis
In final number two, Morrow grabbed an early 3-0 lead with a deuce and a single, but Rhodenhizer followed suit with a single and a deuce to tie the game at 3-3 at the fourth end break. Morrow pulled ahead with a pair of singles in five and six. Again, Rhodenhizer followed suit. with two of her own, and it was all tied up at 5-5, with Morrow having last rock advantage in the extra. However, Rhodenhizer stole the extra end, completing her fifth consecutive win with a 6-5 final score, and punching her ticket to the national Travelers Curling Club Championship, with dates and venue yet to be announced.
Other members of the winning Rhodenhizer team are third Nancy MacFadyen, second Sandra Sobey, and lead stone Cindy Nicholson.
The Morrow finalist rink includes third Darcee Birch, second Lindsey Spencer, and lead stone Miranda Ellis.
The Jamie Newson foursome from the Silver Fox won the men’s title on Monday afternoon, with a 5-3 win over Alan Inman and his Crapaud team. Click for story.
Seven men’s and six women’s teams took part in this year’s PEI Travelers Curling Club Championships, for teams who have won their respective club’s championship.