The two teams who finished the PEI Canada Games Trials #1 in first place have won their openers at the Canada Games Qualifier Finals at the Cornwall Curling Club, with Cornwall’s Mitchell Schut rink beating Charlottetown’s Chase MacMillan team 6-2 in the first game of the boys’ best of five series, and the Lauren Ferguson team beating their Cornwall clubmates the Sydney Howatt rink by a 3-1 score in the girls’. Game two in each series goes at 10 am Saturday, with Game three going at 2 pm. Games four and five, if necessary, go Sunday at 10 am and, if needed, 3:30 pm. The winning teams advance to the Canada Winter Games in Red Deer Alberta, February 15 until March 3, 2019.

 (Skip-lead L-R): Mitchell Schut, Nick Johnston, Liam Kelly, Colin MacKenzie, Coach Lori Robinson

(Skip-lead L-R): David MacFadyen (coach), Chase MacMillan, Jack MacFadyen, Liam Barbrick, Davis Nicholson

Team Schut got off to a fast start in their game, using last-rock advantage to score four points in the first end, and then stealing a single in the second. MacMillan took singles in the next two ends to narrow the gap to 5-2 at the fourth end break. Schut was kept to a single in the fifth, with MacMillan blanking the next two ends to keep last rock advantage, but running out of rocks in the eighth.

(Skip-lead L-R): Lauren Ferguson, Katie Shaw, Alexis Burris, Lexie Murray
Back Row: David Murphy (coach)

(L-R): Sierra Clyke (calls the game, throws third), Sydney Howatt (throws fourth), Meghan Sherren (second), Madelyn Cantwell (lead), A.J. Campbell (coach)

The Howatt rink had opening hammer, blanking the first two ends, but Ferguson stole the third and fourth ends to lead 2-0 at the half. The teams traded singles in the fifth and sixth, and blanked the seventh, but Ferguson, leading 3-1 coming home, did not have to throw her final rock.

Event website: https://peicurling.com/canadagamesfinals/

End by end results at:  https://peicurling.com/scoreboard/#!/competitions/4285

Here is the Best of Five Draw and Schedule: