ALBERTON-Defending P.E.I. Tankard provincial men’s curling champion, Eddie MacKenzie, answered back in all-CAPS Thursday night at the Western Community Curling Club.
Eddie MacKenzie, skip of the defending champion team in the 2019 P.E.I. Tankard provincial men’s curling championship. MacKenzie scored a big win Thursday night over Team Jamie Newson, the team that handed him an opening draw loss the previous day. – Eric McCarthy
After losing his opening draw of the 2019 men’s championship to Jamie Newson on Wednesday, MacKenzie was a man on a mission for the rematch, defeating Newson 9-1 in a game that lasted just four ends. MacKenzie scored four in the first end with hammer, stole another point in the second and then four more in the third to go up 9-0. Newson conceded the game after taking a single point in the fourth.
The win sends MacKenzie into the ‘B’ qualifier of the six-team modified triple knock-out championship Friday at 2 p.m. against P.E.I. Junior champion Tyler Smith who outscored ‘A’ Qualifier winner John Likely 7-1 in eight ends.
All six men’s teams are in the 2 p.m draw on Friday and, for two of them, it could be their final draw. Newson plays Summerside’s Darren Higgins and only the winner moves forward. Likely plays Steve van Ouwerkerk from the Silver Fox with van Ouwerkerk needing a win to remain in contention.