It was a sweep for both the women’s and men’s winning teams this weekend at the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O’Leary, as the Eddie MacKenzie rink from the Crapaud and Montague curling clubs went undefeated with a 3-0 record against the Blair Jay rink from the Silver Fox in Summerside to win the PEI Tankard Provincial Men’s Curling Champion. MacKenzie also made it to the finals last year, and has now skipped six winning PEI Tankard teams, and played third for winning skip Mike Gaudet back in 2004.
PEI Tankard winners (L-R): Eddie MacKenzie (skip), Tyler Smith (3rd), Sean Ledgerwood (2nd), Ryan Lowery (lead)
MacKenzie, backed up by third Tyler Smith, second Sean Ledgerwood, and lead Ryan Lowery, beat the Blair Jay foursome 10-4, 6-3, and 8-4 to take the best of five series in three games. Playing with Jay was his son Chuck Jay at third, along with second stone Jon Philip, and lead Glenn Rogers.
Tankard Finalists (L-R): Blair Jay (skip), Chuck Jay (third), Jon Philip (2nd), Glenn Rogers (lead)
The winning MacKenzie team will now head to the Calgary “Bubble” to play in the Tim Hortons Brier, presented by AGI, from Mar. 6-14 at the Markin MacPhail Centre.
The PEI Scotties wrapped up in the same draw, with the Suzanne Birt team also going undefeated, to repeat as PEI women’s champs and head to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts at the same venue, from February 20-28.