Ferguson team wins girl’s PEI Finals deciding game to join Team Schut at the 2019 Canada Games
The two PEI curling teams for the Canada Games in Red Deer have now been decided, after another very close game between Cornwall’s Lauren Ferguson and Sydney Howatt girl’s teams, with Ferguson capturing the winner-take-all fifth game of the tied best-of-five series by a 5-3 score. Last rock advantage in the final end and a deuce in the sixth gave Ferguson the edge in this extremely close game, with Ferguson blanking the opening end, and the teams trading single points in the other ends. Team Lauren Ferguson will join their Cornwall clubmates, Team Mitchell Schut, at the 2019 Canada Games in Red Deer Alberta, from February 15 to March 3.
(L-R): Team Ferguson 2019 PEI Canada Games Girl’s Team – David Murphy (Coach), Lauren Ferguson (skip), Katie Shaw (third), Alexis Burris (second), Lexie Murray (lead), Andrew Robinson (Curl PEI Past President)
PEI Canada Games finalist team (L-R): Sierra Clyke (calls the game), Sydney Howatt (throws final stones), Meghan Sherren (second), Madelyn Cantwell (lead), A.J. Campbell (coach), Andrew Robinson (Curl PEI Past President)
Team Schut wins Canada Games boy’s berth, Team Howatt forces deciding girl’s game at 3:30
Two very close matches were played this morning at the PEI Canada Games Curling Finals in Cornwall, with the Mitchell Schut team from Cornwall scoring a triple in an extra end to beat the Chase MacMillan foursome from Charlottetown 8-5 and win the boy’s best of five series 3 games to 1, advancing to the Canada Games, from February 15 to March 3 in Red Deer Alberta.
The girl’s series will go all the way to a winner-take-all fifth game, at 3:30 pm, after the Sydney Howatt foursome stole four points in the final end to win 7-4, and even their series with their Cornwall clubmates the Lauren Ferguson team at two games each.
Canada Games Boys’ Team (L-R) Lori Robinson (coach), Colin MacKenzie (lead), Liam Kelly (2nd), Nick Johnston (third), Mitchell Schut (skip), with Andrew Robinson (Curl PEI Past President)
Canada Games Boy’s Finalists (L-R): David MacFadyen (coach), Davis Nicholson (lead), Liam Barbrick (2nd), Jack MacFadyen (third), Chase MacMillan (skip)
Recap: Cornwall’s Schut and Ferguson teams lead best of 5 series 2-1 going into Sunday play at Canada Games Finals
(L-R) Lexie Murray, Lauren Ferguson, and Alexis Burris
(L-R): Liam Barbrick, Chase MacMillan, Davis Nicholson
In Draw Two on Saturday morning, Team Ferguson moved to 2-0 on the girls’ side with a 4-3 win over Team Howatt while teams MacMillan and Schut were tied at a game apiece on the boy’s side following an 8-4 win by the Chase MacMillan team.
Both games came down to exciting finishes in Draw Three on Saturday afternoon.
Photo (L-R): Meghan Sherren, Sydney Howatt, and Madelyn Cantwell from Team Howatt
The Sydney Howatt team, with Howatt throwing final stones, and Sierra Clyke calling the game, was tied 5-5 after eight ends, with last rock advantage in the final end going to the Lauren Ferguson rink, who had a 2-0 lead in the series and would have advanced to the Canada Games in Red Deer with a win. However, Howatt stole the end, for a 6-5 final score forcing game four on Sunday morning.
Photo (L-R): Mitchell Schut, Liam Kelly, Colin MacKenzie
The boys’ game, with the series tied 1-all, was also close, with the Chase MacMillan team, hot off a morning win over the Schut squad, leading 3-2 after six ends. Schut blanked the seventh to have hammer coming home, and took the win with a three-point eighth end and a 5-3 final score.
Friday Evening:
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.
Here is a photo gallery from the Saturday morning draw. Click on a photo to enlarge, and use arrows to go ahead and back.
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:
