Lou Nowlan wins his 16th PEI Masters men’s ch’ship, while Rachel MacLean skips her 1st Pepsi Junior Women’s ch’ship team

February 27, 2022

The PEI Masters Men’s Curling Championship, for curlers age 60 and over, will have to find room for yet another Lou Nowlan entry on the trophy, as he has now won his 16th Masters title, playing either the third or skip position. Nowlan and his host Silver Fox team of third David MacFadyen, 2nd Earle Proude, and lead Alan Montgomery, lost two of their first three games in the event but then pulled out five wins in a row, including the two championship games, against Cornwall’s Peter Rousseau rink, who won their first five games, but lost their last three, all to Nowlan. Other members of the Rousseau squad were third John Mullin, second Garth Cudmore, and lead Edgar Coffin.

PEI Masters Men’s champs (L-R): Lou Nowlan, David MacFadyen, Earle Proude, Alan Montgomery

Cornwall’s Shirley Berry rink won the Masters Women’s Division on Saturday (see previous story).

Junior Women’s champs (L-R): Rachel MacLean (skip), Sydney Howatt (3rd), Lexie Murray (second), Abby Barker (lead), David Murphy (coach)

Junior Women’s Finalist Team (L-R): Ella Lenentine (skip), Makiya Noonan, Kacey GAuthier, Erika Pater, coach Robbie Lenentine

Meanwhile, Cornwall’s Rachel MacLean, who skipped the finalist team last year, and her team won the PEI Pepsi Junior Women’s Championship at her host Cornwall Curling Club, with an 11-4 semi-final win over the Madalyn Easter rink from the Silver Fox, and an 11-7 victory in the final over clubmate Ella Lenentine and her team. Cornwall’s Mitchell Schut rink went undefeated to win the Junior Men’s division, which wrapped up on Saturday.

Curl PEI Vice President Ryan Giddens was on hand during the closing ceremonies to present the Asham Coaching Award for junior women’s team coaches to David Murphy, coach of the MacLean rink, and the junior women’s Sportsmanship award, to Lexie Murray, second on Team MacLean, who now advance to the 2022 New Holland Canadian Under-21 Curling Championships, Operated by Curling Canada, Mar. 25-Apr. 1, 2022 at the Stratford Rotary Complex in Stratford, Ont.

David Murphy (left), Asham Coaching award winner for junior women’s teams, with Curl PEI VP Ryan Giddens

Lexie Murray (left), Sportsmanship award winner for junior women’s teams, with Curl PEI VP Ryan Giddens

Berry and Schut repeat as Masters Women’s, Pepsi Juniors Men’s champs

February 26, 2022

Following Saturday play, two of the four champions have been determined for this weekend’s PEI curling championships, with Cornwall’s Shirley Berry team repeating as PEI Masters winner at the Silver Fox, while at their home Cornwall Curling Club, the Mitchell Schut foursome swept the PEI Junior Men’s event to repeat as champs.

Team Berry (L-R): Gloria Turner (2nd), Shirley Berry (skip), Sherren MacKinnon (3rd), Linda Fairhurst (lead)

Berry and her team lost their best of five series opener against Cornwall’s Sandy Hope squad 6-4, but reeled off three consecutive wins, by scores of 9-1, 6-5, and 9-2 to win the two-team event in four games. The winning Berry team includes third Sherren MacKinnon, second Gloria Turner and lead Linda Fairhurst. Other members of the Hope finalist team include Nancy MacFadyen (3rd), Karen Hardy (2nd), and Arleen Harris (lead).

PEI Pepsi Junior Men’s champions Team Schut (L-R): Mitchell Schut (skip), Chase MacMillan (4th), Cruz Pineau (2nd), Liam Kelly (lead), Pat Quilty (coach)

Finalist team (L-R): Brayden Snow skip), Jack MacFadyen (3rd), Liam Barbrick (2nd), Davis Nicholson (lead), David MacFadyen (coach)

Jane DiCarlo (Curl PEI Secretary) & Jack MacFadyen (Sportsmanship Award Winner – Men’s Division), third on Team Snow

Jane DiCarlo (Curl PEI Secretary) & David MacFadyen (Asham Coach Award Winner – Men’s Division), coach of Team Snow

Team Schut won all three modified triple knockout sections, all against clubmate Brayden Snow, to win the junior men’s title without having to play the championship round. The final game on Saturday night was a see-saw battle that saw Schut grab a 5-2 lead after six ends, but Snow pulled ahead with a five-point seventh end. Schut regained the lead with a triple in eight, but Snow came back with a deuce in nine to lead 9-8. Schut brought it to an extra with a tying single in ten, and stole another single to win in the extra end. Team Schut now advances to the 2022 New Holland Canadian Under-21 Curling Championships, Operated by Curling Canada, Mar. 25-Apr. 1, 2022 at the Stratford Rotary Complex in Stratford, Ont.

The PEI Masters Men’s section is down to two teams out of the six who started, with the Peter Rousseau rink from Cornwall, who won two modified triple knockout sections, having the advantage in the 2-game Sunday championship round at 10 am and, if needed, 2:30 pm against frequent Masters champ Lou Nowlan, as a win in either game will give Rousseau the title, while Nowlan needs to win both.

Meanwhile, there were three separate section winners in the four-team Pepsi Junior Women’s Divison, with Summerside’s Madalyn Easter rink winning the “A” 8-7 over Cornwall’s Ella Lenentine, who took the “B”, 6-5 over clubmate Rachel MacLean. MacLean, helped by a 5 point 9th end, then beat Lenentine 10-4 in the “C” qualifier. Easter faces MacLean in the semi-final at 9 am Sunday, with the winner taking on Lenentine in the 2 pm final. Lenentine got the bye to the final by virtue of playing in the most qualifiers (all three), while MacLean played in two and Easter in one.

Pepsi Jrs: Schut captures men’s “A” Qual, Easter takes women’s “A”

February 25, 2022

Day 2 is over at the PEI Masters (age 60+) Curling Championships at the Silver Fox in Summerside and at the Pepsi PEI Junior Curling Championships at the Cornwall Curling Club.

Team Schut

At the 4-team Pepsi Junior Men’s, defending champ Mitchell Schut and his Cornwall team captured the modified triple knockout draw “A” qualifier, winning 10-1 in seven ends over their clubmates, the Brayden Snow rink. Snow and Schut will also be in the 9 am Saturday “B” qualifier, following definitive wins over Isaiah Dalton (Cornwall) and Brock Rochford (Silver Fox), respectively, in the “B” semis. Rochford takes on Snow and Dalton faces Schut in the “C” semis at 1:30 pm Sat., with the “C” qualifier game going at 6 pm. The 2-game championship round (not needed if Schut manages to win all three sections) goes Sunday.

Rachel MacLean

There WILL be at least one championship round game Sunday in the Junior Women’s division, which also has four teams, as Summerside’s Madalyn Easter rink, which won the “A” section qualifier 8-7 over Cornwall’s Ella Lenentine team, aided by a three-point sixth end, did not advance to the 9 am Saturday “B” qualifier, losing the “B” semi 10-9 to Cornwall’s Rachel MacLean rink, who picked up SIX points in the first end. Easter recovered quickly with a triple and a deuce in the next two ends, and another pair in nine tied things up, but MacLean won the game with a single point with hammer in the final end.

The other “B” semi- between Lenentine and Montague’s Sydney Carver team was also close, with Lenentine coming back from a 5-3 deficit after six ends. taking a single and stealing a pair of deuces in ends seven through nine to lead 8-5 coming home without last rock advantage. Carver needed three points to force an extra end, but was kept to two, with Lenentine winning 8-7.

The “B” qualifier, between Cornwall clubmates MacLean and Lenentine, goes at 9 am Saturday, while Carver battles MacLean and Easter faces Lenentine in the “C” semis at 1:30 pm, with the “C” qualifier following at 6. The championship round goes Sunday.

End by end results from the Pepsi Juniors are available at: https://peicurling.com/scoreboard/#!/competitions/7379

As well, some teams are live-streaming their games on their Facebook pages.

Spectators are not permitted at either event, due to COVID restrictions.

Snow vs. Schut, Lenentine vs. Easter in 1st PEI Pepsi Junior quals.

February 24, 2022

PEI curling championship play resumed on Thursday with two events, the PEI Masters Curling Championships for curlers age 60 and over, at the Silver Fox in Summerside, and the Pepsi Juniors in Cornwall. The Masters games are eight ends, while the Juniors play ten.

Mitchell Schut

The Pepsi Juniors in Cornwall features four junior men’s teams and an equal number of Junior Women’s rinks, and played their opening draw on Thursday afternoon. In Junior Men’s action, defending champ Mitchell Schut and his Cornwall squad beat their clubmates the Isaiah Dalton foursome by a 14-2 score in eight ends, helped out by a five-point end and a stolen triple.

Jack MacFadyen from Team Snow

Team Snow

Cornwall’s Brayden Snow rink beat the Brock Rochford squad from the Fox by an 11-5 score, also aided by a triple-steal.

Team Ella Lenentine

In the Junior Women’s section, the Ella Lenentine rink from Cornwall opened with an 8-4 doubling of clubmate Rachel MacLean and her team, with Lenentine stealing a deuce in the first end, then picking up three more, while keeping MacLean to singles.

Team Easter

Juniors play resumes on Friday at 9 am, with Snow taking on Schut in the first of three junior men’s qualifiers, and Easter facing Lenentine in the first of three junior women’s qualifying games for the champion round. The “B” semi-finals follow at 2 pm, with the “B” qualifying games going at 9 am Saturday.

Full schedule and live scoring at:

https://peicurling.com/scoreboard/#!/competitions/7379/

Spectators are not permitted at either event due to COVID restrictions.

Opening Draw Photo Gallery

Here is a photo gallery from the opening draw of the Pepsi PEI Juniors Curling Championships which got underway today at the Cornwall Curling Club.

Click a photo to enlarge, and use arrows or swipe to go ahead and back.

Eight teams to compete for Pepsi Junior titles starting Thursday in Cornwall

February 18, 2022

The PEI Pepsi Juniors Provincial Under 21 Curling Championships are set for the Cornwall Curling Club from February 24-27, with four junior men’s teams and an equal number of junior women’s rinks competing. The winning junior men’s and women’s teams will advance to the 2022 New Holland Canadian Under-21 Curling Championships, Operated by Curling Canada, Mar. 25-Apr. 1, 2022 at the Stratford Rotary Complex in Stratford, Ont.

Defending Junior Men’s champs, the Mitchell Schut rink from the host club, are back looking to defend their title, while the defending Junior Women’s skip, Katie Shaw, is curling in Sudbury Ontario this season. Lexie Murray and coach David Murphy from last season’s winning team have joined Cornwall’s Rachel MacLean squad, who were the finalist team last season.

Live, end by end results from the PEI championships will be available at:
https://peicurling.com/scoreboard/#!/competitions/7379

Spectators are not permitted at this event.

Here is the Schedule and modified-triple knockout Draw with a 2-game championship round (not required if a team wins all three sections).
Here are the teams entered (M designates a Junior Men’s team, W a Junior Women’s).