Meaghan Hughes wins 4th-straight PEI Junior Title
Brett Gallant wins 2nd PEI Junior Ch'ship

It was an exciting finish as the Pepsi Provincial Junior (20 and Under) Curling Championships wrapped up on Saturday afternoon, with both finals going to an extra end.

Photo: Hughes, Dolan, Robison, Nabuurs, coach Brenda MacMillan

In the Junior Women's section, Meaghan Hughes made it four PEI junior championships in a row, as she edged last year's runner-up, Danielle Sharkey, by the same score as last year - 6-5. Hughes took a 3-2 lead at the half with the only deuce scored in the game. The teams traded singles right through to the extra end, giving Hughes the win. Other members of the Hughes rink, from the Montague and Charlottetown curling clubs, are Sinead Dolan, Michala Robison, and Erika Nabuurs, with coaches Brenda MacMillan and Rebecca Jean MacPhee. The Sharkey rink, from the host Crapaud Community Curling Club, includes Erin Carmody, Geri-Lynn Ramsay, and Michelle Mackie, with coach Pat Aylward.

Hughes lost to Sharkey 7-6 in an extra end in semi-final play, but made it to the final with an 8-4 win over Cornwall's Erin MacDougall rink in the second modified Page system semi-final game. MacDougall defeated Jessica van Ouwerkerk of the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club by a 9-3 score in quarter-final play. Hughes and Sharkey were undefeated in round robin play, while MacDougall had one loss.

Hughes shares the honour of winning four consecutive titles with Gloria Basha, who won in 1972 through 1975, but falls short of the record five wins set by world and Canadian champion Suzanne Gaudet in 1998-2002.

Photo: Gallant, Casey, Carmody, Alex MacFadyen, coach Kathie Gallant

Meanwhile, Brett Gallant added a second Junior men's title to his collection. He won the event at age 13 two years ago, making him the youngest skip ever at a Canadian championship. He was runner-up to Steven Howard last year, as well as 17 and Under champion, and recently won the PEI junior men's berth in the 2007 Canada Games in Whitehorse.

In today's game, Timothy Cullen stole the first end, with Gallant blanking the next three, and scoring a 5th end deuce to lead 2-1 at the half. Cullen took a single in the sixth, and stole another point in the seventh to take the lead. Gallant came back with a deuce in the eighth. The 9th was blanked, and Cullen tied it up in the 10th. Gallant used hammer in the extra end to win by a 5-4 score.

Gallant, curling out of the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside, earned a bye to the finals with an 8-2 semi-final win over Cullen of the Charlottetown Curling Club. Cullen came back in the second final to edge Kendall Keeley of the Montague and Charlottetown curling clubs by a 6-5 score to advance to the final game. Gallant was undefeated in round-robin play, while Cullen and Keeley each had one loss.

Other members of the Gallant foursome are Adam Casey, Anson Carmody, and Alex MacFadyen. Kathie Gallant is coach.
Playing with Cullen were Isaac Shaw, Mike LeBlanc, and Robbie Doherty, with coach Marilyn Sutherland.

The Meaghan Hughes and Brett Gallant rinks advance to the first M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors, January 21-29 in Thunder Bay Ontario.

Award Winners

A number of awards were handed out at the Pepsi Junior closing ceremonies.
Skip Jessica van Ouwerkerk, and second Dennis Richard (from the Neil Gallant rink) were presented with the Fairplay/sportsmanship awards.

Photo: Crapaud Club President Murdena Ferguson, Fairplay Award recipient Jessica van Ouwerkerk

Photo: Crapaud Club President Murdena Ferguson, Fairplay Award recipient Dennis Richard

Photo: PEI CA President Shirley Lank, Crapaud CC President Murdena Ferguson, Coaching award winner Peter Pidgeon

Photo: PEI CA President Shirley Lank, Crapaud CC President Murdena Ferguson, Courtney Moore, accepting Coaching award on behalf of Lori Robinson 

Schedule
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