Undefeated Brett Gallant team three-peats as Pepsi Junior Men's Champs
Posted Monday, January 7, 2008
L-R: Brett Gallant, Adam Casey, Anson Carmody, Alex MacFadyen, Kathie Gallant
For the third straight year, the team of Brett Gallant, Adam Casey, Anson Carmody, and Alex MacFadyen, with coach Kathie Gallant, are the PEI Pepsi Junior Men's champions. The Gallant foursome, from the Charlottetown Curling Club, went undefeated, sweeping the A, B and C section finals of this triple-knockout event, all against the Spencer Pitre rink of the host Western Community Curling Club in Alberton, and making the two game championship round unnecessary. In the C division final on Monday morning, the Gallant rink took a triple in the second end, and two steals of two points in ends five and eight on the way to a 9-2 win over the Pitre rink, which includes Billie Lewis, Daniel McCarthy and Shawn Pitre, with coach Roger Gavin.
The Gallant foursome captured the B section Sunday morning with a 9-3 win over hometown favorite Pitre, who opened the scoring with a point in the first end; but but Gallant took a triple in the second, and stole the next three ends to lead 6-1 at the half. Pitre came back with a single point, but Gallant took another triple, putting the game out of reach. The A final on Friday was also against Pitre, with Gallant winning by a 7-4 score after recording four points in the 5th end. Brett Gallant also won the PEI championship back in 2004, with a different team.
The Gallant rink now advance to the M&M Canadian Juniors, February 2-10 in Sault Ste. Marie Ontario. At last year's Canadian championships they lost the final in an extra end to finish as runners-up.
Erin Carmody rink goes undefeated to repeat as Pepsi Jr. Women's champs
L-R: Erin Carmody, Geri-Lynn Ramsay, Lisa Moerike, Jessica van Ouwerkerk, Pat Aylward
Meanwhile, no one could stop Erin Carmody and her Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club rink in their bid to repeat as Pepsi junior women's curling champions, as, just like last year, they won all three sections to take the junior women's championship without having to play the two game championship round. On the scoreboard, no-one else came close to them, as Carmody, and teammates Geri-Lynn Ramsay, Lisa Moerike, and Jessica van Ouwerkerk, along with coach Pat Aylward, won all their games by at least a four point margin. In Sunday afternoon's final match, the C division final of this triple-knockout event, Carmody beat Katie Sharkey of Charlottetown by an impressive 12-4 score, taking four, three, one and four points with hammer, and holding the Sharkey foursome to a single point when they had the last rock advantage. Carmody won the A section by a 9-3 score over Silver Fox clubmate Darcee Birch and the B side 8-3 over Sharkey. The Carmody squad will now advance to the M&M Canadian Juniors, Feb. 2-10 in Sault Ste. Marie Ontario. In last year's Canadians, they finished with a 7-4 round robin win loss record.
Seven junior women's and eleven junior men's rinks began play on Thursday, after a one-day storm delay.
Click here to see an album of photos from the event
The following information and photos courtesy of the Western Community Curling Club website:
Brett Gallant's rink from the Charlottetown Curling Club and Erin Carmody's rink from the Summerside Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club retained their 20 and under PEI titles. It was the third straight win for the Gallant team. Seven women's teams and 11 men's teams took part. Some games were played at the Maple Leaf Curling Club in nearby O'Leary.
Audrey Callaghan , 2nd vice president of the PEI Curling Association and vice president of the WCCC, presented the trophy to the winners.
(R to L) Audrey Callaghan, skip Brett Gallant, Adam Casey, Anson Carmody, Alex MacFadyen, coach Kathie Gallant and Ann Doucette, the PEI Curling Association's Junior Co-ordinator.
The Gallant team get to keep the trophy at their Charlottetown home club for a year.
The team will head off to Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. next month to represent PEI at the M&M Canadian Junior Curling Championships from Feb. 2 to Feb. 10.
The runner up Spencer Pitre rink from the Alberton club did local fans proud by getting to the final draw and they too received their trophy from Audrey Callaghan, representing the PEI Curling Association.
(R to L) Audrey Callaghan, skip Spencer Pitre, Billie Lewis, Daniel McCarthy, Sean Pitre, coach Roger Gavin and Ann Doucette, juniors co-ordinator for the PEI Curling Association.
Coach Gavin and the boys take comfort from the fact that they are the second best junior men's team on PEI this year.
The Fair Play Award, determined by the players, went to Eric Pidgeon of the Sam Ramsay rink from the Summerside curling club.The award recognizes a player's playing abilities and respectful attitude toward the game, other players and officials throughout the tournament.
In the junior women's section, the Erin Carmody rink from the Silver Fox Curling Club of Summerside defeated the Katie Sharkey rink from the Charlottetown Curling Club in the final.
Audrey Callaghan , 2nd vice president of the PEI Curling Association and vice president of the WCCC, presented the championship trophy to the victors.
(R to L) Audrey Callaghan, skip Erin Carmody, Geri-Lynn Ramsay, Lisa Moerike, Jessica van Ouwerkerk,coach Pat Aylward and Ann Doucette, the PEICA's Junior Co-ordinator.
The Carmody team savours its championship trophy in the lounge of the Western Community Curling Club.
The team's next major competition will be to represent PEI at the Canadian Junior championships in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Feb. 2-10.
The runners-up were the Katie Sharkey rink from Charlottetown. Shown receiving their trophy from Audrey Callaghan on behalf of the PEI Curling Association are (R to L) Monica LeBlanc, Vanessa Dennis, Alexis Wright, skip Katie Sharkey and coach Kathy O'Rourke.
Monica LeBlanc of the Sharkey rink was chosen by her playing peers to receive the Fair Play Award for her playing abilities and her respectful attitude toward the game, other players and officials throughout the tournament.
Play began January 3 but the official opening and banquet were held the following evening with all teams and a host of dignitaries present.
The official opening stone was thrown by Alberton-Roseville MLA Pat Murphy. The sweepers are: Brett Gallant, skip of the 2007 PEI Junior Men's Championship team and Erin Carmody, skip of the 2007 PEI Junior Women's Championship team.
Dignitaries on hand to oversee the official start are (L to R) Fr. Art Pendergast, President of the WCCC, Dave Murphy, President of the PEI Curling Association, Alberton-Roseville MLA Pat Murphy, Perry Morrell, Mayor of Alberton, Neil LeClair, MLA for Tignish-Palmer Road and Minister of Agriculture, Audrey Callaghan, 2nd vice president of the PEI Curling Association and vice president of the WCCC and Ann Doucette, the PEI Curling Assoc.'s Junior Co-ordinator.
The teams lined up on either side of the rink to mark the official opening of the tournament.
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Spencer Pitre's team (above) from the Alberton club in the thick of things Friday Jan. 4, 2008
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Left to right: Dave Murphy, PEICA President, Marilyn Sutherland, coaching award winner, Trevor Young, coaching award winner, Ann Doucette, PEICA Junior Coordinator