January 9-13, 2019, Western Community Curling Club, Alberton
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Birt claims her 10th PEI Scotties, team will represent PEI in Sydney NS (Journal)
ALBERTON — The year was 2003 when Suzanne (Gaudet) Birt first skipped a team to the P.E.I. Scotties provincial women’s curling championship title. On Sunday the veteran women’s skip, and 2001 world junior curling champion, skipped a team to the P.E.I. Scotties title for a tenth time.
Birt and her Mitchell O’Shea coached team of Marie Christianson, mate; Meaghan Hughes, second, and Michelle McQuaid, lead, from the Charlottetown Curling Complex downed the Veronica Smith rink from the Cornwall Curling Club 10-4 in a game conceded after eight ends.
Jane DiCarlo, Sabrina Smith and Whitney Jenkins round out the runner-up rink from the modified triple knock out championship event which got underway at the Western Community Curling Club Wednesday during a snowstorm.
On Sunday afternoon, Birt opened with a first-end single. After Smith tied it in the second, Birt responded with back-to-back deuces. She led 5-2 at the fifth-end break. She scored three in the sixth and stole two in the seventh to go up 10-2, and Smith conceded after scoring a pair in the eighth.
Birt said she couldn’t take the early lead for granted. “Every end, you have to keep on your game. With the five-rock rule, you know any team can score a big end and get right back into it.”
“It’s been a great week,” said Birt during the presentations. “A lot of good curling, a lot of great teams here.” She thanked her team for their hard work and for making it fun.
Birt said the Alberton ice with its limited curl proved challenging but she felt her team managed it well.
She’s optimistic as she prepares for the Scotties Tournament of Hearts where her team will represent P.E.I. in Sydney, NS from Feb. 16 to 24.
“You know what, if we play like I think we can play, we’ll have a very good week in Sydney and we should be there at the end of the week.”
Suzanne Birt beats Veronica Smith 10-4 to win her tenth Scotties
The Suzanne Birt rink from the Charlottetown Curling Complex, which includes two members of her 2016 winning team, third Marie Christianson, and second Meaghan Hughes, along with lead Michelle McQuaid, captured the PEI Scotties Provincial Women’s Curling Championship Sunday afternoon at the Western Community Curling Club in Alberton, with a 10-4 win over Cornwall’s Veronica Smith foursome. This is Birt’s 10th provincial women’s championship — she won her first in 2003. Hughes and McQuaid were also on the 2017 and 2018 winning teams, skipped by Robyn MacPhee.
Winning team photo (L-R): Bill Smith, Curl PEI Treasurer, Suzanne Birt, Marie Christianson. Meaghan Hughes, Michelle McQuaid, coach Mitchell O’Shea.
Other members of the Veronica Smith finalist team are third Jane DiCarlo, second Sabrina Smith, and lead Whitney Jenkins, with coach Pat Aylward.
Finalist team photo (L-R): Veronica Smith, Jane DiCarlo, Sabrina Smith, Whitney Jenkins, coach Pat Aylward.
Smith won the “A” Qualifier of the modified triple knockout draw, with Sarah Fullerton winning the “B” and Birt capturing the “C”. Smith had a bye to the final by virtue of playing in all three section qualifiers, so Fullerton and Birt played off in the Sunday morning semi-final, with Birt, helped out by a three-point fifth end, winning 7-6.
In the final, Birt stole a single in the first end, and kept Smith to one point in the second. Birt scored a deuce in the third, and stole another pair in the fourth end for a 5-1 lead, with Smith taking a single in the fifth. Birt came out strong after the 5th end break, taking a triple in the sixth and stealing a deuce in the seventh end for a big 10-2 lead. Smith took a deuce in the eighth, but it was handshake time with a 10-4 final score.
The winning Suzanne Birt rink will now advance to the national Scotties in Sydney NS:
John Likely wins Tankard PEI men’s title, Suzanne Birt to play Veronica Smith in 2 pm Scotties final
There’s no need for a 2 pm game in the PEI Tankard, as John Likely and his team from Charlottetown and the host Western Community curling club in Alberton were able to steal a 10th end single to edge defending champion Eddie MacKenzie and his Charlottetown team by a 6-5 score this morning to win the provincial men’s championship. As Likely had won two of the three modified-knockout draw sections, a win in either game today would have given him the title, while MacKenzie would have needed to win both. The Likely squad, who were runners-up last year, includes third Anson Carmody, second Steve Burgess and lead Robbie Doherty, with alternate Matthew Nabuurs. Third Tyler MacKenzie, second Christopher Gallant, and lead Sean Ledgerwood round out the Eddie MacKenzie finalist team, which is coached by Philip Gorveatt.
Tankard-Winning John Likely rink
Photo (L-R): Curl PEI Treasurer Bill Smith, John Likely, Anson Carmody, Steve Burgess, Robbie Doherty, Matthew Nabuurs
Tankard finalist Eddie MacKenzie rink
Photo (L-R): Eddie MacKenzie, Tyler MacKenzie, Christopher Gallant, Sean Ledgerwood.
Meanwhile, Charlottetown’s Suzanne Birt will get a chance to compete for her 10th PEI Scotties women’s title, as she takes on Cornwall’s Veronica Smith, who is seeking her first Scotties trophy, in the provincial women’s final at 2 pm. Smith who won the A section of the modified triple knockout round, earned a bye to the final by virtue of playing in all three section qualifiers, while the other section winners, Birt, and Sarah Fullerton from the Charlottetown and Silver Fox clubs, squared off in this morning’s semi-final, with Birt winning 7-6, aided by a 5th end triple.
Tankard winner Likely and his team will now advance to the Tim Hortons Brier in Brandon MB:
Operated by Curling Canada
Mar. 2-10, 2019
Westoba Place, Brandon, Man.
The winning women’s team will advance to the national Scotties in Sydney NS:
Likely one win away from Tankard title, Smith to face either Birt or Fullerton in Scotties final (Journal)
ALBERTON — John Likely and his Charlottetown and Western Community curling clubs team of Anson Carmody, Steve Burgess, Robbie Doherty, and alternate Matthew Nabuurs is one win away from claiming the 2019 P.E.I. Tankard provincial men’s curling championship.
Standing in his way is defending champion Eddie MacKenzie from the Charlottetown Curling Complex.
John Likely’s mate, Anson Carmody calls a shot while Tim Hockin, middle and Darren Higgins look on during P.E.I. Tankard action. – Eric McCarthy
The P.E.I. Scotties provincial women’s championship in Alberton will definitely go the distance.
Suzanne Birt won the women’s ‘C’ Qualifier 9-7 over Veronica Smith. Birt (4-2) and Smith (5-2), join Sarah Fullerton (4-2) in Sunday’s playoff round with Fullerton playing Birt at 9 a.m. and the winner going up against Smith at 2 p.m. Smith gets the bye to the final because she appeared in all three of the women’s Qualifiers.
Likely defeated the Darren Higgins rink from the Silver Fox Curling Club in the event’s ‘C’ Qualifier Saturday night.
Scotties and Tankard Playoff Rounds set
There will be three teams competing in the PEI Scotties women’s championship round on Sunday at 9 am, and 2 pm at the Western Community Curling Club in Alberton, and two rinks in the Men’s round at the same time.
The Veronica Smith team from Cornwall, who won the A Qualifying game of the modified triple knockout draw, has earned a bye to the 2 pm final game of the Scotties, having played in the A, B. and C Qualifying games, The B Qualifier winner, Sarah Fullerton and her team from the Charlottetown Curling Complex and the Silver Fox Curling Club in Summerside, along with the C winner, Suzanne Birt of Charlottetown, who beat Smith 9-7 in the Saturday evening C Qualifier, will square off in the 9 am game, with the winner advancing to the 2 pm final against Smith.
On the men’s side, last year’s runner-up John Likely, who lists Charlottetown and Western as his team’s curling clubs, will play in both playoff games, having two chances to win the Tankard, as, having won the A and the C Qualifiers, he can win the event if he takes either game, while his opponent, B section winner and defending champion Eddie MacKenzie, has to win both. Likely only needed six ends to dispose of Summerside’s Darren Higgins rink and capture the “C” Qualifier on Saturday evening.
The winning women’s team will advance to the national Scotties in Sydney NS:
Big third ends move Smith, Birt to tonight’s ‘C’ Qualifier (Journal)
Play-offs in Scotties and Tankard ch’ships start Sunday
ALBERTON — The third end proved pivotal for the winning teams in Saturday afternoon’s ‘C’ Qualifier semi-finals at the P.E.I. Scotties provincial women’s curling championship.
Jane DiCarlo, left and Whitney Jenkins, mate and lead on the Veronica Smith rink, sweep a stone during the P.E.I. Scotties. Smith takes a 5-1 record into tonight’s 7 p.m. ‘C’ Qualifier against Suzanne Birt (3-2). – Eric McCarthy
At the Western Community Curling Club, Veronica Smith broke a 1-1 tie with five points in the third and went on to defeat and eliminate the Melissa Morrow rink from further competition. Smith moves on to compete in her third consecutive qualifier, having won the ‘A’ Qualifier before dropping the B’ qualifier Friday to Sarah Fullerton. She plays Suzanne Birt at 7 o’clock. Birt scored an 8-2 victory over Fullerton in the afternoon draw She blanked the first two ends to keep hammer and made the most of it by scoring three in the third end. Fullerton reduced Birt’s lead to 4-2 in the sixth, but Birt put the game away with a pair of deuces over the next two ends.
PEI Scotties: Fullerton wins Scotties B qualifier over Smith; Jackson, McCloskey eliminated
Four teams remain in contention after Friday play at the Scotties Provincial Women’s Championship at the Western Community Curling Club in Alberton, with Sarah Fullerton and her Charlottetown and Silver Fox team capturing the ‘B’ Qualifier in the modified triple knockout, edging ‘A’ Qualifier winner Veronica Smith from the Cornwall Curling Club by a 4-3 score. In the other two games in the 7 pm draw, the Suzanne Birt rink downed their Charlottetown clubmates the Lisa Jackson team 11-1 in only five ends, while the Melissa Morrow team from the Silver Fox beat Charlottetown’s Chloé McCloskey team 8-1 in eight ends. Jackson and McCloskey are now eliminated from the event.
Photo: Team Fullerton
Smith takes on Morrow, while Fullerton faces Birt Saturday at 2 pm, with the winners squaring off in the “C” Qualifier at 7 pm. The two-game playoff round between the Qualifiers from the three sections goes Sunday at 9 am and 2 pm. If either Smith or Fullerton win the “C” Qualifier and the first playoff game, the second game will not be necessary.
ALBERTON — There are no longer any undefeated teams in either the P.E.I men’s or women’s curling championships.
Skip Sarah Fullerton releases a rock during the P.E.I. Scotties provincial women’s curling championship in Alberton as her front end, Aleya Quilty, left, and Anita Casey await sweeping instructions. Fullerton downed previously unbeaten Veronica Smith Friday night to move to 4-1 (won-lost) in the standings with Smith. – Eric McCarthy
Veronica Smith’s Cornwall Curling Club team was the last to fall, losing 4-3 to Sarah Fullerton Friday night in the ‘B’ Qualifier of the P.E.I. Scotties modified triple knock-out championship.
Smith, with hammer, blanked the first two ends, but it was Fullerton who got on board first, stealing a single in the third. The teams traded deuces the next two ends and, after Smith blanked the sixth, Fullerton stole another single in the seventh to go up 4-2. After Smith got one point back in the eighth, it was Fullerton’s turn to blank an end and she then ran Smith out of rocks in the tenth.
There were two elimination games on the Friday night draw with Suzanne Birt and Melissa Morrow both getting the win they needed to stay alive. Birt downed Lisa Jackson 11-1 in five ends, and Morrow sidelined Chloé McCloskey 8-1 in eight ends, with each advancing team recording six stolen points.
From a starting field of seven women’s teams in the modified triple knock-out championship, now just four remain and all four of them will see action in Saturday’s 2 p.m. draw. Smith plays Morrow for a second time and Birt plays Fullerton. Winners advance to the ‘C’ Qualifier at 7 p.m.
Veronica Smith leads P.E.I. Scotties with 4-0 record, faces 3-1 Fullerton in 7 pm Fri. B Qual. (Journal)
ALBERTON — Veronica Smith takes a 4-0 record into Friday evening’s ‘B’ qualifier of the P.E.I. Scotties provincial women’s curling championship at the Western Community Curling Club.
Smith moved to 4-0 Friday morning scoring a single with the hammer in the last end to break a 6-6 tie with the Suzanne Birt rink, putting the nine-time Scotties champion, Birt, on the brink of elimination in the seven-team modified triple-knockout championship.
Chloé McCloskey watches her rock during P.E.I. Scotties women’s curling action in Alberton. It’s her first time skipping at the Scotties. She kept her chances alive Friday morning, winning an elimination game 7-5 over Montague’s Tammy Dewar. – Eric McCarthy
Chloé McCloskey, a former teammate of Smith’s, kept her chances alive Friday morning scoring three with hammer in the ninth end for a 7-5 win over Tammy Dewar, who finished play 0-3. McCloskey is 1-2, and faces Melissa Morrow (2-2) on Friday evening in a win-or-go-home match. Another win-or-go home match pits a pair of 1-2 rinks, Birt and Lisa Jackson, against each other.
Click for the full story in the Journal Pioneer.
Veronica Smith still unbeaten at Scotties, takes “A” Qualifier (Journal)
Scoring six points over three consecutive middle ends were enough to keep Veronica Smith and her Cornwall Curling Club team’s undefeated record intact Thursday afternoon at the P.E.I. Scotties provincial women’s curling championship. She followed up a triple in the fourth end with a steal of two in the fifth and one more in the sixth and went on to beat previously unbeaten Melissa Morrow from the Silver Fox 8-2 in the ‘A’ qualifier of the women’s modified triple knock-out championship
The Scotties and the men’s Tankard are both being played at Alberton’s Western Community Curling Club, this week.
Skip Lisa Jackson, center, and her mate Carolyn Coulson look on as Jane DiCarlo, mate for the Veronica Smith rink ponders a shot from first draw action at the P.E.I Scotties Wednesday. Both Jackson and Smith registered wins on Thursday afternoon, Smith’s win coming in the ‘A’ Qualifier of the modified triple knock-out championship. – Eric McCarthy
Smith and Morrow both drop into ‘B’ qualifier semi-finals on Friday.
In other games on the afternoon draw, Sarah Fullerton (Charlottetown/Silver Fox), scored four multi-point ends while holding Tammy Dewar (Montague) to five single point ends in a 9-5 Fullerton victory, and Lisa Jackson (Charlottetown Curling Complex) broke open a close 2-2 game with Chloé McCloskey (Charlottetown Curling Complex) by scoring five points in ends 8 and 9 for a 7-2 win.
ALBERTON — It will be Veronica Smith and her team from the Cornwall Curling Club who will face Melissa Morrow and her Silver Fox Curling Club rink in the “A” Qualifier of the P.E.I. Scotties Provincial Women’s Curling Championships, Thursday at 2 p.m
Skip Veronica Smith reacts as her rock nears the house. She stitched together a pair of wins Wednesday, the opening day of the P.E.I. Scotties. – Eric McCarthy
Smith downed the Sarah Fullerton team from the Charlottetown and Silver Fox clubs 7-5 Wednesday night at the Western Community Curling Club in Alberton.
It was the end of a very long day for the two teams who played in the opening draw at 9 a.m. and then waited through storm delays before meeting each other in Draw 3 at 9 p.m.
Fullerton went up 2-1 after four ends before Smith rebounded with one in the fifth and a stolen deuce after the break. Fullerton cut the lead to 4-3 in the seventh and then the teams traded deuces over the next two ends, leaving Smith with hammer heading home and clinging to a 6-5 lead.
ALBERTON — With two convincing wins Wednesday, Melissa Morrow and her Silver Fox Curling Club team of Darcee Birch, Lindsey Spencer and Miranda Ellis has advanced to Thursday’s “A” qualifer of the P.E.I. Scotties Provincial Women’s Curling championship.
Miranda Ellis, left, lead stone on the Melissa Morrow rink and Lindsey Spencer, second stone, look down the ice to see the result of the opposing team’s shot. Morrow, whose team also includes mate Darcee Birch, scored two convincing wins on the opening day of the P.E.I. Scotties Provincial Women’s Curling championship Wednesday at the Western Community Curling Club in Alberton. – Eric McCarthy
Morrow needed just eight ends Wednesday morning to score a 10-4 victory over Tammy Dewar from Montague. Then Wednesday evening, in a draw delayed because of a snowstorm, she cruised to a 13-3 victory over the Suzanne Birt rink from the Charlottetown Curling Club in a game called after seven ends.
With the win Morrow advances to the A” qualifier Thursday at 2 p.m. against either Sarah Fullerton or Veronica Smith. Fullerton and Smith are meeting in Wednesday’s 9 p.m. draw.
ALBERTON, P.E.I. – Veronica Smith’s Cornwall rink travelled to Alberton on Tuesday night to beat the storm.
They wanted to make sure they’d be ready for the opening draw of the 2019 P.E.I. Scotties Tournament of Hearts provincial women’s curling championship. They just didn’t count on having to beat the flu, too. The team arrived at the Western Community Curling Club on Wednesday morning just as a forecasted storm was settling in, but with just three curlers. Second stone Sabrina Smith stayed behind to recover.
That left third stone Jane DiCarlo and lead Whitney Jenkins to handle all of the sweeping. The skip was pleased with how her team responded in an 8-5 win over Lisa Jackson of the Charlottetown Curling Complex.
“When you put something like that into your mind first thing, first game, it’s hard, so we came up this morning (Wednesday) and said, ‘You know what, we’re playing with three,’ we’ve done this before in other tournaments and we were focused,” said Smith. “We knew what we had to do out there, and we just played shot by shot.”
Morrow wins
Silver Fox’s Melissa Morrow scored four with hammer in the eighth, bringing her game against Montague’s Tammy Dewar to an early conclusion – 10-4.
“We played very well,” said Morrow, the only member of her team with previous Scotties experience.
It was Morrow’s first time skipping at that level, although she skipped the same team in the provincial Travelers championship last year.
Amanda Colter, mate on the Sarah Fullerton rink, gives directions to sweepers Anita Casey, left, and Aleya Quilty while Kristie Rogers, mate on the Chloé McCloskey rink, and McCloskey look on. A deuce in the eighth and a stolen single in nine propelled Fullerton to a 6-4 win in the opening draw of the P.E.I. Scotties provincial women’s curling championship at the Western Community Curling Club in Alberton. The Men’s Tankard is also being played there. – Eric McCarthy
Fullerton victorious
In the other opening-draw game, Sarah Fullerton and her Charlottetown/Silver Fox rink scored its only deuce of the game in the eighth end to open up a 5-4 lead on the Chloé McCloskey rink from Charlottetown. They stole a point in the ninth, and ran McCloskey out of rocks in the 10th for a 6-4 victory.
“It was a well-played game. We had to be patient, but, overall, we were happy with the ice conditions,” Fullerton assessed their game.
ALBERTON — Draw 1 of the P.E.I. Provincial men’s and women’s curling championships is in the books at Alberton’s Western Community Curling Club, but weather and road conditions have caused some jigging of the schedule for the rest of Wednesday. Organizers have postponed the 2 p.m. draw until 5 p.m., and the 7 p.m. draw has been shifted to 9 p.m. Opening ceremonies have been cancelled.
Miranda Ellis, second stone on Melissa Morrow’s Silver Fox rink gives directions to her sweepers after releasing a stone in the opening draw of the P.E.I. Scotties Women’s Curling Championship at Western Community Curling Club Wednesday. – Eric McCarthy
On the ice, Melissa Morrow and her Silver Fox Curling Club team scored four with the hammer in the eighth end to take a 10-4 lead over Montague’s Tammy Dewar.
Sarah Fullerton scored her only deuce of the game in the eighth end to grab a 5-4 lead over Charlottetown’s Chloé McCloskey. She stole a point in the 9th and ran McCloskey out of rocks in the tenth for a 6-4 victory.
Scotties and Tankard Draw and schedule
Update: Organizers have decided to proceed with draw 2 of the PEI Tankard and Scotties, at 5 PM. Draw three will now go at 9 pm , while draw four will go at 10 am on Thursday.
| Date | Time | Draw | Ice 1 | Ice 2 | Ice 3 |
| Wed. 09 Jan | 9 AM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 5 PM | 2 | A | B | 5 | |
| Opening Ceremonies Cancelled | |||||
| 9 PM | 3 | D | 4 | C | |
| Thur 10 Jan | 10 AM | 4 | G | E | F |
| 2 PM | 5 | 8 | 7 | 6 | |
| 7 PM | 6 | 9 | H | I | |
| Fri 11 Jan | 9 AM | 7 | 10 | 12 | 11 |
| 2 PM | 8 | K | J | L | |
| 7 PM | 9 | 14 | 13 | 15 | |
| Sat 12 Jan | 9 AM | 10 | N | M | |
| 2 PM | 11 | 17 | 16 | ||
| 7 PM | 12 | 18 | O | ||
| Sun 13 Jan | 9 AM | 13 | WA | MA | |
| 2 PM | 14 | WB | MB | ||
Explanation for WA/WB & MA/MB:
1. One team wins all three qualifiers: Championship Round is not required.
2. One team wins two qualifiers. They play in both X and Z (and win the event if they win either game), the other winner plays in Y (and has to win both games).
3. Three separate winners: the team that played in the most qualifying games* plays in Z and the other winners play off in X and Y. If there is a tie in number of qualifying games played, then the team that qualified earliest goes to Z and the other two teams play off in X and Y.
* Qualifying games have yellow game number background.
Note: Four teams have been seeded in both the men’s and women’s based on earnings, while the other 2 men’s and 3 women’s teams were placed in position based on a draw from a hat.
Men’s Seedings: 1. vanOuwerkerk 2. T.Smith 3. MacKenzie 4. Higgins
Women’s Seedings: 1. Birt 2. V.Smith 3. Fullerton 4. Morrow
Scotties Team Rosters
W – Team Birt
Charlottetown Curling Complex
| Athlete | Position |
|---|---|
| Birt, Suzanne | Fourth |
| Christianson, Marie | Third |
| Hughes, Meaghan | Second |
| McQuaid, Michelle | Lead |
| Mitchell O’Shea | Coach |
W – Team Dewar
Montague Curling Rink
| Athlete | Position |
|---|---|
| Dewar, Tammy | Fourth |
| MacLeod-London, Darlene | Third |
| MacDonald, Robyn | Second |
| Greene, Gail | Lead |
W – Team Fullerton
Ch’town Curling Complex & Silver Fox Curling Club
| Athlete | Position |
|---|---|
| Fullerton, Sarah | Fourth |
| Colter, Amanda | Third |
| Casey, Anita | Second |
| Quilty, Aleya | Lead |
| Pat Quilty | Coach |
W – Team Jackson
Ch’town Curling Complex
| Athlete | Position |
|---|---|
| Jackson, Lisa | Fourth |
| Coulson, Carolyn | Third |
| Reid, Jaclyn | Second |
| Murphy, Jodi | Lead |
| MacRae, Heather | Alternate |
W – Team McCloskey
Ch’town Curling Complex
| Athlete | Position | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| McCloskey, Chloé | Fourth | ||
| Rogers, Kristie | Third | ||
| Pearson, Cynthia | Second | ||
| Ching, Meghan | Lead | ||
| Bill Hope | Coach |
W – Team Morrow
Silver Fox Curling Club
| Athlete | Position |
|---|---|
| Morrow, Melissa | Fourth |
| Birch, Darcee | Third |
| Spencer, Lindsey | Second |
| Ellis, Miranda | Lead |
| Jamie Newson | Coach |
W – Team V.Smith
Cornwall Curling Club
| Athlete | Position |
|---|---|
| Smith, Veronica | Fourth |
| DiCarlo, Jane | Third |
| Smith, Sabrina | Second |
| Jenkins, Whitney | Lead |
| Pat Aylward | Coach |