Mel Bernard rink wins Senior Mixed title
Dec. 14-The Mel Bernard foursome, which includes third Jeanne Duffenais, second Earle Proude, and lead Helen MacDonald, edged defending champions and Silver Fox clubmates the Blair Jay foursome 7-6 on Sunday afternoon to win the 2008-2009 Provincial Senior Mixed Curling Championship. Other members of the Jay team are Barbara Currie, Douglas Simmons and Debbie MacMurdo.
Summerside's Jay beat Cornwall’s Geoff Scutt rink 8-2 in the semi-final on Sunday morning to advance to the 2 pm final against Bernard, who finished atop the round robin standings, with a 4-1 win-loss record, and advanced directly to the final match. Jay and Scutt both had 3-2 round robin records, but Jay beat Scutt in their exciting round robin encounter on Friday, by stealing an extra-end triple, to take second place honours.
Bob MacWilliams of Cornwall, the 2006 event winner, and Donald Clarey of Montague, finished play at 2-3, with Walter Callaghan of the host club picking up one win against four losses.
Six teams began play on Friday in this event, now in its third year.
The following information is courtesy of www.albertoncurlingclub.ca:
The Mel Bernard team from the Silver Fox Curling Club took the trophy at this year's PEI Senior Mixed Curling Championship, earning two points with his final stone to narrowly defeat last year's winner and clubmate Blair Jay.
The December 14 final was a close contest all the way featuring excellent curling and good strategy to bring it down to the wire in this the third year for this event.
(R to L) Audrey Callaghan, vice-president of the PEI Curling Association presented the trophy to skip Mel Bernard, Jeanne Duffenais, Earle Proude and Helen MacDonald. Standing behind Ms MacDonald is WCCC president Fr. Art Pendergast. The trophy was donated by Capt. Don Graham of the Cornwall Curling Club.
The two teams congratulate each other after the final stone victory for the Bernard rink.
The Provincial Senior Mixed was the first major event for the Alberton club this season. Play got under way December 12 and concluded Sunday December 14 as six teams from across the Island vied for the trophy.
The event was officially opened Friday evening by PEI Curling Association and local dignitaries: (L to R) Daryl Doucet, event co-ordinator for the PEICA, Pat Murphy, the local MLA, Greg Lucas, the executive director of the PEICA and Audrey Callaghan, vice-president of the Western Community Curling Club.
The six teams played a round robin on Friday and Saturday.The second and third place teams squared off in the semi-final Sunday with the winner facing the first place team in the final. All games were eight ends.
Players warming up for Friday evening's draw.