Mel Bernard defeats three-time defending champ to take Senior men's title
(Feb. 18) The Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club rink of Mel Bernard, Blair Jay, Doug Simmons, and Earle Proude are the new PEI Credit Unions Senior (age 50 and over) men's curling champions, unseating three-time defending champion Ted MacFadyen of Charlottetown with a convincing 14-3 win tonight in the B final at the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O'Leary. Since Bernard, who played third on the MacFadyen rink last year, won both the A and B sections of this double-knockout competition, no final game between the A and B winners was needed. After blanking the opening end, Bernard stole a triple in the second. MacFadyen took a single in the next end, but Bernard responded with a single and then stole a four-ender. MacFadyen came back with a deuce in the sixth, but Bernard then took six points in the seventh end to build up an insurmountable lead.
Earlier on Sunday, Bernard disposed of Silver Fox clubmate Dale Cannon by a 9-1 score, while MacFadyen edged five-time Masters (60 and over) champ Lou Nowlan of Summerside 8-7 in an extra end to advance to the B final. Other members of the runner-up MacFadyen rink are Craig Mackie, Sandy Foy, and Mike Coady. Bernard finished with a spotless 5-0 record, while MacFadyen was 4-2, losing to Bernard in both finals.
Diane MacKay defeats two-time defending champ for Senior Women's crown
MacKay, Ebbett, MacDougall, Scott
Diane MacKay and her Charlottetown Curling Club rink of Shelley Ebbett, Cathy MacDougall, and Rosemary Scott edged two-time defending champion Barb Currie of the Summerside Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club 8-7 in an extra end tonight to capture the PEI Credit Unions Senior Women's Curling Championship at the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O'Leary. MacKay stole a triple and a single in the first two ends in tonight's contest, and took another deuce and a stolen single to lead 7-1 at the half, but the Summerside rink, which includes third Nola Murphy, second Ann Currie, and lead Karen McIntee, fought back, taking a triple, followed by a single and a deuce to tie the game at 7-all after eight ends. They exchanged singles in nine and ten to take the game into overtime, where MacKay, with last rock advantage, scored the winning point.
MacKay and Currie, along with Shirley Berry of Cornwall and Paula Creamer of Charlottetown. all finished round robin play with 3-2 records. After the tiebreaking rules were applied, MacKay and Currie advanced to the 1st place vs 2nd place game, which Currie won by a 10-6 score, giving her a bye to the final. MacKay then shaded Berry 8-7 in the semi-final to advance to this evening's final against the defending champion.
The winning Mel Bernard and Diane Mackay rinks will now advance to the Canadian Seniors Curling Championships, March 18-25 in Trois Rivieres Quebec.