CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Charlottetown’s Brett Gallant and Winnipeg’s Jocelyn Peterman are off to the playoffs at the world mixed doubles curling championship in Norway.
The Canadian champs lost 9-7 to Japan Thursday in their final game of the preliminary round. They finished in a three-way tie for first place in their pool at 6-1 but were placed second based on their performance in the draw shot challenge.
“They played really well,” Gallant said. “(Fujisawa) made a ton of nice shots for extra points and they were tough shots. I just missed a few, we had them in trouble a couple ends and I let them off the hook but other than that we played a pretty good game.”
Canada opened the scoring with a single in the first before Japan responded with three in the second. The teams traded singles in the next two ends before Canada scored a deuce in the fifth to tie it 4-4.
Japan scored three in the sixth, but Canada got it back with a triple in the seventh. Japan scored two in the eighth for the win.
Peterman and Gallant said they believe they will benefit from having some challenging games heading into the playoffs, which begins Friday at 8 a.m. Atlantic against Finland in the round of 16.
“We had to play a couple really good games there and I think that helps a lot going into the playoffs,” Peterman said. “We probably already played two of the toughest teams in the field that we’ll have to play. It benefits us having played those teams and we know how precise we have to be.”
Gallant isn't the only Islander competing for Canada in Norway.
Morgan Currie, a Summerside native; and Ian MacAulay, a Souris native, are vice-skip and second, respectively, on Team Canada’s squad at the world senior championship.
The Ontario-based rink also includes skip Bryan Cochrane, lead Ken Sullivan, alternate Paul Adams and coach Bill Tschirhart.
They completed the round robin with a 9-2 win over Italy in six ends Thursday to finish first in its pool with a 6-0 record. The qualification games and quarter-finals go today while the semifinals and medal games go Saturday.
