ALBERTON
Defending P.E.I. Tankard provincial men’s curling champion, Eddie MacKenzie, answered back in all-CAPS Thursday night at the Western Community Curling Club.
After losing his opening draw of the 2019 men’s championship to Jamie Newson on Wednesday, MacKenzie was a man on a mission for the rematch, defeating Newson 9-1 in a game that lasted just four ends. MacKenzie scored four in the first end with hammer, stole another point in the second and then four more in the third to go up 9-0. Newson conceded the game after taking a single point in the fourth.
The win sends MacKenzie into the ‘B’ qualifier of the six-team modified triple knock-out championship Friday at 2 p.m. against P.E.I. Junior champion Tyler Smith who outscored ‘A’ Qualifier winner John Likely 7-1 in eight ends. After taking a single point with hammer in the first, there were three blank ends before Smith made it 2-0 with a steal in the fifth. Likely got on board in the sixth but Smith responded with a triple and a deuce over the next two ends, and that was enough to convince Likely it was handshake time. Having different winners of the ‘A’ and ‘B’ qualifiers means the men’s championship will continue into at least one draw on Sunday.
Read story on Veronica Smith winning Scotties 'A' qualifier here
All six men’s teams are in the 2 p.m draw on Friday and, for two of them, it could be their final draw. Newson plays Summerside’s Darren Higgins and only the winner moves forward. Likely plays Steve van Ouwerkerk from the Silver Fox with van Ouwerkerk needing a win to remain in contention.
Thursday’s late draw also featured one P.E.I Scotties provincial women’s championship game with Suzanne Birt from Charlottetown downing Lisa Jackson from Crapaud 9-5. Birt, who evens her record at 1-1, scored four deuces along the way. With the loss Jackson slips to 1-2.
The seven women’s teams fill both the 9 a.m. and 7 p.m draws Friday.