The Brett Gallant rink from UPEI fought back from a three-point deficit to beat Saint Mary’s University 8-5 in the championship game of the men's division at the 2012 Atlantic university curling championships on Sunday in Cornwall.
Gallant and his rink of third Alex MacFadyen, second Sam Ramsay and lead Connor MacPhee spotted the Colton Steele rink from Saint Mary’s, the defending AUS champ, three points over the first two ends.
But Gallant’s crew recovered to score eight times over the next six ends, including three in the eighth.
The teams blanked the ninth end and didn’t play the 10th and final end at the host Cornwall Curling Club.
Gallant and company as men’s A winners move on to the CIS/CCA University Championships from March 14-18 in Welland, Ont. The foursome finished 3-0.
On the women’s side, the Memorial rink skipped by Erin Porter won the A title by a 7-6 score over Lindsay Doucet’s rink from Acadia.
Anita Casey from Seven Mile Bay skipped the defending women’s champ from Saint Mary’s to a 9-6 win over Doucet in the B final.
Casey, whose brother Adam skipped the Dalhousie men’s entry, scored four in the ninth end then blanked 10th for the victory.
UPEI’s Sarah Fullerton, who finished second last year, finished 0-2 in the women’s portion of the tourney and out of the playoffs. Fullerton’s rink included lead Whitney Young, second Hillary Thompson and third Michelle McQuaid.
The foursome lost a close 8-7 decision to Casey earlier in the event after Casey stole two points in the final end.
Acadia downed Saint Mary’s 6-3 to win the men’s B final.
The men’s and women’s A and B winners all qualify for the nationals in March.
The winning teams from this year’s CIS/CCA championships will represent Canada at the FISU Winter Universiade in Maribor, Slovenia in 2013.
On the web at www.peicurling.com.
