Aylward prevails in dramatic finish at P.E.I. senior curling championships

Gorveatt captures men’s championship

The Kim Aylward rink of the Silver Fox Entertainment Complex in Summerside won the P.E.I. senior women’s curling championship on Monday. Aylward edged the Shelley Ebbett entry from the Cornwall Curling Club 6-5 in the final. Members of the winning rink, from left, lead Donna Whelan, second stone Debbie Caissy, third stone Shelley MacFadyen and Aylward receive congratulations from Curl P.E.I. past president Andrew Robinson. - Contributed

SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — There was no lack of drama in the women’s final of the P.E.I. senior curling championships on Monday.

It not only came down to the last rock, but they had to measure to determine the winner as the Kim Aylward rink from the host Silver Fox Entertainment Complex in Summerside staged a thrilling come-from-behind victory. Aylward trailed 5-2 after six ends, but scored a triple in the seventh end and stole a single in the final end to edge the Shelley Ebbett team from the Cornwall Curling Club 6-5.
Also on Monday, the Philip Gorveatt rink from the Charlottetown Curling Complex and the Montague Curling Rink won the provincial senior men’s title after edging the Dale Cannon team from the host Silver Fox Curling Club in Summerside by a 4-3 score.

The Philip Gorveatt-skipped rink from the Charlottetown Curling Complex and the Montague Curling Rink won the P.E.I. senior men’s curling championship after edging the Dale Cannon team from the host Silver Fox Entertainment Centre in Summerside 4-3 on Monday. From left: Mike Dillon, lead; Larry Richards, second stone; Kevin Champion, third stone; Gorveatt, and Andrew Robinson, Curl P.E.I. past president.

Both the Aylward and Gorveatt rinks will represent P.E.I. at the 2019 Everest Canadian senior curling championships at the new Chilliwack Curling Centre in Chilliwack, B.C., from March 23 to 28.

Women
The Pat Aylward-coached winning team, which also includes third stone Debbie Caissy, second stone Shelley MacFadyen and lead Donna Whelan, posted a 6-2 record (won-lost) in the modified triple-knockout event, and advanced to the final against Ebbett by eliminating defending-champion Shirley Berry and her Cornwall rink 9-5 victory in the morning semifinal. Each of the three teams involved in the championship round had won one triple-knockout section, but Ebbett had received a bye to the final game by virtue of playing in all three qualifier games.
Rounding out the Ebbett team are third stone Kim Pippy, second stone Paulette Richard, and lead Colleen Soltermann.

Men
The closely-fought men’s final featured neither team taking more than a single point in an end.
The Gorveatt rink, which includes third stone Kevin Champion, second stone Larry Richards, and lead Mike Dillon and finished runner-up in this event a year ago, had won two of the three sections of the modified triple-knockout draw, giving them two chances to win the championship, but the second game was not needed.
Six men’s and six women’s teams took part in this year’s provincial senior championships featuring men’s and women’s divisions for curlers age 50 and over.