SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — P.E.I.’s Suzanne Birt rink started off a busy and important Monday at the 2019 Scotties Tournament of Hearts on a winning note.
Birt, third stone Marie Christianson, second stone Meaghan Hughes and lead Michelle McQuaid outlasted Team Canada’s Jennifer Jones 8-6 in the first of two games for the P.E.I. representative on Day 3 of the Canadian women’s curling championship at Centre 200 in Sydney, N.S. Hughes curled a game-high 91 per cent against Team Canada.
The result left both teams with records of 2-1 (won-lost). Birt opened play with a 14-3 win over Newfoundland and Labrador’s Kelli Sharpe on Saturday night, and lost 7-2 to Casey Scheidegger’s wild-card team from Alberta on Sunday afternoon.
Click here for story on P.E.I.'s opening game:
Team Birt, coached by Mitchell O’Shea, is back on the ice in Monday night’s draw against the Yukon’s Nicole Baldwin (0-3). Be sure to check www.journalpioneer.com for an update on this game.
Playoff format
The 16 teams are divided into two eight-team pools, with the top four in each advancing to the championship round that begins on Thursday.
After Jones took a 2-0 lead after one end, Birt rebounded by counting deuces in the next three ends to take control with a 6-2 lead. Jones closed the gap to 7-6 after eight, but Birt blanked the ninth end and didn’t have to throw her hammer shot in the 10th as she counted one.
The Sports Network (TSN) is providing live coverage of every draw.
