MONTAGUE, P.E.I. — Eddie MacKenzie’s rink from the Charlottetown Curling Club will play Bryan Cochrane’s foursome from the Cornwall Curling Club in the A final of the P.E.I. Tankard tonight at 7 p.m.
Both won their morning draws on Day 2 of the modified triple knockout provincial men’s curling championship at the Montague Curling Rink.
MacKenzie handed defending champion John Likely his first loss of the 11-team event 8-3 in eight ends. Leading 5-2, MacKenzie scored three in the seventh with hammer to take a commanding lead.
His team consists of lead Matthew Nabuurs, second Tyler Smith and third Tyler MacKenzie.
Cochrane defeated the Steve vanOuwerkerk rink 10-3 in five ends in his semifinal after scoring four in the first and fifth ends.
Cochrane is playing with third Ian MacAulay, second Morgan Currie and lead Mark O’Rourke.
Action continues in the B event today at 2 and 7 p.m.
Scotties
Suzanne Birt and her defending championship team from the host club will play the Veronica Smith-entry from the Silver Fox Curling Club in the A final of the P.E.I. Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
The five-team competition is being played at the same time in Montague.
Birt, third Marie Christianson, second Meaghan Hughes and lead Michelle McQuaid won their first game of the tournament 8-2 over Melissa Morrow’s Silver Fox squad Thursday morning. Leading 2-1 through two ends, Birt stole singles in the third and fourth ends and put the game out of reach with four in the eighth.
Smith, third Sabrina Smith, Emily Gray and lead Whitney Jenkins defeated Charlottetown’s Amanda Power rink 8-1 in seven ends in her semifinal Wednesday night.
With the game tied 1-1, Smith scored a deuce in the fifth before stealing two in the sixth and three in the seventh.
Action in the B event continues at 2 p.m. with Morrow playing Tammy Dewar’s rink from the host club.
If a championship round is required, it will be played Sunday. The winning women’s team will advance to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Feb. 15-23, in Moose Jaw, Sask., while the men’s championship team will compete in the Tim Hortons Brier, Feb. 29-March 8, in Kingston, Ont.
