Newson, MacKenzie to meet in A event final

Triple-knockout provincial mixed ch’ship being played in Alberton

It will be Jamie Newson against Tyler MacKenzie in the A section final of the P.E.I. provincial mixed fours curling championship in Saturday’s 10 a.m. draw at the Western Community Curling Club. Newson and his Silver Fox and Charlottetown Curling Club team of Melissa Morrow, Andrew MacDougall and Miranda Ellis scored a pair of lopsided victories on the opening day of the modified tripleknockout championship Friday at the Western Community Club.

They started off with a 6-1 victory over the Freddy Fraser rink from the host club in the afternoon draw, and scored a 10-3 victory over the Mitchell Schut Cornwall rink in the evening draw. MacKenzie took a slightly longer path to the A final as both of his games Friday went to an extra end.

He scored two with hammer in the morning draw for a 9-7 win over Calvin Smith from Crapaud, and he fought back from a 5-1 deficit at the fourthend break and was up 6-5 on Daryl MacDonald from the host club after seven ends. MacDonald tied the game in the eighth, but MacKenzie and his Charlottetown rink of Jodi Murphy, Doug MacGregor and Aleya Quilty got the single in the extra for a 7-6 win. Skips Newson and MacKenzie are the only curlers in this year’s nine-team field with provincial mixed championship titles to their credit. Newson won as skip in 2014 with a different team, and Tyler MacKenzie was second on the Eddie MacKenzie team that won in 2015.

There are draws scheduled Saturday and Sunday at 10 a.m., 2 p.m., and 6 p.m., and, if necessary, Monday at 2 and 6 p.m.