Stealing the show
Ontario’s Epping continues to impress at Brier with 8-4 win over Saskatchewan
Ontario’s John Epping continued to impress in his first Canadian men’s curling championship appearance, posting his sixth straight win with an 8-4 victory over Steve Laycock’s Saskatchewan rink in Wednesday’s afternoon draw at the Tim Hortons Brier. Epping’s foursome from Toronto’s Leaside Curling Club scored four in the ninth end to improve to 6-1 heading into championship pool play on Friday.
“They just played a really good end,” Laycock said of Epping’s late surge. “We had to gamble a little bit to try and get the force and they owned the top of the four foot for most of the end. We had to put some stuff around and yeah, they just didn’t set up a good angle and Matt’s last needed to roll a little bit further and we wouldn’t have had that.”
Both teams had already advanced to the championship pool and came into the match on impressive runs. Laycock’s Saskatoon rink had won four straight heading into the showdown with Epping.
But the hosts fell to 4-3 when Epping used the hammer to bust open what had been a tight game.
“We’re really going to have to be sharp because we’re going to have to play four straight really tough teams too now, so it’s going to be tough for but we are willing to take it on,” Laycock said.
Northern Ontario’s Brad Jacobs also finished pool play at 6-1 after posting a 6-3 victory over Manitoba’s Reid Carruthers.
Jacobs stole two in the fifth end and capped the match with two in the ninth.
“From what I can tell about our team right now, everybody’s really comfortable with the ice, with the rocks, we’re making lots of shots and that bodes well for going into these next couple days here,” Jacobs said. “So, really happy with the way the boys are performing in front of me and looking forward to hopefully putting up lots of other great performances.”
Carruthers, who already advanced to the championship pool, fell to 5-2.
In other afternoon play, Quebec’s Mike Fournier needed an extra end to defeat New Brunswick’s James Grattan 7-6. Fournier (3-4) drew to the button for one to tie it 6-6 in the 10th end. New Brunswick’s (2-5) last draw in the 11th was heavy and needed a measure to determine the winner. Prince Edward Island’s Eddie MacKenzie earned his second victory of the tournament, downing winless Dave St. Louis of Nunavut 14-2.
P.E.I. had two big ends in the first and third, followed by three steals to go up 14-1 after the sixth. Nunavut conceded after eight ends.
St. Louis said he hopes younger players in Nunavut will learn from the mistakes of his 0-7 round robin. “We’re going to take back some notes and encourage the younger curlers to practice the right things, to do the right things,” he said. “The younger curlers are going to spend some time on the losing end, but hopefully they’ll get better. Remember that Kevin Koe came from the North and what would curling be without him.”