Epping walks away with bronze at Brier
Sometimes you just have to congratulate the other guy and be thankful for the experience.
John Epping of Toronto headed home from his first Brier with feeling like he had his pocket picked Friday and Saturday night by Team Canada’s Brad Gushue and again Sunday by Alberta’s Brendan Bottcher.
But he had a bronze medal in his pocket and $42,000 to share with teammates Mathew Camm, Patrick Janssen and Tim March.
And after having his pockets picked on a regular basis by Glenn Howard in Ontario playdowns, at least this time he finally played in the Brier.
“This was unbelievable. It was so memorable. For me, it was a really special first Brier.
“It was amazing. The crowds were great. Saskatchewan has always been one of my favourite places to curl.”
While Regina 2018 didn’t set any attendance records, it did break the 100,000 mark with crowds of 5,432, 6,087, 5,766, 6,005 and 5,310 to push the count going into the Sunday night final to 104,640.
Epping, who lost the final game of the championship round to Gushue on Friday and lost to Gushue again on Saturday in the 1-2 game, came down heavy with his last rock in the seventh end to give up a steal of two that turned out to be the turning point in their 6-4 loss to Alberta in Sunday’s semifinal.
“I think the weight was good. I just took a little bit too much ice,” he said.
But you can make the case that Bottcher’s “hero shots” as he calls them, from earlier in the game set the table for the inevitable result.
“Brendan’s been playing extremely well. He made a couple of saves. He made one on the fifth end that if he doesn’t make, we probably score four or five on that end. If he doesn’t make that shot, we probably win the game,” said Epping of Bottcher’s hit and roll.
Bottcher also registered a skip’s double, making two shots to save the fourth end after everybody else on the team had misses.
LANG’S LAST STAND
One of the most interested observers of the final weekend of the 89th Brier was national coach Rick Lang of Thunder Bay, Ont. Every year he accompanies the winner to the world championship but this one will be his last. Winnipeg ’s Jeff Stoughton will take over the job for the next Olympic quadrennial.
And no, Lang didn’t get fired because he didn’t coach Kevin Koe to a medal at the Pyeonchang Olympics. Nor did Stoughton get promoted from mixed doubles coach because his team of John Morris and Kaitlyn Lawes brought back gold. It was the succession plan for a while.
“I decided about a year ago that I’ve had eight years and that I didn’t want to be involved past my ‘Best Before’ date. I’m 60 and you need to commit for an entire Olympic cycle.
“It’s been a total privilege,’’ said Lang. “I’ve been all over the world. I’ve been in Asia three or four times, Europe, two Olympic Games and all the World Championships.
This year’s Worlds are scheduled for Las Vegas, Nev.
“The teams I’ve been associated with have been the ‘Who’s Who’ of curling for the last decade. To be a part of it has been just a wonderful ride,” said the threetime Brier champion, two while playing third for Al Hackner.
His first Brier was here in 1976, the one Jack MacDuff of Newfoundland won.
“I was 22 years old. MacDuff only lost two games at that Brier and one of them was to us.”
Lang said watching the final from his perspective was interesting because Gushue had been there before and Bottcher hadn’t.
“With Brad my involvement would be minimal other than looking after their basic needs. Then you look at a Bottcher and that would be really involved and share your vast experiences in international play. One knows his way around and the other could use a lot of help.”
Bottcher chose to come to the Brier without a fifth man or a coach.
PRINCE OF PEBBLE
Brier icemaker Jamie Bourassa of Alberta is a busy man.
There are no days off for the popular producer of pebble who made the ice for both Alberta men’s and women’s championships and the Brier in succession. He headed from here early Monday morning for North Bay, Ont. to make the ice for the Ford women’s world championship that opens Saturday.
And he’s not done then. It’ll be back to Alberta for the pilot project of a combination of championships in Leduc.
The unprecedented presentation of four Canadian championships will be held at the Leduc Recreation Centre’s combination of arenas and curling rink over a nine-day span:
U Sports championship runs from March 24-28
Canadian College Athletic Association championship March 24-28
Canadian Wheelchair Championship March 26-31
Canadian Mixed Doubles March 29-April 1
When Bourassa is done there, he’ll head to Sweden to work the world mixed doubles.