KELOWNA -- Things didn’t go the way Mike McEwen was hoping in the Page Playoff 1-2 qualifier at the Montana’s Brier on Friday afternoon.
McEwen and his Saskatoon Nutana foursome of third Colton Flasch, second Kevin Marsh and lead Daniel Marsh didn’t have a lot of luck in their battle with Manitoba’s Matt Dunstone, but still forced the former Saskatchewan skip to his final shot while taking a 6-5 loss.
As a result, McEwen drops down to the Page 3-4 qualifier, where he’ll face the third place finisher from Pool A in Manitoba’s Reid Carruthers at 8 p.m.
Dunstone advances to the Page 1-2 game on Saturday evening, where he’ll take on three-time defending champion Brad Gushue after his 7-4 win over Alberta’s Brad Jacobs. Jacobs will play in the other Page 3-4 qualifier against Nova Scotia’s Owen Purcell.
Things were as back-and-forth as could be in the first five ends, with the teams exchanging single points in the first and second and then deuces in the fourth and fifth to sit tied 3-3 at the break.
McEwen looked to have a potential steal on his hands after freezing to the face of a Dunstone counter with his final shot of the sixth end, but Dunstone would make an absolute pistol, just skirting a long guard and picking out McEwen’s counter to score a pair and take a 5-3 lead.
McEwen opted to blank the seventh after leading the Brier in blank ends through the round robin.
Saskatchewan ran into a bit of trouble in the eighth, with McEwen opting for a raise triple to score a pair, but he’d only get a pair and Dunstone took a 6-3 lead.
The ninth end saw McEwen held to a single point, sending Dunstone into the final end with the hammer and Team Sask needing a steal of two for an extra end.
McEwen did his part, making a slick double with his final shot in the 10th to lay three, but Dunstone would reply with a double of his own, holding McEwen to one and taking a 6-5 win.
Daniel Marsh curled 96 per cent to lead Saskatchewan, while McEwen shot 90 per cent, Flasch 89 per cent and Kevin Marsh 85 per cent.
Dunstone didn’t miss a whole lot and shot 93 per cent, while lead Ryan Harnden hit 96 per cent, second E.J. Harden shot 93 per cent and third Colton Lott 86 per cent.
The winner of the Page 3-4 qualifiers will advance to the Page 3-4 game at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, and the winner there will advance to face the loser of Dunstone and Gushue in the semifinal at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
The Montana’s Brier championship final will take place at 7 p.m. on Sunday.
Be sure to keep an eye on www.curling.ca for regular score updates and catch all the action on TSN.
