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Gunnlaugson powers way into Manitoba men’s curling final with clutch win over McEwen – Winnipeg Sun

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It’s an odd trend that you would not expect to lead to much success, but for some reason it’s working for Jason Gunnlaugson and his teammates this season.

“Pretty much every bonspiel this year, either the first or second game, we’ve lost to a team that the rankings would tell you maybe we shouldn’t have lost to,” Gunnlaugson said Saturday night at the Manitoba men’s curling championship.

“It comes down to the style that we want to play. We’re committed to it and sometimes it’s rocky early in the event until we learn things. As we learn things we perform better and better and better.”

True to form, second-seeded Gunnlaugson lost 8-2 to upstart Ryan Wiebe on Friday morning at Eric Coy Arena and had to fight his way back through the B-side.

A day and four wins later, Gunnlaugson and his teammates booked a spot in Sunday’s provincial final (2:30 p.m., Sportsnet) with a thrilling 8-6 victory over top-seed and defending champion Mike McEwen.

Gunnlaugson, third Alex Forrest, vice-skip and second Adam Casey and lead Connor Njegovan had to pull out all the stops and all the shots to beat McEwen, but they pulled it off and are now a win away from making their first trip the Brier.

“We just work so hard,” Gunnlaugson said. “I feel like maybe I’ve underperformed a few times in this event and I really worked hard to just mentally be in a great space to play. Definitely that was the case today and hopefully it’s the case (on Sunday).”

The Page Playoff 1 vs. 1 game against McEwen was a tense affair, with great shot-making on both sides. There were doubles, touch draws and precise runbacks, all contributing to multiple lead changes. It came right down to the last rock in the 10th end, with McEwen trailing by one and needing to come around a mess of guards and move a Gunnlaugson rock off the button. His shot was wide and heavy and Gunnlaugson stole a point to clinch the win.

“Mike definitely outplayed me today but my team played great and put a ton of pressure on,” said Gunnlaugson, a 35-year-old who is playing in his 12th provincial championship but has never won the Manitoba men’s title.

“If you make (Mike) make hard enough shots all the time, eventually you might get a half shot and that’s kinda what happened.”

McEwen, ranked fifth in the world, is still alive and will play Sean Grassie in the semifinal Sunday morning (8:30 a.m., Sportsnet).

Even if McEwen doesn’t win either game on Sunday, his team of Reid Carruthers, Derek Samagalski and Colin Hodgson will play in the Brier wild-card game on Feb. 28, as they are the top team on the Canadian Team Ranking System that currently doesn’t have a spot in the Brier.

“I’m excited to play in the morning,” McEwen said. “We’re still kicking and you’ve gotta be excited about that.

“We never eally felt too comfortable that game (against Gunnlaugson) but made a lot of good shots. We were one good shot away from pulling that out of the fire.”

McEwen will play Grassie for the third time in three days. McEwen won 6-1 in the round robin on Friday morning and 8-4 on Saturday morning.

“Maybe it will be our turn (Sunday),” Grassie said after a nail-biting 6-5, extra-end win over 2019 finalist William Lyburn in the Page Playoff 2 vs. 2 game.

“The first time we played them (Friday) we had a really good game. They stole three in the eighth end. (Saturday) morning’s game wasn’t as good for us. We know we can play with them based on the first game. We were only down 2-1 playing eight with the hammer (on Friday). We know from that, if we play well, then hopefully we’ll be competitive and then who knows, anything can happen.”

This is Grassie’s second time making it to Sunday at the Viterra Championship.

He lost the final 7-4 to Jeff Stoughton in 2013 in Neepawa.

His team of Tyler Drews, Daryl Evans and Rodney Legault doesn’t play on tour the way the McEwen and Gunnlaugson teams do, but the curlers have all been around and are feeling carefree heading into Sunday.

“We seem pretty relaxed out there, which I think bodes well when you’re on TV, playing against one of the top teams in Canada,” Grassie said. “I think the guys are just thrilled to be in this position. There’s no pressure on us. No one expects us to win so I think we’ll be loose and just keep playing the way we’re playing.”

Gunnlaugson will have hammer in the first end and choice of rocks for the final, which can be a big advantage in men’s curling.

However, between McEwen and Carruthers, they’ve won the last five provincial championships and they have all the experience in the world in these big games.

“I’ve won it three times and we’ve won it a couple of different ways,” McEwen said. “Once, definitely, we came through the semi. It would have been nice to have hammer in the final — that’s why the teams were really going at each other (Saturday night) — but that’s OK, we’re still alive.

“It can be an advantage to play in the semifinal as long as you win it. That definitely could play into our favour should we survive that game.”

Twyman@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/Ted_Wyman

SATURDAY RESULTS

6 p.m. Draw

Page playoff 1 vs. 1

Jason Gunnlaugson 8, Mike McEwen 6

Page playoff 2 vs. 2

Sean Grassie 6, William Lyburn 5 (EE)

2 p.m. Draw

B-side

Sean Grassie 8, Ryan Wiebe 5

William Lyburn 8, Steve Irwin 7

9 a.m., Draw

A-side

Mike McEwen 8, Sean Grassie 4

Jason Gunnlaugson 8, Steve Irwin 5

B-side

William Lyburn 9, Jacques Gauthier 3

Ryan Wiebe 8, Tanner Horgan 6

SUNDAY GAMES

Semifinal, 8:30 a.m.

Sean Grassie vs. Mike McEwen

Final, 2:30 p.m.

Jason Gunnlaugson vs. Sean Grassie or Mike McEwen

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PWHL MVP Spooner set to miss start of season for Toronto Sceptres due to knee injury

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TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.

The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.

She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.

Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.

Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.

The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

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LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.

“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”

Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.

The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.

Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.

“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.

“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”

The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.

“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”

Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.

“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.

___

AP cricket:

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Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.

Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.

The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.

The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.

Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.

Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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