Eight Ends: 2016-17 Pinty's GSOC season in review

Eight Ends: 2016-17 Pinty’s GSOC season in review

Another coast-to-coast Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season has come to an end.

Before we hang up the brushes and put our Goldline shoes away until September, here’s our reflection on 2016-17 in the series.

If only there was a summer Slam … wait a second.

First End: WFG Masters, Oct. 25-30, 2016 — Okotoks, Alta.

Right off the bat the season was smashing the record books with not one but two new champions crowned. Niklas Edin and his Swedish squad became the first non-Canadian men’s team to win a Grand Slam by stealing in an extra end to edge Brad Jacobs 5-4.

Allison Flaxey went on a steal train of her own swiping victories in the tiebreaker, quarterfinals and semifinals stages to reach her first Grand Slam final. There was no thievery needed in the final against Rachel Homan though with Flaxey earning a solid 6-3 victory over the then-defending champ.

Second End: Tour Challenge, Nov. 8-13, 2016 — Cranbrook, B.C.

Down the road (sort of) to Cranbrook where the story remained the same on the men’s side. While it took roughly a decade on tour for Edin to win his first GSOC title, it only took two weeks for him to lock up No. 2. After a 0-2 start, Edin won six straight en route to the championship including a 7-3 victory over Scotland’s Kyle Smith in the title match, the first all-European men’s final in the series.

Val Sweeting bounced back from a 0-4 run at the Masters to win her second career GSOC title. Sweeting dropped her opening-draw match to Sherry Middaugh before also winning six consecutive games capped with an 8-4 victory over Michelle Englot in the women’s final.

Meanwhile, it was all Ontario in the Tier 2 finals with Greg Balsdon of Kingston topping Glenn Howard of Penetanguishene for the men’s title and Jacqueline Harrison of Mississauga defeating Krista McCarville of Thunder Bay on the women’s side. Both Balsdon and Harrison earned berths to the Meridian Canadian Open.

Third End: Boost National, Dec. 6-11, 2016 — Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.

Jacobs had some unfinished business to take care of in his homecoming event. The Sault Ste. Marie native lost to Mike McEwen in the National final two years prior and was determined to get the job done this time around. Jacobs pulled it off in the final beating Reid Carruthers 4-2 thanks to steals in the sixth and eighth ends.

Kerri Einarson became the third first-time champion of the season capturing the Boost National women’s title. While the start of the season didn’t go as planned, it all came together for Einarson at the Boost National. Einarson lost her opening game to Silvana Tirinzoni, but turned things around from there winning five consecutive games to set up the rematch.

Einarson fared better in the sequel breaking a tie game with a deuce in the seventh and held on for the 5-3 win. The Swiss side counted on super spare Cathy Overton-Clapham, who would also fill in at third for Manuela Siegrist for the remainder of the GSOC season.

Fourth End: Meridian Canadian Open, Jan. 3-8, 2017 — North Battleford, Sask.

It didn’t take Brad Gushue long to find his way back into the winner’s circle. The St. John’s skip made his season debut just a month prior at the Boost National after missing three months due to a hip/groin issue. Gushue captured his seventh career GSOC championship at the Meridian Canadian Open shooting a perfect 100 percent in an 8-3 win over Edin during the men’s final.

Yet another first-time champion was crowned on the women’s side with Casey Scheidegger taking the Meridian Canadian Open in her elite-level series debut no less. Scheidegger stole her way to key victories over the likes of Homan and Sweeting and pulled off the thievery again in the final stealing the winning point in the eighth end over Tirinzoni 5-4.

Fifth End: Princess Auto Elite 10, March 16-19, 2017 — Port Hawkesbury, N.S.

The series headed to the east coast for the match-play event with several teams making the quick trek straight from the Brier in St. John’s. A special select squad of GSOC legends was also formed featuring Jeff Stoughton, Dave Nedohin, Nolan Theissen and Jamie Korab. The veterans proved they still had it and qualified for the playoffs with Stoughton falling to former pupil Carruthers in the quarterfinals.

John Morris was the only one among the other nine teams who hadn’t secured his spot to the Humpty’s Champions Cup at that point, however, a win at the Princess Auto Elite 10 would earn him a ticket. Although that’s easier said than done, it turned out to be the case with Morris outlasting Jacobs in the final. Team Morris fourth Jim Cotter needed to make a slash double with the last shot of the game and he came through in the clutch to deliver.

Sixth End: WestJet Players’ Championship, April 11-16, 2017 — Toronto

The crown-jewel event of the season has found a semi-permanent home at Ryerson’s Mattamy Athletic Centre. What was once hockey’s golden shrine as Maple Leaf Gardens is now establishing its own curling legacy. The WestJet Players’ Championship celebrated its historic 25th running and is generally regarded as the hardest one to win with the top 12 men’s teams and top 12 women’s teams of the season.

Edin claimed his third GSOC title of 2016-17 beating Mike McEwen 5-3 with steals in the seventh and eighth ends. The Swedish team also earned the Rogers Grand Slam Cup as the overall season champions.

Jennifer Jones captured her record sixth Players’ Championship title doubling up on Sweeting 8-4. Considering the women’s title has only been around for 12 years, and Jones has played in the final seven times, that’s pretty impressive. Sweeting didn’t leave empty-handed as she earned the Rogers Grand Slam Cup.

Seventh End: Humpty’s Champions Cup, April 25-30, 2017 — Calgary

The Humpty’s Champions Cup saw the series loop back to YYC for the season-ending event. An Olympic feel was in the air at WinSport Arena amidst the bobsleigh track, halfpipe and ski jumps of Canada Olympic Park.

While Jacobs did not compete at the inaugural Humpty’s Champions Cup last season as he failed to win a high-profile tournament to qualify, his Boost National victory ensured he wouldn’t miss out again.

Jacobs was on fire right from the start, earning a perfect 100 percent in his first game against Morris, and never eased up from there having to outduel and outlast each and every opponent. The final eight saw seven teams who had won Grand Slam titles within the past two seasons and Jacobs emerged just sharper than the rest defeating Kevin Koe 6-2 to claim his third career GSOC championship.

Homan finished off her world-championship season picking up her sixth GSOC title edging Anna Hasselborg 7-6 in the women’s final. Down by one, the door was open for Homan to win in the eighth end and she capitalized to score two for the victory.

Sarah Wilkes played the super spare role at second with Joanne Courtney competing for Canada (and earning a silver medal) at the world mixed doubles championship.