News Masters

TRURO, N.S. — Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., made an unbelievable return to his quarterfinal game Saturday afternoon in the Masters against Saskatoon’s Steve Laycock after a frightening fall on the ice that required a trip to the hospital for stitches.

The three-time Grand Slam winner and defending champion Gushue slipped and hit his head during the fourth end bringing a halt to play in all four games of the draw and a shocked silence through Rath Eastlink Community Centre. Gushue required medical attention and was taken to a hospital where he received stitches while play resumed with his teammates carrying on as a trio. 

Gushue was patched up and cleared to return and the crowd roared during the seventh end when he stepped back onto the ice and resumed skip duties for his team trailing 3-1. Gushue scored a single, but Laycock took two in the eighth to win 5-2 and advance to the semifinals. 

“Tough day at the office, for sure,” said Gushue, who had finished at the top of the round-robin table undefeated at 4-0. “I don’t know what happened. I just fell and couldn’t get my arms underneath me and fell right on my face. Seven stitches, bad headache and sore neck. It’ll be rough tomorrow.” 

With Gushue gone, lead Geoff Walker made a perfect draw with the team’s last rock of the fourth end while facing three counters to score a single and tie the game 1-1. Laycock regained the lead drawing for a deuce in five.

It was Laycock’s second game of the day after he defeated Glenn Howard of Penetanguishene, Ont., 6-3 in the morning tiebreaker to qualify. 

“That was a pretty different situation out there,” Laycock said. “I’ve never been involved in a game where there’s been a serious injury like that. It was really tough to watch but it was great to see that he was able to come back and that it wasn’t more serious than it was. I was really proud of the guys and how we stayed focused through that because we continued to make good shots.”

Laycock now plays Jim Cotter of Vernon, B.C., who trumped reigning Olympic gold medallist Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., 8-1 to advance. Cotter, who won the Tour Challenge Tier 2 in September to earn a promotion, took control of the game in the second half breaking a 1-1 tie with a three-ender in five and added steals of one in six and three in seven to roll.

Tour Challenge Tier 1 winner Kevin Koe of Calgary made an incredible shot to score three in the eighth end and come from behind for a 7-5 victory over reigning world champion Niklas Edin of Sweden.

“The first five ends we weren’t super sharp, they played well and we didn’t put any pressure on them so the scoreboard showed that,” Team Koe second Brent Laing said. “Then Kevin made a phantom deuce of his own in six to keep us in it and a good force in seven. 

“We played a good game in eight, both teams were low on time so it was a little extra panic out there. Emotions were running even higher than normal for a close game. Kevin made a great shot on his last and picked it out for the win. Those come-from-behind wins are always fun and exciting so we were pretty pumped to make it happen.” 

Koe will play Mike McEwen, who moved on with a 7-4 victory over Reid Carruthers in an all-Winnipeg matchup. McEwen hit and stuck to score two in the first and three in the fourth. Carruthers got a single after a measurement in three and earned a deuce in five, but McEwen matched with a pair in six. Carruthers was held to one in seven and shook hands.

The Masters is the second stop and first major on the seven-event Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling schedule and runs through to Sunday at the Rath Eastlink Community Centre. Women’s quarterfinals are set for 6 p.m. AT on Sportsnet.