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John Epping in action at the 2016 Humpty’s Champions Cup in Sherwood Park, Alta. (Anil Mungal)

Epping edges De Cruz for CookstownCash title

COOKSTOWN, Ont. — John Epping continues to tear it up on the World Curling Tour.

Epping captured his second title in three weeks winning the CookstownCash presented by Comco Canada by defeating defending champion Peter de Cruz of Switzerland 5-4 in Sunday’s final.

The Toronto-based team of Epping, third Mat Camm, second Patrick Janssen and lead Tim March ran the table posting a perfect 7-0 record matching their run two weeks ago in Gatineau, Que.

With a quarterfinal finish at the WFG Masters sandwiched in-between — plus a runner-up result in the Stu Sells Toronto Tankard last month — Epping is on a scorching surge and looks to carrying that white-hot momentum into the Tour Challenge, the second Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling event of the season, running this upcoming week in Cranbrook, B.C.

“We’ve been really steady lately and this was a good weekend,” Epping said following the CookstownCash victory. “We played quite well. We had a good feel for draw weight on the ice. Any time getting to a final and winning that just adds to the confidence especially leading into the Slam this week.”

Some may think burnout would be an issue, however, Epping has a couple days before he hits the ice again and believes the fire will still be lit.

“We’ve always played a lot,” he said. “This has been three weekends in a row but we’ve had good results all three weekends so I think the momentum and the adrenaline will keep pumping. We don’t start [the Tour Challenge] until Wednesday afternoon so we’ve got a couple days to relax, take it easy, maybe a bit of practice and get geared up for the Slam.”

Epping never trailed in the CookstownCash final opening with the hammer and taking two points in the first frame by sitting one buried and splitting the rings.

De Cruz blanked the second and looked to be in trouble in the third with Janssen, Camm and Epping punching rocks through the goal posts with ease to put pressure on and sit multiple stones.

Team De Cruz fourth Benoit Schwarz bailed the Swiss side out with his first, facing a triangle, and making a double takeout to eliminate the back two counters. Epping jammed on his last allowing Schwarz to gently toss his final stone of the end into the house for a Team De Cruz deuce to tie it 2-2.

The teams limited each other to singles in four and five to keep it all square and Epping had a chance to draw for a pair in the sixth but came up light and only scored one to lead 4-3 with two ends to play.

Epping bounced back big time in the seventh end with several rocks surrounding the button and no easy path with guards blocking the front door. His high-risk, high-reward dynamic style paid off as Epping took advantage of a rock just chilling in the wings by bouncing his shooter off that one from the side and squeezing its way through the cluster for shot.

“The end was looking good for us early,” Epping said. “A bunch of rocks in the four-foot and I had to hit and make a good in-off there. I think he didn’t really have a shot to score once I made that one so it was kind of a given steal. It was a big one or else they were probably getting two if I don’t make that. Big turnaround, probably a three-point swing if I don’t make it.”

While Epping may have undersold his magnificent shot, Schwarz looked to match by mirroring it, coming down and in-off from a rock on the other side. Schwarz didn’t get it quite right though and gave up a steal of one with Epping leading by two points heading home for the eighth and final frame.

“It was really hard,” Epping said. “That was slim pickings on that shot.”

The game was far from over as Epping clipped a guard with his first skip stone and De Cruz, holding the hammer, looked to capitalize with an opportunity to score two to tie it and force an extra end or even count three for the win. Schwarz tried to wrap his last rock into the pocket, but came up short, only getting one, and the teams shook hands.

De Cruz, who throws second stones for the team, is backed by Schwarz, third Claudio Paetz and lead Valentin Tanner. They will represent Switzerland at the upcoming European Championships.

Meanwhile, Heather Heggestad of Thornhill held off Mallory Kean of Kitchener-Waterloo 6-5 in the all-Ontario rink women’s final.