News Canadian Open

YORKTON, Sask. — Toronto’s John Epping slid past Calgary’s Kevin Koe and into the playoffs of the Meridian Canadian Open. 

Epping, who advanced with an unblemished 3-0 record, earned a decisive 9-3 victory in only five ends over the Canada Cup champion in the A qualifers of the triple knockout preliminary round during Draw 9 action Thursday night.

It was a busy day for Epping as his team also edged Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen 6-5 earlier. He will now have a bit of a break with the quarterfinals not until Saturday afternoon and the skip is looking forward to it. 

“It’s been a long couple weeks coming off of the Canada Cup so it’s actually going to be nice to have another couple days to just kind of take it easy,” Epping said. “We’ll probably go and throw a couple rocks at the local club. We’ll want to stay sharp as well because it’s a big, big weekend ahead.”

Epping opened with the hammer and converted for a deuce in the first end. Koe looked to match in the second as he attempted to ricochet his last rock to the button but missed the mark and only got a single. 

The 2013 Canadian Open champion Koe fell into trouble in the third end when both of his skip stones wrecked on guards and Epping capitalized to score a game-breaking five points. 

“We weren’t really looking for a deuce in the first end, the way it was going, but kind of a late miss by Kevin gave us a chance,” Epping said. “We had a good end going, of course they’re taking a couple more chances than they usually do and it just left me a pretty easy shot for the five.”

Epping was still on edge even with the six-point cushion as the five-rock rule could easily build a quarry of rocks in the house. 

“You’re never safe with the five-rock rule,” he said. “That extra guard for the team with the hammer, you just never feel easy where maybe the four-rock you feel a little bit better out there but we got lucky.  You just never feel like a lead is safe out there, which is fun for the spectators but nervous for us curlers.”

He continued to apply the pressure and swiped two more points in four when Koe missed a runback attempt that finally put Epping at ease. 

“Another good end we played, good steal of two,” Epping said. “Yeah 9-1 you’re feeling pretty comfortable.”

Koe (2-1) took two in the fifth end and shook ends. His team will clash with reigning Olympic gold medallist Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., in the B qualifiers. 

Edmonton’s Brendan Bottcher broke out with an 8-1 victory over American John Shuster. Bottcher led 3-1 at the break and stole five in the fifth to ice the game early. Bottcher (2-1) will play Scotland’s David Murdoch in the B-side finals. Murdoch fell to defending champion Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., in the other A qualifier earlier Thursday. 

Sweden’s Niklas Edin rode the Rush train (scoring 2-1-1-2 ends) during a 7-2 win against Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen. Edin trailed 2-1 through three and scored two in the fourth, stole one in the fifth, another point in six and swiped two in seven.

Edin (2-1) will meet Winnipeg’s Reid Carruthers, who held off Saskatoon’s Steve Laycock 7-3. Carruthers (2-1) led by one without the hammer coming home but secured the victory stealing three when Laycock attempted an angle raise but it rolled right through the scalene triangle of counters. 

Jim Cotter of Vernon, B.C., stayed in contention knocking out Glenn Howard of Penetanguishene, Ont., 5-3 for his first win in the C event. Cotter (1-2) next plays McEwen.

NOTES: The Meridian Canadian Open is the fourth stop — and third major — on the 2015-16 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season and runs through to Sunday. … The event features a triple knockout where teams must win three games before they lose three in order to qualify for the playoffs.