News National

OSHAWA, Ont. — Glenn Howard of Penetanguishene, Ont., scored a single in the extra end to clip Toronto’s John Epping 4-3 during Draw 9 Thursday night in the National at General Motors Centre.

Howard, who has won 14 Grand Slam titles as a skip, improved to a 2-1 record with one round-robin game to go Friday.

Down by one through five ends, Howard scored a deuce in the sixth to claim the lead. Epping (2-1) blanked the seventh and settled for a single in the eighth to force the extra frame. 

Elsewhere, Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., also climbed to a 2-1 record with a 7-3 victory over Jean-Michel Menard of Quebec City, Que. Gushue, who bounced back from loss to Calgary’s Kevin Koe earlier in the day, scored deuces in two and five and closed out the game with a three-ender in eight. Menard fell to 0-2 and on the brink of elimination.

“We needed to get that win for sure,” said Team Gushue third Mark Nichols. “It sets up good going into tomorrow. We played much better and felt a little bit more comfortable out there.” 

Brier champion Pat Simmons of Calgary is up 2-1 as well after beating Switzerland’s Sven Michel 7-3. Simmons broke a two-all tie with a deuce in five, held Michel to a single in six and added another pair in seven. Michel gave up a steal in eight and heads home early finishing pool play with a 1-3 record. 

In women’s division action, Winnipeg’s Kerri Einarson completed the comeback to beat Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg 7-6 in an extra end. Einarson (2-1) trailed 3-0 after three ends and got a deuce in four to get on the board. Hasselborg (0-3) matched with a pair in five to retake the three-point advantage, but Einarson landed a three-ender of her own in six to tie it and swiped a point in seven to briefly pull ahead. Hasselborg drew for a point in eight.

Saskatoon’s Stefanie Lawton got a single in the eighth end to defeat American Jamie Sinclair 4-3. Lawton (2-1) gave up single steals in the first two ends but came back with a point in three and swiped two in the fourth to go ahead. Sinclair (0-3) settled for one in the fifth and Lawton blanked the following two ends to retain the hammer coming home. 

The National is the third stop — and second major — of the 2015-16 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season and runs through to Sunday evening at the General Motors Centre. Previously a men’s invitational, the National expanded this year to include a women’s division for the first time in the event’s history.