McEwen eliminates Epping in Players’ Championship quarterfinals
TORONTO — Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen scored four in the sixth end to eliminate defending champ and hometown hero John Epping 8-2 in the quarterfinals of the Players’ Championship on Saturday.
McEwen’s stone just missed Epping’s guard and knocked the shot rock counter out of the house to get four points and led to early handshakes.
The three-time Grand Slam champion McEwen drew for a deuce in the first, forced Epping to one in the second, and added another pair of points in the fourth on a close measurement to lead 4-1 at the break.
McEwen will meet Winnipeg’s Jeff Stoughton in a rematch of January’s National championship game during the semifinals. Stoughton, who beat McEwen to complete a career Grand Slam, nailed his final shot in the extra end to beat Jim Cotter of Vernon, B.C., 5-4 and advance.
Although Epping’s season has come to an end, the Toronto product still has a chance to qualify for the final berth in the Canadian Olympic trials, pending Brad Jacobs’ result in the tournament.
The reigning Brier champion Jacobs, from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., moved onto the semifinals with a 9-5 win over Thomas Ulsrud of Norway.
Jacobs will play Glenn Howard of Coldwater, Ont. Howard clipped Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., 7-6 in an extra end.
Earlier Saturday, Gushue doubled up on Calgary’s Kevin Koe 6-3, Cotter defeated Niklas Edin of Sweden 8-4 and Epping eliminated Edmonton’s Kevin Martin 7-3 in tiebreakers to qualify.
The semifinals immediately follow the quarterfinals with the championship game on tap for Sunday.
