McEwen to meet Gushue in Masters men’s final
SELKIRK, Man. — Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen scored four in the second and three in the fourth to slide past Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., 7-2 in only five ends Saturday and punch his ticket to the Masters men’s final.
It’s the fifth consecutive championship game for McEwen, who stormed out of the gate to start the season winning four tour events.
McEwen pulled off a double takeout to score the four-ender in the second and leaped on the ice in celebration as his home-province crowd roared.
“That was probably one of our best games of the year as far as making some really, really difficult shots,” McEwen said. “That was fun because as far as the men’s teams are concerned, we’re the last Manitoba team standing so it felt like the crowd was really behind us so that definitely felt really good.”
The reigning Olympic gold medallist Jacobs, who opened the scoring with a single in the first and settled for another point in the third, shook hands early after putting a blank on the board in the fifth with McEwen stifling his offence.
McEwen will face Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., for the championship after the 2006 Olympic gold medallist edged Toronto’s John Epping 6-5 in an extra end. It was a back-and-forth battle to start as the teams alternated deuces in the first couple ends and singles in three and four. Although Gushue stole a point in the fifth and another in the sixth to lead by two, Epping charged back with another single in the seventh and stole one in the eighth to tie it. Gushue faced two with his final shot of the extra end but nailed the single takeout to grab the winning point.
“We’ve been scrapping out games,” Gushue said. “I wouldn’t say we’ve been dominant, I think we’re playing strategically games. We’re making some key shots just a little bit more timing than anything to be honest with you. It hasn’t been dominant but it’s been successful and hopefully we can step it up because I know we can play better but the key is we’ve got to keep making the timely shots we’ve been making.”
Gushue said there is no secret to cracking the code and defeating McEwen. It’ll just come down to those timely makes or untimely misses.
“For us, we’ve been making those key shots at the right time and hopefully we do that (in the final),” Gushue said. “We know we’re probably going to have to play as good or better that we’ve been playing because they’re a good team, they’re consistent and you know you’re not going to get them to come out and lie down against you. They’re going to come out and play a really solid game.”
The men’s final takes place Sunday at 3 p.m. ET / Noon PT on Sportsnet.
Sweeting slides into Masters women’s final
Edmonton’s Val Sweeting made no mistake to score one in the extra end to beat double defending champion Rachel Homan of Ottawa 4-3 Saturday and reach the women’s final.
Sweeting faces Sweden’s Margaretha Sigfridsson, who stunned home province favourite Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg 5-4 with the decisive single in the final end.
The women’s final takes place Sunday at 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT on Sportsnet.
