McEwen, Stoughton set for National final
PORT HAWKESBURY, N.S. — Familiar foes Mike McEwen and Jeff Stoughton will face off in an all-Winnipeg final at the National Grand Slam of Curling.
McEwen advanced to the championship game with a 5-4 victory over Edmonton’s Kevin Martin during Saturday night’s semifinals while Stoughton held on for a 5-3 win over Calgary’s Kevin Koe.
Both skips have won three Grand Slam of Curling titles during their careers with McEwen defeating Stoughton in the 2010 World Cup of Curling (now known as the Masters) and 2011 Canadian Open finals.
The No. 1 seed Martin entered the semifinals with an unblemished 6-0 record but was forced to settle for a single in the opening end. McEwen pulled ahead scoring two in the second and added one more point in the third with a steal to make it 3-1.
After the teams alternated singles in four and five, Martin was forced to another in six but stole one in seven to head into the final frame tied. McEwen held the hammer coming home and bumped his final rock to the button.
Meanwhile, Stoughton scored three in the third to open the scoring against Koe but the reigning Masters champion rallied right back with a deuce in four followed by a single steal in five to erase the deficit. Stoughton took two in the seventh and Koe was unable to counter.
Stoughton started off the tournament 0-2 but has now won four in a row as he looks to complete a career Grand Slam. McEwen, who went 4-1 through pool play, beat Niklas Edin of Sweden 7-1 during Saturday afternoon’s quarterfinals while Stoughton stopped Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., 6-4.
The final is set for Sunday at 2:30 p.m. AT.