'We have to learn to make that extra one or two shots that puts the nail in the coffin'
-- Gerry Adam, Saskatchewan second
Tim Campbell
The torture continues for our western neighbours.
After piling up an 8-1 round-robin mark at the Tim Horton's Brier, Pat Simmons' foursome from Saskatchewan lost three of its final four games and went to the discard heap with an 8-7 semifinal loss to Ontario's Glenn Howard Saturday at MTS Centre.
The province's Brier drought will go to a painful 29th year since Rick Folk scored in 1980 in Calgary.
Heck, even the Roughriders have won twice in that span (1989, 2007).
Friday in the 1-2 Page playoff game, Simmons had unbeaten Alberta skip Kevin Martin on the ropes but could not close the deal, suffering a pick on his last rock that was the final stake in a blown three-point lead after seven ends.
The recent history is dark for Saskatchewan and Friday's debacle will go on the pile.
Remember 1988, when Eugene Hritzuk hogged his last shot, handing Alberta's Pat Ryan a three in the 10th end and an 8-7 victory?
How about 1991, when Randy Woytowich appeared to be cruising to the title? He had a bye to the final, which he led 3-2 after five ends before giving up a steal of two in an eventual 8-4 loss to Martin.
A dubious addition occurred in 1995 after Brad Heidt won the 1-2 game versus Manitoba's Kerry Burtnyk. In the final, Burtnyk took two on the 10th to score a 10-8 victory, ruining another green celebration.
Simmons' teary eyes have to rank right up there in the disappointment category.
"It's tough, it's been a long week," Simmons said, his lower lip quivering after he was surrounded by reporters once Howard's cold draw in the 11th came to rest. "We didn't get much sleep last night. I was really proud of the way we came out today."
He admitted Friday's loss will haunt him.
"It will continually," he said. "I'll let you know as the summer goes. It was a tough one."
Howard, who had to dodge a few late bullets, wrestled the hammer away from Simmons by the fourth end and made good with it in the extra end.
"I feel bad for Pat Simmons right now," he said. "He didn't deserve to play that game. He should have been in the final last night. I don't blame him. Even when I'm in the hack to throw that last shot, I'm thinking, 'Oh my God, is this destiny for him to have something happen to my shot.' "
Simmons said he would never think it, even after Ontario lead Craig Savill chipped both Saskatchewan lead stones off the centre line in the extra end, setting up Howard's control.
"Chances are it was going to take some sort of terrible misfortune like we had last night and I wouldn't wish that on him, that's for sure," Simmons said.
Saskatchewan second Gerry Adam, too, was also near tears after the defeat, but was adamant the sun will come up again. He even suggested the 33-year-old Simmons, after his first playoff appearance in four straight Brier trips, is the man to end the streak of failure.
"He's the guy," said Adam, 45, who played in the Brier semifinal in 1999 but lost to Guy Hemmings. "He's had four chances at it, and it's tough, that, because people say, 'How many more are you going to have?' but we had two or three chances to beat Kevin yesterday and we didn't. We have to learn to make that extra one or two shots that puts the nail in the coffin."
tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca
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