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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Epping stuns Howard in slam final
Toronto�s John Epping celebrates as his shot, the final stone of the game, comes to a rest on the button to defeat Glenn Howard Sunday. (POSTMEDIA)
SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. -- Toronto's John Epping upset Glenn Howard of Coldwater, Ont., 7-6 on Sunday to win the men's final at the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling Sun Life Financial Players' Championship.
Epping drew to the button on the game's final shot to clinch the win.
"It's a dream," Epping said. "This is something you dream of as a kid."
The rink of Epping, third Scott Bailey, second Scott Howard and lead David Mathers started the event as the lowest seeded men's side.
"When you look at the event, I don't think anyone could pick us to win this, and probably a lot of people didn't pick us to make the playoffs," Epping said. "But we've had a good season, we worked hard.
"We get go out on such a high and the expectations are going to be probably higher next year and that's what it's all about."
After Howard, who won the Brier and the world championship, opened with a point in the first end of the final, Epping scored three in the second. Howard added two of his own in the third to tie score, but Epping replied with two more in the fourth to lead 5-3.
Howard made it 5-4 in the fifth and Epping replied with one in the sixth before Howard tied it 6-6 with two in the seventh.
Epping then drew to the button for the win in the eighth with the final stone.
"(Howard's rink) is so good, they come at your all the time," said Epping. "He left me a little opening, the guard kind of acted as a guide, and I was lucky enough to make it."
Epping took home the $28,000 first-place prize in addition to the $10,000 for his five round-robin wins.
The eighth-seeded rink also won the women's championship on Saturday as Saskatoon's Stefanie Lawton defeated Winnipeg's Cathy Overton-Clapham 7-3 in seven ends to claim the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling Sun Life Financial Players' Championship.
"It was a great game," Lawton said. "We started off playing well, and there were lots of great shots being made. There were lots of really good freezes by both teams."
Howard, third Wayne Middaugh, second Brent Laing and lead Craig Savill were presented with the Capital One Cup, which is accompanied by a $50,000 top prize, for the team with the most points in the four-event Capital One Grand Slam of Curling series.
-- The Canadian Press
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition April 23, 2012 C5
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