Einarson comes up aces

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/03/2021 (1812 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The powerhouse duo of Kerri Einarson and Brad Gushue is still kicking at the Canadian mixed doubles curling championship.

Einarson, the two-time defending Scotties champion skip from Gimli, and Gushue, a three-time Brier winner and Olympic gold medallist from Mount Pearl, N.L., upended Alberta’s Brittany Tran and Aaron Sluchinski 9-8 in opening round playoff action at Calgary’s WinPark Arena Tuesday night.

Einarson had a tricky draw for the winning point in the eighth end after Tran and Sluchinski cracked a four in the seventh to tie the game 8-8.

“The only time you’re comfortable with a lead is when the other team is shaking hands so you know there’s always time to come back even though we felt pretty comfortable earlier in the game,” said Gushue in a post-game Zoom call with reporters. “You know, it can change pretty quick with the three or four and obviously that happened in seven when you know we missed.

“We let (them) back in the game. We were just trying in that end to give them two and we’d be in good shape but you’ve got to execute. If you don’t execute, you’re gonna get punished.”

Einarson, who is playing her first mixed doubles event, and Gushue finished the round-robin portion with a 5-1 record, which was good for second place in Pool B.

Former Winnipegger Jennifer Jones and husband Brent Laing, who suffered their first defeat with a 9-8 decision to Kimberly and Wayne Tuck in Tuesday’s second draw, also finished 5-1 in Pool B but received a bye via tiebreaking rules into Wednesday’s second playoff round, setting up an epic matchup with Gushue and Einarson.

“I think from an experience standpoint they’ve got us destroyed — (in) mixed doubles they play a lot, they played together for a long time,” said Gushue. “So certainly I think their comfort level is much more than ours but I think from a shot-making perspective we can certainly keep up… If we play the way we can you know we can put some pressure on them.”

In other Wednesday morning action, Alberta’s Danielle Schmiemann and John Morris (5-1, first in Pool E) take on Shannon Birchard of Winnipeg and Regina’s Caitlin Schneider (4-2, third in Pool D).

Birchard and Schneider moved on by upending Ontario’s Emma Miskew and Ryan Fry, 10-6.

“We really put together some two great games today and this evening we were able to build off the momentum of this afternoon and make some really great shots out there,” said Birchard. “We got a lead early, which was really nice so we could get a little more comfortable in the game.”

Meanwhile, Winnipeg’s Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant of St. John’s, N.L., finished atop Pool B with a 5-1 mark. They will play Kadriana Sahadiak and Colton Lott (5-1, second in Pool A) of Winnipeg Beach Wednesday morning.

Sahaidak and Lott advanced by dispatching Newfoundland’s Mackenzie Mitchell and Greg Smith 8-3.

“We said going into it, whatever happens happens (and so) we’re just happy to get into the playoffs,” said Sahaidak. “(That’s) kind of where we wanted to be. We felt not nervous in the round robin but just we wanted to get to the playoffs — we made it and we feel pretty comfortable.”

Lott and Sahaidak reached the medal podium in each of the last two national championships — losing the final in 2018 and losing in the semifinals in 2019. Lott was asked if they are still be flying under the radar with so many prominent players participating in the event.

“Especially with out past accomplishments, they’re quite aware of us now and we’re not so much of an underdog, I guess, per se,” he said. “We’re just a well-known mixed doubles team now, so there’s no surprises to anybody.”

Elsewhere, Alberta’s Laura Walker and Kirk Muyres were the lone unbeaten team in the round robin, going 6-0 in Pool C. They will face Ontario’s Lisa Weagle and John Epping Wednesday at 11:30 a.m.

Epping and Weagle eliminated Alberta’s Val Sweeting and Marc Kennedy with a 7-5 decision.

 

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14