Stoughton leads 6-5 in Brier semifinal

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This article was published 14/03/2009 (6337 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CALGARY — Jeff Stoughton made a shot for the ages Saturday afternoon. He cracked a spectacular double-raised takeout with the last rock of the game to score a game-winning deuce to defeat Newfoundland’s Brad Gushue 8-7 in the page playoff 3 vs 4 game.

The win, Stoughton’s fourth straight, means he now needs just two more wins here this weekend to capture what would be his third Canadian men’s curling championship.

Should Stoughton defeat Howard, Manitoba would then advance to Sunday night’s Brier final against Alberta’s Kevin Martin, who is undefeated this week, carries a record 25-game winning streak into the game and will have a near capacity crowd at the Saddledome cheering them on.

But Gushue, for one, likes Stoughton’s chances — particularly after this morning’s heroics by Stoughton sunk the 2006 Olympic gold medallist.

"If they keep going the way they’re going," offered Gushue, "they’ll be tough to beat.

"For some reason, I had a feeling that he’d make it and sure enough. What a shot."

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Stoughton shot a sizzling 91 per cent against Gushue — and 98 per cent through the game’s first seven ends. But it all came down to the last rock after Manitoba squandered a 6-3 lead and was trailing 7-6 coming home with Gushue lying shot buried in the four foot.

Stoughton hammered a Gushue rock out front on to one of his own and then on to the Gushue counter. The teams measured for second shot — two opposing stones sat in the 12-foot. Manitoba won the measure and the game.

"We had to do something," Stoughton said. "Those last four ends, they didn’t miss a shot.

"We knew we were going to need a big one."

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca