Big-shot Stoughton dominant

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This article was published 14/03/2011 (5517 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

LONDON, Ont. — And in the end, they were not only the best — they were much the best.

Winnipeg’s Jeff Stoughton ended the longest Brier drought in Manitoba history here at the John Labatt Centre Sunday night as his team played the most perfect game in the history of the Brier final, defeating Ontario’s Glenn Howard 8-6.

"It frickin’ feels awesome, I tell you. The guys played a great game," a jubilant Stoughton, 47, said afterward. "We made every big shot out there that we needed to make. I tell you there’s nothing better than this feeling right now. We said we were going to win this thing right from the get-go.

"This is what we were here for and we did it. I couldn’t be prouder of my team."

The Stoughton foursome shot 96 per cent in the Brier final, the highest team percentage in the history of the Brier final — and the second highest in the history of the entire event.

The only higher team percentage in a Brier game of any kind? The 97 percent that Manitoba shot last week in beating Alberta.

Wow, said Howard. "I have to give Jeff and those boys credit — I don’t know that anyone was going to beat them today," Howard said.

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The Stoughton foursome — third Jon Mead, 43, second Reid Carruthers, 26, and lead Steve Gould, 38 — had Ontario on the defensive almost from the first rock.

Howard and Ontario third Richard Hart bailed their team out of big trouble in the fourth and fifth ends and headed to the fifth end break down just 4-2 despite being outplayed.

But Manitoba just kept coming and the game ultimately turned on a fateful decision by Howard in the sixth end. Facing two Manitoba counters, Howard elected with his last rock to play an out-turn draw through a port between the two Manitoba stones, instead of simply drawing the four-foot with what looked to be the simpler in-turn.

The result was the worst-case scenario for Howard — the effort crashed on one of the Stoughton counters, handing Manitoba what proved to be a decisive steal of two and a 6-2 lead.

Bad break, said Howard. "I threw perfect weight and it curled a foot-and-a-half less," he said. "I don’t know what happened, I can’t explain it."

Stoughton’s victory snapped the longest Brier drought in Manitoba history, a 12-year gap dating back to 1999 when Stoughton won his last Brier. The previous longest drought between Briers for Manitoba was the eight-year gap from 1956-64.

The victory was Manitoba’s record 27th Brier, giving the province a little more breathing room on second place Alberta, who had moved within one at 25.

It was also the third Brier for Stoughton — making him just the sixth Manitoba curler to win three Briers. It was the second Brier for Mead and Gould. Carruthers won his first.

"I kind of wish someone would pinch me real hard right now," said Carruthers, "because I can’t believe this actually just happened."

Gould described the win as incredibly satisfying. "You play Kevin Martin, Glenn Howard, Brad Gushue — these guys are good," said Gould. "If we played this next week, maybe we wouldn’t win. But we played it this week."

The loss for Howard, on the other hand, was the continuation of a merciless run of misfortune in the big game. Howard also lost Brier finals in 2010 and 2008, as well as the final of the Canadian Curling Trials in 2010.

"I hate it, I absolutely hate it," said Howard. "I don’t have any fun coming second. I’d rather come 12th."

Stoughton also won a financial windfall with last night’s victory in the final of an event that in recent years has become the richest cashspiel in the world. In addition to winning the right to represent Canada at the World Mens Curling Championship in Regina Apr. 2-10, the Stoughton team also earned $40,000 cash just for appearing in the final; $40,000 from the Own The Podium program to cover future training and competition expenses; plus $144,000 in tax-free funding from Sport Canada over the next two years.

In addition, Stoughton also won a berth into next year’s Continental Cup and Canada Cup. The winner of the Canada Cup next year gets a huge perk too — automatic entry into the 2013 Canadian Curling Trials in Winnipeg.

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca