Dunstone having no second thoughts

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This article was published 13/02/2016 (3647 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SELKIRK — No regrets.

That was the message from Team Matt Dunstone Saturday night when asked if they are having any second thoughts about their decision at the start of last week to commit their team to curling in next month’s world junior curling championship in Denmark regardless of what they did here at the Manitoba men’s curling championship.

“It’s a tough question, but no — we have a chance to represent our country. Who’s going to turn that down?,” Dunstone vice-skip Kyle Doering said at the Selkirk Recreation Complex Saturday night.

“It was a no-brainer. Now, if we win the men’s provincials (on Sunday), we might have some doubts. But at the end of the day, we’re still going to the world juniors. And I wouldn’t trade that for the Brier.”

The world juniors conflicts with the Brier this year and the Dunstone squad, as newly crowned Canadian junior champions, had to commit as Team Canada before the Manitoba provincials ever began.

That seemed like a relatively easy decision a week ago, when no one was giving a junior team with a 20-year-old skip making his men’s provincials debut much of a chance to win the right to represent Manitoba at the Brier.

But flash forward a week and after wins Saturday over Dennis Bohn in the morning, Alex Forrest in the afternoon and Willie Lyburn Saturday night — 8-7 in an extra end in the Page Playoff 2 vs. 2 game — the Dunstone team finds themselves playing in the semfinal Sunday morning against defending champion Reid Carruthers — with a berth in th afternoon’s final against Mike McEwen hanging in the balance.

Oops?

“Not at all. We’ve already signed off on it and commited to it and we’re going to stick with it. It’s tough because we’re getting really close,” said Dunstone, “but I think the experience of this playoff run will help us down the road.”

Because of their commitment to curl at the world juniors, a Dunstone win over Carruthers in the semifinal would mean McEwen would automatically receive Manitoba’s Brier berth regardless of what happened in the final.

Dunstone — who was named the all-star skip of this event Saturday night — says he regrets McEwen could find himself in a very uncomfortable position today, but he also promises he would do nothing to make it any more comfortable if he beats Carruthers and advances to face McEwen in the final.

“It is a little awkward for sure — without a doubt,” said Dunstone. “But we wouldn’t give it away — that’s for sure. We’d be playing our hearts out. That would be our last game before world juniors — our last warm-up. And who better to play it against than Mike, right?

“We’d give it our all.”

Lost in all the unique subplot of a potential Dunstone-McEwen matchup in Sunday’s final was the unravelling Saturday night of this event’s defending champion, Carruthers.

Carruthers had plenty of reasons for his team’s poor performance in a 7-2 loss to McEwen in the 1 vs. 1 game — a poor line call, a pick and less than stellar play by his team from lead to skip.

But Carruthers also bristled at the suggestion his team had been “outclassed” by McEwen. “That’s one man’s opinion,” said Carruthers. “I’m not worried. I’m not nervous about playing anyone. I’ll play Mike right now. I don’t care.

“We just have to take a big deep breath and realize we earned our right to have a second chance here (in the semifinal).”

LOOSE HAIRS: In addition to Dunstone at skip, the rest of the 2016 Viterra Championship all-star team was third B.J. Neufeld of Team McEwen, Carruthers second Derek Samagalski and Lyburn lead Braden Zawada.

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @PaulWiecek