Gunnlaugson goes down

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This article was published 13/03/2021 (1858 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Jason Gunnlaugson kept some heady company the last few days but was ousted from the party just before things got really interesting.

The 36-year-old skip’s campaign to win Manitoba’s first Brier in a decade ended Saturday afternoon at WinSport Arena in Calgary. His team from the Morris Curling Club settled on a 6-6 record at the Canadian men’s curling championship, losing its final two games.

Gunnlaugson was thumped 12-4 by four-time Brier champion Kevin Koe (Wild Card 2) in an afternoon matchup and then fell 9-6 to Saskatchewan’s Matt Dunstone, a 25-year-old Winnipeg product, in the late draw.

“When you lose, it’s very frustrating. On the other hand, you keep some balance and I think it’s a slight improvement or a decent step forward as far as last year goes,” said Gunnlaugson, who has represented the province in back-to-back Canadian championships.

“We did some things really, really well this week and we’ve done some things poorly. Definitely, it’s a weird year with training being so minimal. I think we have some areas we want to improve on, but until we have some real training and the world gets back to normal, it’s going to be tough to see if we can make those improvements.”

Koe goes for a record fifth Brier title as a skip Sunday in his home town. His Wild Card 2 crew from the Glencoe Club edged Glenn Howard’s Wild Card 3 team from Penetanguishene, Ont., 7-6 in a dramatic clash on the evening draw.

Koe finished alone at 10-2 atop the Brier standings and vaulted directly to the Brier final, set for 7:30 p.m., while Dunstone and Alberta’s Brendan Bottcher were just a rung down at 9-3 and will meet in the 1:30 p.m. semifinal. Both will be televised on TSN.

“We’ve got one more. Our goal was to win this thing, so we’re getting real close. We’ve had some great team games… it ain’t over ‘til (Sunday) night, so we’re still trying to stay focused here,” said Koe second John Morris. “We have one more big one.”

Wayne Middaugh, filling in for Howard all week, had a difficult double-takeout for a game-tying three but lost his shooter and rolled away, ending his storybook run. His team finished with a record of 8-4.

Defending champion Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., (Team Canada) came unglued against Bottcher on national television, losing 8-2 to the Edmonton team to fall to 8-4 — one defeat too many.

Joining Gunnlaugson, Gushue and Howard on the outside looking in are Ontario’s John Epping and Northern Ontario’s Brad Jacobs, both 7-5.

Alberta recorded a crucial two-win day, upending Ontario 8-3 in the morning, followed by the mismatch with Canada.

Bottcher, third Darren Moulding, second Brad Thiessen and lead Karrick Martin have lost three consecutive Brier finals, including the ‘20 championship to Gushue in Kingston.

The 29-year-old skip from Sherwood Park, Alta., said the school of hard knocks has produced some valuable lessons.

“I’ve learned a ton from each of the three experiences. One of the biggest things is you gotta find a way to relax, it’s just a game of curling. You gotta go back to the roots, go back to the basics of what got you here,” Bottcher said. “You have to focus on the process and playing your absolute best, and you really gotta try and not think about the outcome as much as you can. If you do that, you probably make a few more shots and that’s your best chance to take that final step in the end.”

Dunstone, a former two-time Canadian junior champion representing Manitoba, registered five wins in his last six down the stretch. He’ll curl in the semifinal for the second year in a row and is looking to take the next step.

“It’s nice being there. There’s no real surprises anymore. Being in that exact same moment in what seems like a very long year ago. We’re very excited about it and we’re going to embrace the moment as much as we possibly can and if it’s meant to be it’ll be,” said Dunstone, after a solid two-victory day. “The boys in front of me (third Braeden Moskowy, second Kirk Muyres and lead Dustin Kibsy), it’s unbelievable how well they’ve played all week.”

Manitoba sprinted to five consecutive victories at WinSport Arena but lost six of its next seven contests, including three of four (Gushue, Koe and Dunstone) in the championship-round crossover.

Gunnlaugson, third Adam Casey, second Matt Wozniak and lead Connor Njegovan comprise the eighth-ranked outfit in the country, however, a gap still exists between the squad and the front-runners. The trick is to narrow it before the Canadian Olympic Trials in November, as long as the Gunnlaugson crew qualifies.

“The talent is just amazing and, really, we’re talking about missing two to three shots a game, and that’s the turning point in some of these games,” said Njegovan. “It really is cool to be able to say you’re competing with them and finding ways to get better. It’s a unique experience to be a men’s curler in Canada right now.”

The Brier drought for the buffalo brigade continues.

“I think it is on our shoulders (to finally win for Manitoba), at least that’s how we look at it. It’s an era of really strong play in the men’s field and you gotta hold your head high,” Gunnlaugson said. “It is a tough hill to climb right now and to be able to represent Manitoba two years in a row, our squad is super proud of that effort we put forth. Hopefully, we continue to build and break the streak.”

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell