Stoughton in 7th heaven

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This article was published 23/02/2009 (6378 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SELKIRK — Jeff Stoughton is hoping seven really IS his lucky number.

The two-time Canadian champion and 1996 world title-holder scored seven points in beating old foe Kerry Burtnyk 7-6 to win the 2009 Safeway Championship Sunday, his record seventh Manitoba men’s title in eight final appearances.

"Hopefully lucky seven, bring that Brier back," quipped Stoughton, who’ll take his rink of Edmontonian Kevin Park, Brandonite Rob Fowler and lead Steve Gould to the Tim Hortons Brier in Calgary, March 7-15, against one of the best fields in years.

"It feels great," Stoughton said.

Stoughton’s steal of one in the second end for a 3-0 lead kept Burtnyk — a five-time provincial champion, defending champ and frequent foe — behind until he tied it 6-6 in the ninth end. Stoughton scored one in the 10th.

"I don’t think I ever count them, or wonder, but if this is the last one, it’s fantastic. If it’s not, then there’s more to come," Stoughton added. "But I’ll tell you, we’re so looking forward to going to Calgary for that Brier, it’s just going to be so exciting."

Stoughton’s squad is the only one to go through the Safeway Championship undefeated and he said his foursome is playing fine heading into Calgary.

"We were pretty darned good. We’re pretty close to where we wanted to be. We basically said in September that our No. 1 goal was to win the Safeway Championship and it’s a great feeling to achieve it."

In deposing Burtnyk and his team of Alberta import Don Walchuk, second Rich Daneault and lead Garth Smith, Stoughton asserted his mastery.

Even though they’ve won the province so often, Stoughton and Burtnyk have faced each other in a men’s final only twice. Stoughton has now won both.

"It was a real tough battle," said Burtnyk, who advanced to the final with an easy 11-4 win over Reid Carruthers in the morning semifinal. "For the first couple of ends, they came out making lots of shots and putting us under the gun.

"We had a really unfortunate rub in the second end, it would have been a 2-2 game and instead it’s 3-0 (after Stoughton’s steal). And when you’re down 3-0 to one of the best teams in the world, it’s going to be an uphill battle.

"But to our credit, the guys played well, we hung in there and got it back to tied coming home and we had a chance."

Burtnyk said while he’s disappointed to lose the title he won last year, "Jeff’s team is not only a good team, they’re one of the best in the world, so we have a great rep there."

Park hasn’t been to a Brier since 1995, when he was on 2008 defending world champion Kevin Martin’s Edmonton foursome. Stoughton recruited him at third and he meets residency requirements, even though he lives in Edmonton.

"We have bisons out in Alberta too, I’ve got to say," he laughed. "But it’s a great honour to wear that thing on my back. Manitoba is right there as being one of the toughest curling provinces in Canada. I’m extremely excited about Calgary."

chris.cariou@freepress.mb.ca

A load of B-S (Burtnyk-Stoughton, of course)

 

 

Jeff Stoughton and Kerry Burtnyk have combined to win 12 of the last 29 provincial men’s titles,

including nine of the last 15 and each of the last four.

Here are their resumes:

 

 

Kerry Burtnyk

 

World titles: 1 (1995)

Canadian titles: 2 (1981, 1995)

Provincial men’s titles: 5 (1981, 1988, 1995, 2001, 2008)

First in games won at provincial men’s: 111

First in games played at provincial men’s: 152

 

 

 

Jeff Stoughton

 

World titles: 1 (1996)

Canadian titles: 2 (1996, 1999)

Provincial men’s titles: 7 (1991, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2006, 2007, 2009)

Second in games won at provincial men’s: 105

Third in games played at provincial men’s: 134