Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen has secured a spot in the Manitoba Viterra Championship final defeating Reid Carruthers 7-2 Saturday night in Selkirk.
McEwen looks to win his first career provincial title and represent Manitoba at the Tim Hortons Brier next month in Ottawa.
Team McEwen, winners of six Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling titles, opened with the hammer and blanked the first pair of ends before settling for a point in three.
Carruthers, the defending champion, looked to scored a deuce in the fourth, but his last shot came up light and he was held to a single to tie it.
McEwen hit and stuck to score a deuce in the fifth to pull back ahead and slid away with the lead stealing pairs of points in back-to-back ends. Carruthers crashed on his own stone with his last in the sixth, missing McEwen’s counters, and his draw shot attempt in seven came up light as he trailed by six.
McEwen forced Carruthers to just another single in eight and the two teams shook hands.
Provincial Curling Championships: Live Scoring | Playoff Bracket | TV Schedule
Carruthers and his West St. Paul-based crew have another shot via the semifinal against reigning Canadian junior champ Matt Dunstone, who edged William Lyburn 8-7 in the extra end during an all-Winnipeg rink match.
Lyburn opened with hammer and earned a deuce in the second to get on the board. Dunstone grabbed the lead in spectacular fashion in the fourth end with an amazing runback double to score four.
Lyburn grabbed another two in five to knot it up and Dunstone delivered an open draw for two in the sixth to retake the lead 6-4. The teams alternated singles in seven and nine and Lyburn’s open hit to score two in the 10th forced the extra frame.
The 20-year-old Dunstone made no mistake with an open hit and roll to win in the extra end.
Watch the semifinal Sunday live on Sportsnet at 10 a.m. ET / 9 a.m. CT with the final at 3 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. CT.