 Brad Gushue won 9-5 over Mike McEwen (Saskatoon, SK) in the Final of the Montana's Brier in Regina. Gushue with Mark Nichols at third, E.J. Harnden and Geoff Walker on the front end won for the third straight year, with Gushue, Nichols and Walker claiming their historic 6th titles to tie Randy Ferbey for most in Canadian history. The win was the third for Harnden, winning last year with Gushue and in 2013 with Brad Jacobs. Gushue extends his personal record of six titles as skip, with Ernie Richardson, Randy Ferbey, Kevin Martin and Kevin Koe holding four championships apiece. Gushue started with hammer, playing a conservative first end, taking in the crowd of 5,734 inside the Brandt Centre. In the second end, Gushue scored two points, jumping out to an early lead against a McEwen team that started out flat. McEwen with Colton Flasch at third, Kevin Marsh and Daniel Marsh came off a high-energy win over Alberta's Brendan Bottcher in the semifinal earlier on Sunday, settled for a single point in the third end. In the fourth end, McEwen attempted a high-risk double across the rings with his last stone, a shot the team seemed to think had to be made based on the Gushue guard stone close to the rings. After the McEwen roll-out, and at Nichols' first insistence, Gushue made the finesse split for three. Leading 5-1 after 4 ends, Gushue helds the McEwen side to another single in the fifth end, taking a three point lead and hammer into the halfway point of the game. The time to reset seemed to light some fire under the McEwen team, where coaches Brent Laing and Pat Simmons had some time with the team during the mid-game break. McEwen came out firing in the sixth end, attacking the middle setting up a big steal end, getting two points and nearly adding a third, only saved by Gushue's sweepers Harnden and Walker on their last shot. Trailing by a single, McEwen again outplayed Gushue in the seventh end, until the last two stones of the end. McEwen's draw to lie two hung out just enough for Gushue to see a piece for the double takeout, which the veteran didn't miss. The two for Gushue was the dagger that took the wind out of Saskatchewan's sails and made it look like the Brier drought would last another year. McEwen was held to a single in the eighth end, with Gushue adding two more in the ninth end for the 9-5 win. "This is why I play. This is why I love the game. I love this moment. To see it all come to fruition after the hard work this week is so cool," Gushue said on TSN after the game. "It isn't about how many. It's about this moment here and I'm going to enjoy the next couple hours. We've got an early flight so hopefully we make it." Gushue and the team collected $108,000 in prize money for their win, along with a potential Olympic Trials berth towards the 2026 Olympics in Italy. The team must reach the playoffs to achieve a top-six ranking in Switzerland to lock down the berth.
Gushue's ascent to the top of the sport seems like its been forever, though the dominance at the Brier over the last eight years puts a stamp on his and his team's legacy. "There were times when I never thought I'd win one," Gushue remarked when asked about his sixth title. The ride has been one of greatness for Gushue, capped off by winning their first at home in St. John's in 2015, when they got to celebrate with their fans, to opening the floodgates and winning again the next year in Regina. The sixth title is the second won inside the Brandt Centre. 2017 Brier Winning Party in St. John's: Total attendance for the week was 101,401 over 24 draws. |
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Saskatoon's Mike McEwen rink (Photo: Anil Mungal/GSOC) is still alive in Tahoe after taking down the reigning Olympic Champs.
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