(by Jonathan Brazeau)
PARADISE, N.L. — Calgary’s Kevin Koe made the draw with his final shot in the extra end to edge Brad Gushue of St. John’s 4-3 and win the inaugural Pinty’s GSOC Tour Challenge Tier 1 men’s title Sunday at the Paradise Double Ice Complex.
Koe blanked the first but didn’t get the right angle for the runback in the second end and gave up a steal of one. Koe sat shot rock in three and attempted an angle raise bump to count two but was just light. Koe froze in the fifth and stole a point to claim the lead. Koe made a clutch double raise double to force Gushue to draw and he landed on the Sportsnet logo to only get one and send it into the extra.
Gushue, [whose team includes PEI native Brett Gallant at second stone], drew and grabbed a piece of the back of the four-foot circle to tie it back up. Koe faced three Gushue counters and drew for one to retake the lead.
Koe also earned a spot at the second of two new events on the 2015-16 Pinty’s GSOC schedule, the Champions Cup, running April 26 to May 1, 2016, in Sherwood Park, Alta.
[PEI’s Adam Casey rink went 1-3 in the event, and did not advance to the playoff round.]
Welcome back Cotter to Pinty’s GSOC
Jim Cotter has punched his ticket to the Masters in Truro, N.S., with a 5-3 victory over Mark Kean in the Tier 2 men’s final.
Cotter, of Vernon, B.C., took one in the first, stole points in two and three and leads 3-2 with hammer in six. Kean, of Stoney Creek, Ont., settled for one in four and swiped a point in five. Cotter added another single in five. Kean made a double for one but gave up the hammer for eight and Cotter punched out two of Kean’s stone with his last to seal the victory.
Team Cotter went 7-0 through the Tier 2 division and earned a spot at the Masters, running Oct. 27 to Nov. 1 in Truro, N.S.
Earlier Sunday, Switzerland’s Silvana Tirinzoni scored the upset win over Ottawa’s Rachel Homan by stealing two coming home to capture the women’s Tier 1 Tour Challenge title.
Winnipeg’s Kerri Einarson capped an undefeated run through the Tier 2 division beating Regina’s Team Chantelle Eberle.
[PEI’s Suzanne Birt rink went 2-2 in round robin play before losing 8-5 to Winnipeg’s Jill Thurston in the Tier 2 quarter-final round.]
For the full women’s division recap, click here.
Click to read this story at the Grand Slam website.