CALGARY, March 14, 2009 (CCA)– Manitoba’s Jeff Stoughton made a double-raised takeout with the last rock of the game to defeat Newfoundland’s Brad Gushue 8-7 in the 3 vs 4 Page Playoff game here at the 2009 Tim Hortons Brier.
Trailing Newfoundland 7-6 coming home, Stoughton was facing a Newfoundland counter buried on the four-foot when he went to throw his last. Stoughton elected to drive a Newfoundland stone out front on to a Manitoba stone in the rings and then on to the Newfoundland counter to count one.
A measure on two opposing stones in the 12-foot was necessary to determine who was lying second shot. Manitoba won the measure and the game.
The win means Manitoba now advances to face Ontario’s Glenn Howard in the Brier semi-final here Saturday night. The game will be broadcast live by TSN beginning at 9 p.m. AT. The winner of that game will advance to face Alberta in the Brier final Sunday night.
Manitoba outshot Newfoundland 86-83 and Stoughton edged Gushue 91-88 in what proved to be a battle at the skip position.
Stoughton lost to Ontario in the round robin Tuesday night but Stoughton likes where his team is positioned — having won four straight must-win games to advance to this point.
“Hopefully, the guys will be playing like we are and we should be alright,” Stoughton said.
Gushue said he felt his team left their best on the ice. “We feel kind of snakebitten with that last one,” Gushue said. “But what a shot.
“We will walk away with out heads held high about the way we performed this week.”