(by Jean Mills) Undefeated teams Mike McEwen and Stefanie Lawton won in extra ends to keep the momentum rolling on the second day of round robin play at the 2012 Capital One Canada Cup of Curling in Moose Jaw.
Epping scored 2 in ten to tie it at 8-8, but McEwen used hammer to put the game away in the extra end. McEwen now moves to 3-0, while Epping drops to 1-2.
Stefanie Lawton, also undefeated, eked out a 6-5 win over 2011 Canada Cup finalist Chelsea Carey, still winless. In a game that saw shifts in momentum throughout, Carey put pressure on Lawton early. Tied at 1 in the third end, Lawton was forced to make a draw to the button for a single. In the sixth, Carey drew behind cover and was able to sink another one when Lawton’s draw slid too far, taking a 4-3 lead.
“I don’t know,” said a frustrated Carey after the game. “Starting 0 and 3 is the worst thing we could do. We played better today, at least. We didn’t play very well yesterday, so that’s progress. We’ve just got to do it again and hope we come out on top.”
As for Lawton, the win puts her at the top of the leaderboard on the women’s side.
For Cathy Overton-Clapham and her young team, still winless coming into this morning’s draw, the struggles continued, this time against Crystal Webster.
“I felt we had the momentum in that game until the ninth end when they had that steal,” said Overton-Clapham. “Crystal made a great shot with her last one and didn’t really give us any choice but to draw to the side of the button. But I felt we controlled most of that game.
(Photo CCA/Michael Burns) Kevin Koe
In other men’s action, Kevin Koe and Brad Gushue played an aggressive game full of big-weight hits and finesse draws. Gushue, coming off two losses, came on strong, stealing 3 in the first end on a failed take-out by Koe that removed his own rocks. Koe was forced to make a clutch draw in the second to climb back. It was a game that saw lots of big-weight take-outs, including a triple by Gushue in the fifth to keep Koe from taking more than 1 point.
This morning’s results move McEwen and Lawton to 3-0, while Webster and Nedohin move to 2-1, Middaugh falls to 1-2. Carey and Gushue are still looking for their first win.
In Draw 5 action underway now, it’s Webster vs Middaugh, Stoughton (2-0) vs Martin (1-1), Epping (1-2) vs Howard (0-2) and a battle between the two undefeated women’s teams, Lawton and Jones.