New Brunswick’s James Grattan rink stole a point in an extra end this afternoon to edge PEI’s Jamie Newson team 5-4 in the final of the second annual Jim Sullivan Curling Classic Atlantic Curling Tour cashspiel in Saint John. The Newson rink, which includes Andrew Robinson, Sean Clarey and John Desrosiers, got off to a great start in the final, taking a deuce with hammer in the opening end, and stealing a single in the second. The teams traded singles in three and four, but Grattan narrowed the gap to 1 by taking a point in the fifth end and stealing another in six to trail 4-3. Newson blanked the seventh, but Grattan tied the game with a stolen eighth end single, and then stole the extra end for the win. The winning Grattan rink includes James and Darren Roach, along with Josh Barry, who skipped last year’s winning team in the event.
Newson said he was pleased with his team’s performance in the event, saying that they “played great all weekend” and that there were “lots of positives to take away”.
Photo (L-R): Newson, Robinson, Clarey, Desrosiers
Newson edged New Brunswick’s Marc Lecocq 8-7 in the semi-final round, while Grattan got by Dobson with a 6-5 score.
Lecocq stole the last end to edge PEI’s Blair Weeks rink 5-4 in the quarter-finals Sunday morning, while Newson beat Terry Odishaw 8-6. Grattan brought his quarter-final game to a speedy conclusion with a six point sixth end against Zach Eldridge. Eighteen teams took part in the triple-knockout event.
The third Island rink in the event were the Rod MacDonald team, who just missed their second chance to qualify for the playoffs on Saturday evening, finishing play with a 3-3 record, after losing their “C” qualifier to Eldridge, who stole the last end to win by a 5-4 score.
Website: www.jimsullivanchamp.com/2013/