Dunstone fends off McEwen at HearingLife Tour Challenge

CHARLOTTETOWN — Winnipeg’s Team Matt Dunstone put the brakes on Saskatoon’s Team Mike McEwen 6-5 Tuesday night to start in the win column in the HearingLife Tour Challenge at the Bell Aliant Centre.

The first Grand Slam of Curling event of the season features triple knockout brackets where teams must win three games before they lose three to qualify for the playoffs.

Dunstone will continue through the A Event and face Team Joël Retornaz on Wednesday while McEwen, who had a 13-game winning streak snapped, drops into the B Event against Team Korey Dropkin.

Dunstone said the win over McEwen was huge as his team is now level at .500 on the season with an overall 4-4 record.

"I think our team needed this," he said. "Obviously, off to a bit of a slow start to the year. It feels really good to get the ball rolling in the win column and just found a way tonight."

"They’re hotter than a piston right now, those guys," Dunstone added. "It feels good to do that and end the win streak."

Dunstone opened with the hammer but was forced to settle for a single in the second. After alternating pairs of points, McEwen’s last in the fifth went through the house untouched as Dunstone stole a point to hold a 4-2 lead.

It looked like Dunstone had an opportunity to put pressure on McEwen in the sixth and possibly sit four, however, he ticked a guard allowing McEwen to draw for two and tie it up.

Dunstone took two back in the seventh with a double takeout to re-establish the lead. McEwen had a chance to draw for two in the eighth and force an extra end, but his shooter made contact with his other stone and rolled too far to only count one.

"It was a game of just sticking with it," Dunstone said. "You’ve got to take advantage of your opportunities when they come playing a great team like them. I got fortunate on a roll of mine in the seventh. The houses are dead so doubles and triples are a little bit difficult out there, ours hung around and we had the double for two."

Team Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., edged Switzerland’s Team Michael Brunner 7-6 in an extra end.

"We were able to play a really good last end and had a relatively easy shot, a draw to the eight-foot, which we made well," he said. "I’m excited to get out with a win. 

"The first game at a Slam is always a little nervy because you don’t know the ice as well, but I thought we did a pretty good job of figuring it out and felt pretty good out there, I must say. I enjoyed the amount of curl and speed."

The energetic opening night crowd cheered on Gushue throughout the match and a slow clap built up through the arena as his final shot rolled into the house.

"It was good and they were supporting us, which we love," Gushue said. "A lot of Newfoundland flags out there, a lot of people cheering for us, which is nice.

"It’s nice to be here in Charlottetown where I can’t remember the last time I curled in Charlottetown. I know we had Slams in Summerside in the past but to be here in Charlottetown is nice." 

P.E.I.'s own Adam Casey, who played with Gushue from 2011-14, is on the bench with the team this week. Gushue said Casey will also be their fifth man for the Pan Continental Championships, Oct. 27 to Nov. 2 in Lacombe, Alta., and maybe through the year.

"He’s coming off of an arm injury, so he’s probably not the right guy to have jumping into the lineup because I don’t know how hard he’s going to be able to sweep but certainly by the Pan Continental, which is the whole idea in a month’s time, he’ll be fully recovered and ready to go," Gushue said. "I know him well. I really enjoy Adam and like being around him. A good asset to have on the team and certainly at a P.E.I. Slam to have a P.E.I. boy on the bench doesn’t hurt."

Gushue said he was disappointed he didn't make his last shot in the eighth perfectly as it would have prevented Brunner from making a double and scoring the tying two points. 

Gushue will go up against Team Niklas Edin of Sweden in a rematch of last season’s world championship final. Brunner next plays Winnipeg’s Team Reid Carruthers.

In the women’s division, Team Tabitha Peterson of the United States scored two in the seventh and stole three in the eighth to defeat Winnipeg’s Team Chelsea Carey 9-6.

Both Tabitha and Tara Peterson are away on maternity leave with third Cory Thiesse skipping and alternate Vicky Persinger plus Aileen Geving drawing into the lineup.

Team Carey is without second Emily Zacharias and playing as three.

Team Peterson moves on to play Japan’s Team Satsuki Fujisawa with Carey dropping down to face Team Anna Hasselborg of Sweden.

Team Eun-ji Gim of South Korea avoided an upset to beat Edmonton’s Team Selena Sturmay 8-7 in an extra end. Gim was up 6-2 after five ends but gave up a steal of two in the sixth and settled for a single in the seventh before Sturmay scored an equalizing three-ender in the eighth to force OT.

Gim goes up against Switzerland’s Team Xenia Schwaller next while Sturmay meets Sweden’s Team Isabella Wranå.

UP NEXT

The HearingLife Tour Challenge resumes Wednesday with Draw 5 at 8:30 a.m. AT / 7:30 a.m. ET.

Broadcast coverage on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ begins Thursday at 12 p.m. AT / 11 a.m. ET.

NOTES

The HearingLife Tour Challenge features a total of 64 men’s and women’s teams from around the world split into two tiers. … Winners of the Tier 2 receive invitations to the WFG Masters in January. … Eight teams in each division advance to Saturday’s quarterfinals. … The semifinals are also set for Saturday with the finals scheduled for Sunday.