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Bottcher takes men’s 2019 Meridian Canadian Open title over Epping

Jan 13, 2019 | 1:17 PM

Brendan Bottcher’s rink has won the 2019 Meridian Canadian Open, the team’s first Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling title.

In an East versus West battle, the Edmonton-based rink came out on top over Toronto’s John Epping in seven ends 6-3.

For some time, the team has been searching for their first big win.

“It felt like at the Canada Cup we were close to maybe making a run at the playoffs and it felt like in Thunder Bay we were really close to winning our first one,” he said. “It is huge. I think it just gives us that last little bit of confidence we need to hopefully come back and continue doing this week in and week out.”

The game was an initial back and forth bout, with both rinks keeping pace into the sixth end. But an opening deuce gave Bottcher an opportunity to play a handful of defensive ends and limit Epping’s rink to singles when needed.

Despite the win, Bottcher said tomorrow, the rink will continue to feel like the underdogs. When up against curlers with clout like Kevin Koe, Brad Gushue and Brad Jacobs — teams who he himself grew up watching curl — they will continue to be the favourites until they hang up the brooms, he said.

Asked how many more wins the rink needs to not be considered the underdog, Bottcher said the team has to continue to string together victories and prove themselves over the course of a number of seasons. 

“It certainly feels like, especially with the results we have had this year, we are on the right track,” he said, believing the other top teams are starting to play Bottcher as an equal.

The championship win secures Bottcher’s rink a spot in the Champions Cup this April in Saskatoon, which Bottcher said will be an exciting event to end the year.

He said this week’s triple knockout event was good prep for their upcoming provincial tournament. 

Bottcher found himself in the championship draw after a featured game Saturday night that kept the crowd on edge in a back and forth bout that came down to the final rock against 2017 champion Brad Gushue.

With the hammer, Bottcher sealed the deal with a pair of points and bested the Gushue’s rink 6-5. Bottcher said the final draw path was nearly identical to one he threw in the pregame on the button, “but two hours later, you don’t know if the ice has changed a little or if you are nervous.” 

Later this afternoon, Switzerland’s Silvana Tirinzoni will play Ottawa’s Rachel Homan in a bid for the women’s title. 

Tirinzoni ran away with an 8-4 win over Eve Muirhead in semifinal action after clawing her way back into contention from the C bracket. Homan curled past America’s Nina Roth in seven ends 6-4 to punch her ticket to today.

 

tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr