John Epping started strong at the PointsBet Invitational curling tournament by securing two victories on Thursday. In Draw 3, Epping triumphed over Brad Gushue with a close score of 10-9. He then continued his winning streak in Draw 4 by defeating Kevin Koe from Calgary with a more decisive 9-3 score.
Gushue’s team managed to score two points in the 10th end, but Epping sealed the match with a crucial point in the extra end. Gushue, who announced his upcoming retirement at the end of this season, now holds a 1-1 record. In the game against Koe, Epping’s team turned a tied match into a commanding lead by scoring two points in the eighth end and four points in the ninth. This victory placed Epping at the top of Pool A with a perfect 2-0 record.
Additionally, Matt Dunstone from Winnipeg and Mike McEwen from Saskatoon maintained their unbeaten streaks at 2-0 in Draw 4. Dunstone defeated Sam Mooibroek from Whitby, Ont., with a score of 9-6, while McEwen secured an 8-4 win over Jordon McDonald from Winnipeg. Brad Jacobs from Calgary also bounced back to a 1-1 record with a dominant 12-0 victory over Calan MacIsaac in Draw 4.
On the women’s side, Rachel Homan, the reigning national and world champion, displayed her prowess with an 8-3 win over Kaitlyn Lawes from Winnipeg. Homan’s team scored three crucial points in the eighth end, leading to the concession of the game by the opposition.
In other matches, Kerri Einarson, Kate Cameron, Selena Sturmay, and Myla Plett secured victories, with Einarson, Cameron, Sturmay, and Plett holding a 1-1 record, while Christina Black fell to 0-2.
The PointsBet Invitational features separate men’s and women’s fields, each consisting of 10 teams divided into two pools. The top team from each pool will advance to the championship games, with a prize purse of $300,000 up for grabs.
