Colton Flasch (left) and Kevin Marsh sweep a rock during Saturday's 3-4 Page playoff game. (Michael Burns/Curling Canada)

By CKOM News - Lisa Schick

Thrilling win

McEwen edges Dunstone to advance to Brier semifinal

Mar 9, 2024 | 4:27 PM

Saskatchewan’s Mike McEwen is walking on the edge at the 2024 Montana’s Brier this weekend, but he’s staying upright, hanging on Saturday with a 6-5 win against Matt Dunstone’s Manitoba rink.

The loss in the 3-4 Page playoff game eliminated Dunstone from the Canadian men’s curling championship.

McEwen’s Saskatoon Nutana rink of Colton Flasch, Kevin Marsh and Dan Marsh move on to the semifinal Sunday at noon, when they’ll take on the loser of Saturday evening’s 1-2 Page playoff game between Brad Gushue’s Team Canada and Alberta’s Brendan Bottcher rink.

McEwen will need to win again Sunday afternoon to make it to the final Sunday night.

Saskatchewan started off struggling a bit Saturday but straightened things out for a while, with the players making several difficult, technical shots. The home team led 3-1 after four ends.

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In the fifth, the crowd at the Brandt Centre erupted when McEwen made a double off his own rock to knock out a buried Manitoba stone that had been shot. Saskatchewan stole one to go up 4-1.

After another steal in the sixth, McEwen missed his last shot in the seventh, giving Dunstone an opportunity for two. The former Saskatchewan skip took advantage of with a draw to cut the deficit to 5-3.

The game got tight as the later ends ticked past with Dunstone managing to steal one in each of the eighth and ninth ends to tie the score.

Saskatchewan had the hammer in the 10th end, which came down to the last shot with Manitoba stones piled up in the house. McEwen threw for a nose hit to sit shot by an inch or two as the crowd went wild again.

McEwen finished at the top of Pool B with a 7-1 round-robin record, but lost 9-7 to Bottcher in a 1-2 qualifying game Friday afternoon. McEwen then pushed in a convincing 7-0 win against the Northwest Territories’ Jamie Koe on Friday night in the 3-4 qualifier.

Saskatchewan is trying to snap a 44-year title drought at the Canadian men’s championship.