Team McEwen wins second Masters curling title

World's No. 1 team defeats Cotter in the finals

Left to right: Mike McEwen, B.J. Neufeld, Matt Wozniak, Denni Neufeld before the start of the 2015 Grand Slam of Curling event. Grand Slam of Curling

Mike McEwen made an easy draw to the four-foot with his last shot in the eighth end to defeat Team Cotter 5-3 in the finals of the Masters curling in Truro, N.S.

Coming in, the foursome from Winnipeg, Man., had a record of 5-1, while making the highest percentage of shots out of any of the teams at 86.2 per cent.

This play was carried over into the finals, as the team made 83 per cent of its shots, including a great performance by the skip who curled 99 per cent, on its way to the team’s sixth Grand Slam of Curling title.

After a blank in the fifth, McEwen was able to capitalize a small mistakes by his opposing skip, picking up a pair of points to take the 4-2 lead going into the final three ends.

McEwen continued his dominate play in a very important seventh, as a couple of great takeouts forced Jim Cotter to take just the solo point with the hammer, allowing the world’s top team to take the 4-3 lead into the eighth and final end.

There were a lot of eyes on the third shooters for both teams, and it was a story of the vices in the final end of the first half.

B.J. Neufeld from Team McEwen continued his hot play throughout the week, making a very difficult run-back, double-takeout with his first shot to sit three.

On the other hand, Ryan Kuhn from Team Cotter was unable to make either of his shots, allowing McEwen to only give up one point to take the hammer going into the fifth.

Neufeld curled 91 per cent through the first six game of the event, putting him at the top among the thirds, but he was unable to get his game going in the finals, making only 77 per cent of his shots.

Kuhn, who was the less experienced vice of the two on the main stage, curled to a higher percentage of the pair, throwing 84 per cent in the finals.

Even though Team Cotter, who qualified for the event by winning the tier two title at the Tour Challenge in Paradise, NL., failed to win their first Grand Slam of Curling finals in the top level, they will look to build on this event in two weeks when the tour stops in Oshawa, Ont., for the National.

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By: Connor Dorion
Posted: Nov 1 2015 8:16 pm
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Filed under: Curling Sports
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