Carruthers to meet Dunstone again in PointsBet final
We're two years into the PointsBet Invitational, and one thing we can safely say is that Reid Carruthers (Photo: Michael Burns, Curling Canada) and Matt Dunstone have figured this format out.
The two Winnipeg-based teams met in the final of the inaugural PointsBet Invitational a year ago in Fredericton, N.B., where Team Carruthers prevailed 8-4 to claim the $50,000 winner's cheque.
New season, new location, but a familiar plotline as the same teams will battle again Sunday at 5 p.m. (all times Eastern) in the men's final of the 2023 PointsBet Invitational.
Both claimed Final 4 victories on in dramatic fashion Saturday, with both winning sudden-death draw-to-the-button tiebreakers at the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex in Mississauga, Ont., and are the last teams standing in the 16-team single-knockout bracket.
And, yes, Dunstone is looking for a little revenge.
"Tomorrow's a new day, we're a year (later),†said a smiling Dunstone during a post-game interview alongside Carruthers, moments after his third-seeded team, rounded out by vice-skip B.J. Neufeld, second Colton Lott, lead Ryan Harnden and coach Adam Kingsbury, shaded 10th-seeded Team Mike McEwen of Saskatoon 6-5. "Obviously Reid has a good team, they played to knock off Brad (Gushue), so it's going to be a fun game, a little Manitoba battle there. Hopefully we're a little hungry after what happened last year at this event.â€
Both teams already have $26,000 in the bank from their first three wins — Sunday's final offers a winner-take-all jackpot of $24,000, which would round out the winnings to a tidy $50,000, not to mention put an exclamation point on the opening month of the 2023-24 season.
The Dunstone-McEwen battle was a tight-to-the-vest affair that featured only one deuce in the opening six ends, scored by Team McEwen in the second. Team Dunstone scored a crucial steal of one in the fourth to take a 3-2 lead, and stole another in the eighth for a 5-3 lead.
Team McEwen, though, would rally for singles in the ninth and 10th ends to tie it and force the draw-off. McEwen was heavy with his, and Dunstone finished back button for the win.
"I got a little glimpse of Mike's draw and I had quite a bit of space (to work with,†said Dunstone, the 2023 Brier silver-medallist. "So that kind of puts your mind at ease a bit.â€
Carruthers, vice-skip Brad Jacobs, second Derek Samagalski, lead Connor Njegovan and coach Rob Meakin reached the final by taking down top-seeded Team Gushue of St. John's, N.L., in the semifinal for the second straight year.
After falling behind 3-1 through five ends, Team Carruthers would rally for a game-tying deuce in the sixth thanks to a pair of sublime deliveries from Carruthers. The teams traded singles the next four ends to get to the tiebreaker. Both were a little light of the button, but Carruthers finished closer to advance to the final with a 6-5 win.
"We got down early but we didn't get too upset,†said Carruthers. "We stayed positive. I said, ‘Guys, just get me to a draw (for the win). That's all you can really hope for in this format. It's a mental battle; all these teams are really close, so that's all it is.â€
Since that final 12 months ago in Fredericton, Team Dunstone has won seven of eight head-to-head meetings with Team Carruthers. But that goes out the window on Sunday.
"Apparently we both really love this event,†chuckled Carruthers. "I'm expecting a burner; every time we play them, it seems to be a really good game. They're an amazing team. I'm looking forward to it. I'm sure there's going to be some chirps sent back and forth via text tonight. It'll be a good battle.â€
"Any time you get a couple of top teams in the province battling it out against each other, you do nothing but make each other better,†added Dunstone. "This will be one of probably double-digit meetings this season. The more we get into this situation, the more both of our teams will benefit.â€
The 2023 PointsBet Invitational wraps up Sunday with the women's final between top-seeded Team Kerri Einarson (Gimli, Man.) and No. 2 seed Team Rachel Homan (Ottawa), followed by the men's final at 5.
The two Winnipeg-based teams met in the final of the inaugural PointsBet Invitational a year ago in Fredericton, N.B., where Team Carruthers prevailed 8-4 to claim the $50,000 winner's cheque.
New season, new location, but a familiar plotline as the same teams will battle again Sunday at 5 p.m. (all times Eastern) in the men's final of the 2023 PointsBet Invitational.
Both claimed Final 4 victories on in dramatic fashion Saturday, with both winning sudden-death draw-to-the-button tiebreakers at the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex in Mississauga, Ont., and are the last teams standing in the 16-team single-knockout bracket.
And, yes, Dunstone is looking for a little revenge.
"Tomorrow's a new day, we're a year (later),†said a smiling Dunstone during a post-game interview alongside Carruthers, moments after his third-seeded team, rounded out by vice-skip B.J. Neufeld, second Colton Lott, lead Ryan Harnden and coach Adam Kingsbury, shaded 10th-seeded Team Mike McEwen of Saskatoon 6-5. "Obviously Reid has a good team, they played to knock off Brad (Gushue), so it's going to be a fun game, a little Manitoba battle there. Hopefully we're a little hungry after what happened last year at this event.â€
Both teams already have $26,000 in the bank from their first three wins — Sunday's final offers a winner-take-all jackpot of $24,000, which would round out the winnings to a tidy $50,000, not to mention put an exclamation point on the opening month of the 2023-24 season.
The Dunstone-McEwen battle was a tight-to-the-vest affair that featured only one deuce in the opening six ends, scored by Team McEwen in the second. Team Dunstone scored a crucial steal of one in the fourth to take a 3-2 lead, and stole another in the eighth for a 5-3 lead.
Team McEwen, though, would rally for singles in the ninth and 10th ends to tie it and force the draw-off. McEwen was heavy with his, and Dunstone finished back button for the win.
"I got a little glimpse of Mike's draw and I had quite a bit of space (to work with,†said Dunstone, the 2023 Brier silver-medallist. "So that kind of puts your mind at ease a bit.â€
Carruthers, vice-skip Brad Jacobs, second Derek Samagalski, lead Connor Njegovan and coach Rob Meakin reached the final by taking down top-seeded Team Gushue of St. John's, N.L., in the semifinal for the second straight year.
After falling behind 3-1 through five ends, Team Carruthers would rally for a game-tying deuce in the sixth thanks to a pair of sublime deliveries from Carruthers. The teams traded singles the next four ends to get to the tiebreaker. Both were a little light of the button, but Carruthers finished closer to advance to the final with a 6-5 win.
"We got down early but we didn't get too upset,†said Carruthers. "We stayed positive. I said, ‘Guys, just get me to a draw (for the win). That's all you can really hope for in this format. It's a mental battle; all these teams are really close, so that's all it is.â€
Since that final 12 months ago in Fredericton, Team Dunstone has won seven of eight head-to-head meetings with Team Carruthers. But that goes out the window on Sunday.
"Apparently we both really love this event,†chuckled Carruthers. "I'm expecting a burner; every time we play them, it seems to be a really good game. They're an amazing team. I'm looking forward to it. I'm sure there's going to be some chirps sent back and forth via text tonight. It'll be a good battle.â€
"Any time you get a couple of top teams in the province battling it out against each other, you do nothing but make each other better,†added Dunstone. "This will be one of probably double-digit meetings this season. The more we get into this situation, the more both of our teams will benefit.â€
The 2023 PointsBet Invitational wraps up Sunday with the women's final between top-seeded Team Kerri Einarson (Gimli, Man.) and No. 2 seed Team Rachel Homan (Ottawa), followed by the men's final at 5.