ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Thursday night's curling action at the Kioti National was filled with its fair share of excitement and drama. The matchup between Mike McEwen and hometown favourite Brad Gushue lived up to its billing, with McEwen emerging victorious in a 4-3 thriller.
The Winnipeg native McEwen and his team faced off against the highly-regarded Gushue, from St. John's, N.L., in what proved to be an intense and closely contested match. The back-and-forth affair had the crowd on the edge of their seats as both teams clashed in the round-robin play.
As the game headed into the eighth and final end, McEwen and his team knew they had to come up with something special to take down the local favourite. With the score tied at 3-3, McEwen lined up for the final throw of the match, determined to come out on top.
In a masterful display of skill and strategy, McEwen executed a precise takeout, clearing the way for a solitary point and securing the win for his team. The crowd was left stunned as McEwen's team celebrated the hard-fought victory.
The loss will undoubtedly be a bitter pill to swallow for Gushue, who had high hopes of performing well in front of his hometown fans. However, McEwen's surprising win serves as a testament to the high level of competition at the Kioti National and sets the stage for an action-packed rest of the tournament.