Brendan Bottcher and his Edmonton rink delivered a gut-punch to the Saskatchewan curling community in a nail-biting Brier semi-final.
Trailing 5-4, Bottcher stepped into the hack needing a long angle-raise takeout to count two and take the win over Matt Dunstone. He came through with the shot to move into the final.
Brendan Bottcher makes an amazing shot to send Alberta to the Brier final! pic.twitter.com/yzDZLMorpb
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) March 14, 2021
It was a game where neither rink was willing to give up anything as they traded singles until the 8th end when Bottcher stole one, but Dunstone rebounded to take two in the ninth setting the stage for the dramatic 10th end which ended with the Alberta skip hitting the game-winning shot.
The win means Dunstone finishes third at the Brier for the second year in a row.
“You get so close again.” a disappointed Dunstone said after the game. ” There’s nothing to hang our heads about, it was a world class game. The curling gods were wearing a blue sweater today.”
Bottcher went on to win Sunday night’s final beating the Kevin Koe rink in an all-Alberta final. The 4-2 win gives Bottcher his first Brier win. He had lost the last three finals.
