OGDEN, Utah — Canada is off to the gold medal game at the World Men’s Curling Championship.
Matt Dunstone and his rink of third Colton Lott, second E.J. Harnden and lead Ryan Harnden defeated Italy’s Stefano Spiller 9-7 in the qualification game on Friday morning and then advanced to the championship game with a 9-7 victory over Scotland in the afternoon draw.
As a result, Canada will now face Sweden’s Niklas Edin in the gold medal game on Saturday afternoon in Ogden, Utah, after their 8-6 victory over the United States’ John Shuster in the other semifinal.
The qualification game saw a far different start compared to the round robin meeting between the two teams, with Canada forced to blank the first end and then take one in the second.
Spiller then took control of the contest with three in the third end, their first with the hammer, before getting another force in the fourth end to hold a 3-2 lead.
After Italy was held to one in the fifth, Canada looked to be in a bit of trouble at Dunstone’s final shot the next end, but he’d make a great angle raise takeout to score a pair and tie things up 4-4.
Dunstone was left with another tough angle raise double with his last shot in the seventh, and he’d get one Italy rock but had the other jam at the back of the house. Spiller had a wide open draw for the deuce and he’d put it in the four foot for the deuce.
Spiller had a couple overthrows on his two rocks in the eighth, leaving Dunstone with a draw to the eight foot for his deuce, and he’d have no difficulty, making it a 6-6 game with two ends to play.
Spiller faced a Canada shot rock frozen to his own second shot on his final rock of the ninth, and his attempt to pick it out for the deuce would result in the force instead. That gave Italy a 7-6 lead coming home with Canada holding hammer.
There, Spiller came in heavy on a final draw attempt, leaving Italy sitting one and Dunstone having a chance for a double and the game-winning deuce. Canada’s skipper would come through in perfect style, getting both Italy rocks and picking up three for the 9-7 victory.
The semifinal saw Scotland with the hammer in the first end and they set things up perfectly for the deuce, with Whyte getting a wide-open hit-and-stick for a quick 2-0 lead.
Dunstone attempted a hit-and-stick angle double with his first shot to lay two with his first shot in the second, but had the shooter roll out. That led to Canada getting a takeout with their final shot for the blank.
Things set up far better the next end, with Dunstone left with a nearly straight back raise takeout for a pair. He’d make no mistake, and things were tied 2-2 through three.
The skips got into a draw contest to finish off the fourth, with Dunstone using the Harnden brothers sweeping to bury around a host of rocks out front for shot rock in the four foot with his last rock. Whyte was just as good, using his sweepers to put his last shot on the button, giving Scotland the single point.
A touch-weight takeout by Whyte with his last shot of the fifth left Scotland laying four all around the house, and Dunstone would make a nice hit and light roll into the four to pick up one and tie things up 3-3 at the break.
A Scotland rock biting the 12 foot proved to be valuable for Whyte at his final stone, as he got the takeout on Canada’s shot stone in the four foot behind cover to score a pair.
A couple of jams on a double attempt by Whyte in the seventh ended up with Scotland facing four Canada counters at their last shot, and after Whyte got rid of two, Dunstone drew into the four foot for three and a 6-5 lead.
Scotland had a shot for three on their last shot in the eighth, but Whyte’s touch takeout would come in a bit heavy, and they’d settle for two and the one-point lead.
The duel of the deuces continued in the ninth, with Dunstone having an open draw to the eight foot to pick up another pair and take an 8-7 lead coming home.
A great triple raise to the button on Dunstone’s first stone of the 10th looked to have Canada in good shape sitting shot rock on the button behind a ton of cover, and Whyte could do nothing about it with his first rock. Dunstone threw a long guard with his final shot, and Whyte was left with an incredibly difficult shot with a dwindling time clock. He’d get it off with four seconds left, but it would go well wide, and Canada had the steal and their spot in the gold medal game.
The United States won the other qualification game 9-8 over Switzerland’s Marco Hoesli, while Sweden had finished in first place in the round and advanced directly to the semifinal.
The U.S. will face Scotland for bronze at 9 a.m. on Saturday, while Canada and Sweden will go for gold at 2 p.m.
The medal games will be broadcast on TSN, and you can follow along online at livescores.worldcurling.org.
