Stoughton Flattens Ursel
November 11, 2009
- Article by Brad Norman
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On the first day of the Road to the Roar Olymic Pre-Trials, Jeff Stoughton jumped all over Bob Ursel. Stoughton won his first game of the tournament thanks to a steal of five points, toppling his opponent 7-1 after eight ends.
Bob Ursel, residing in British Columbia, would love for the opportunity to play in the Olympics in his own province. But Jeff Stoughton put a damper on those plans early in the tournament.
The game was tight for the better part of the match. Neither team was able to post more than single points after seven ends, which gave Stoughton a slight 2-1 edge heading in to the eighth. After missing several shots, the end was shaping up very badly for Ursel. Stoughton took full advantage and set himself up for a big steal of five points. The big end gave Stoughton's squad a convincing 7-1 lead and Ursel through in the towel.
Other action during this draw included an upset between Mike McEwen and the legendary Kerry Burtnyk. Burtnyk, one of the favorites to advance to the Olympic trials, was beaten 8-2 by the young McEwen team.
On sheet C, Wayne Middaugh came up short against the powerful Pat Simmons, 9-6.
And on sheet D, Brad Gushue took one more step towards repreating as the Olympic champion. The Newfoundlanders came away with a comfortable 8-5 win against Greg McAulay.
The action continues on Wednesday through to Saturday, where the last four teams standing will book a trip to the Olympic Trials.
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