Jordon McDonald’s youthful Winnipeg squad is getting to know Nova Scotia.
Following an 8-5 win over city rival Braden Calvert at the Pre-Trials in Wolfville, N.S., Team McDonald will return to the bluenose province next month – specifically Halifax – for the Canadian Olympic Trials.
And then there were two, playing three times • Curling Canada
The teams swapped deuces through three ends but after a blanked fourth end, McDonald forced Calvert to a single in the fifth.
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Following another blank, McDonald took control again with another deuce in the seventh frame – his third of the match – to go up 6-3.
But Calvert refused to go quietly, and scored his second deuce of the match in the eighth end to make it 6-5 for McDonald.
The killer blow came in the ninth, which saw McDonald navigate a port – barely – on a hit and stick for yet another deuce, and an 8-5 cushion.
McDonald had defeated Calvert 10-5 on Friday, giving him a stranglehold on the berth. However, Curling Canada’s new best-of-three finals format gave Calvert a chance, and the 30-year-old skip Calvert took advantage in the rematch on Saturday, winning 8-5, which forced Sunday’s finale.
Curling Canada
Calvert held an 11-4 career won/loss record over McDonald heading into Wolfville.
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The 22-year-old McDonald is supported by Jacques Gauthier, Elias Huminicki and Cameron Olafson.
The two Manitoba foursomes went 5-2 during the week, with Calvert getting to the bye to the final series.
Scott Howard, who lost on last stone to McDonald in the semifinal, finished 4-3 along with fellow southern Ontarian Jayden King and Quebec’s Jean-Michel Ménard.
Sam Mooibroek of Whitby, Ont. and Owen Purcell of Halifax both went 3-4, while Mark Kean of Woodstock, Ont. finished 0-7.
Calvert and third Kyle Kurz also competed at the 2021 Pre-Trials – also hosted in Nova Scotia, at Liverpool – and finished 2-4.
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The longtime teammates also won both of their Canadian Junior titles in Atlantic Canada; at Liverpool in 2014, and Corner Brook, NL in 2015.
The women’s side has seen Selena Sturmay of Edmonton hold the initial advantage. After her team’s bye to the final, they scored a first playoff victory (8-5) over semifinal winner Kayla MacMillan of Victoria, B.C.
However, a heavy draw against five MacMillan counters in the second match led to a 10-9 B.C. victory, which forced Sunday afternoon’s women’s final.
Team McDonald are the final men’s entry into the Trials which begins play on Nov. 22. The full field of skips reads as follows:
Brad Gushue, St. John’s NL
Brad Jacobs, Calgary
Matt Dunstone, Winnipeg
Mike McEwen, Regina
Kevin Koe, Calgary
Rylan Kleiter, Saskatoon, Sask.
John Epping, Sudbury, Ont.
Jordon McDonald, Winnipeg
