Saskatchewan heading to final at 2024 Montana’s Brier

With another win in the books and a berth in the final clinched, Saskatchewan took another step in the direction of ending the province’s decades-long drought at the Brier.

Saskatchewan’s Mike McEwen beat Alberta’s Brendan Bottcher 7-3 in the semifinal Sunday at the Canadian men’s curling championship at the Brandt Centre.

With the win, McEwen moved to Sunday’s final against Team Canada’s Brad Gushue. That contest is to begin at 6 p.m.

The last time Saskatchewan was in the final at the Brier was 1995, when Brad Heidt’s rink lost to Manitoba’s Kerry Burtnyk. Saskatchewan hasn’t won a Brier since Rick Folk in 1980.

The battle Sunday started early in the game with Saskatchewan blanking the first two ends, but McEwen made it worth his while, picking up three points with a hit in the third end.

The teams matched each other shot for shot in some cases, keeping the score low until a miss from Bottcher in the seventh end opened up an opportunity for Saskatchewan and McEwen ended up scoring another three to go up 6-2.

After Bottcher scored one in the eighth, McEwen put things away with a hit for one in the ninth and the Alberta team conceded.

McEwen finished round-robin play at the top of Pool B with a 7-1 record.

He lost to Bottcher on Friday afternoon in the 1-2 qualifying game, but won that evening against the Northwest Territories’ Jamie Koe 7-0 in a 3-4 Page qualifier. On Saturday afternoon, McEwen downed Manitoba’s Matt Dunstone in a 6-5 nailbiter in the 3-4 Page playoff game.

Fans can’t get enough

Fans were expecting an exciting game Sunday night but some, like Dawn McKenzie, didn’t know who to cheer for.

“This is the trouble, because I really like Brad,” she said. “So I think I should wear one jacket with red on this sleeve and green on this sleeve and I’ll be a winner!”

But she’s ready for the 44-year-long Saskatchewan drought to be over.

“I’m so dry from the drought. It’s been a long, long drought. (A win) would be great,” said McKenzie.

After McEwen won the semifinal, she was pumped to watch the big game a few hours later.

“The electricity in here was awesome,” she said. “Tonight is going to be explosive!”

Regardless of who wins, McKenzie said she had a great week at the Brier.

“I will go home happy because it’s good curling,” she said.

— With files from 980 CJME’s Nicole Garn