By Jonathan Brazeau
MEDICINE HAT, Alta. — Team John Epping qualified for the playoffs at the P&H Masters after doubling up on Team Jordon McDonald 8-4 Friday.
Epping, who finished the preliminary round with a 3-1 record (nine points), scored three in the third and again in the sixth during the matchup between Winnipeg-based clubs.
McDonald needed the win to stay in contention and was eliminated at 1-3 (three points).
Epping also defeated Edmonton's Team Brendan Bottcher and Calgary's Team Brad Jacobs and lost to Team Bruce Mouat of Scotland earlier in the Grand Slam of Curling presented by Molson Canadian tournament.
"It's been a great week so far," said Epping, who was a quarterfinalist in last month's GSOC Co-op Invitational in Victoria. "I was kind of in the Canadian pool. We had a few Canadian teams that we actually haven't seen a bunch this year, so that was always good.
"It's tough to qualify in these events. Anytime you can go 2 for 2, that's pretty good."
Epping and lead Ian McMillan linked up with third B.J. Neufeld and second Ryan Wiebe ahead of the new quadrennial. After missing the playoffs in their season debut at the Stu Sells Oakville Tankard, Epping finished runner-up in two events and won the Henderson Metal Fall Classic in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
Picking up wins over Bottcher, Jacobs and McDonald — three of the top teams in Canada — was a good test for the new-look Team Epping as well.
"It's actually nice to get wins against them early, and it just helps us kind of assess where we're at, too," Epping said. "There's still lots to learn about each other, and we're fortunate enough that things have been kind of rolling for us a bunch, qualifying in a row. We didn't qualify in the first one. Now we've qualified in the rest.
"It just gives us lots of confidence and another chance tomorrow to play in a Slam quarter. We weren't as sharp in Victoria in our Slam quarter, so I'm hoping we can come out and be good tomorrow."
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Elsewhere in Draw 14, Switzerland's Team Marco Hösli completed an undefeated run through the preliminary stage with an 11-4 victory over Team Peter Hlushak of Edmonton.
Hösli sits at the top of the table with a 4-0 record (11 points).
Winnipeg's Team Matt Dunstone (3-0, nine points), plus Scotland's Team Grant Hardie (3-0, eight points) and Mouat (3-0, nine points) have also already clinched playoff berths.
Switzerland's Team Yannick Schwaller (2-1, seven points), Bottcher (2-1, six points), Team Danny Casper (2-1, six points) of the United States and Scotland's Team Kyle Waddell (2-1, five points) remain in the mix for the final three spots in the quarterfinals, with two round-robin draws remaining.
Teams receive three points for a regulation win (in eight ends or fewer), two points for a shootout win, one point for a shootout loss with the hammer, and zero points for a shootout loss without the hammer or a regulation loss.
