John Epping has captured his first tour title with his new Winnipeg-based team.
Epping won the Henderson Metal Fall Classic after defeating Italy's Team Joël Retornaz 5-4 in Saturday's final in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
With the game tied coming home, Epping just needed to make an open tap on his last to seal the championship.
Epping and lead Ian McMillan joined forces with third B.J. Neufeld and second Ryan Wiebe ahead of the new Olympic cycle. The world No. 10 Epping was a finalist at the AMJ Shorty Jenkins Classic and Stu Sells Toronto Tankard events and a quarterfinalist at the GSOC Co-op Invitational.
It was Retornaz's third runner-up finish in the tournament's four-year history.
Both teams entered the final undefeated, qualifying A-side through the triple knockout preliminary round.
Epping eliminated Team Jayden King of Tillsonburg, Ontario, 6-3 in the quarterfinals and Montreal’s Team Felix Asselin 4-3 in an extra end during the semifinals. Retornaz ousted Japan’s Team Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi 5-4 in an extra end in the quarterfinals and Team Brad Jacobs of Calgary 5-2 in the semifinals.
The Henderson Metal Fall Classic is a Satellite qualifier for the GSOC Open, Dec. 1-6, at Fort William Gardens in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
The season's fourth Grand Slam of Curling event features 16 teams in the men's and women's divisions: the top 12 teams from the world rankings, two Satellite qualifiers and two GSOC invites.
Should Epping remain in the top 12 by the qualification cutoff date, Nov. 10, the Grand Slam of Curling will reallocate the Henderson Metal Fall Classic qualifier berth to the highest-finishing eligible team from the event that is not in the top 12.
Danny Casper of the United States and Switzerland’s Alina Pätz secured spots for their teams in the GSOC Open by winning the Stu Sells Oakville Tankard.
The final women's Satellite qualifier for the GSOC Open is the Swiss Chalet Women's Curling Stadium Spiel, Nov. 6-8, in North Bay, Ontario.
