EDMONTON: Of all the games he played this week at the Canadian Curling Association Olympic Trials, this was probably the one game Glenn Howard wanted to win the most.
Surrendering three points in the ninth end to Edmonton’s Kevin Martin, Howard and his Coldwater and District Curling Club rink lost 8-6 to complete the round-robin portion of the trials with a 6-1 record.
That tied Howard with Martin in the overall standings, but the win by Martin gives him an automatic bye into Sunday’s championship final.
In order to force a rematch, Howard will need to defeat Manitoba’s Jeff Stoughton on Saturday in semi-final action.
After a seesaw battle, Martin sealed the win with a run-back double in the ninth end to spill two of Howard’s rocks out of the house and score three points.
The 47-year-old Howard readily admitted his weight was a little off on his two deliveries in the ninth end.
Howard’s first rock crashed on a guard and his second drew into the four foot, but in the worst possible in between position to set up Martin's big shot.??
“If we're a foot short or a foot long he can't make that shot," said Howard.
“But I could see it was lined up perfectly and Kevin just doesn't miss those.”??
Martin agreed.??
“He didn't put his rock just where he wanted, because he left a pocket there. I could have hit off of ours or off of his. And the result's the same.”??
Howard and his team of Richard Hart, Brent Laing and Craig Savill took control of the night's feature match with three points in the fourth end for a 4-2 edge.
Martin scored two in the fifth end to tie the game and the teams exchanged last-rock singles for the next three ends, until Martin delivered the game's killing blow, a runback-double in the ninth.
Howard was unable to mount a comeback in the 10th end.
“It's a fine line between us,” said Howard, speaking about his many on-ice battles with Martin.
“He may have an edge in games, but it isn't great. The scenario here looks familiar but we'll be looking to change the ending.”
Howard was referring to the 2009 Brier, when the Coldwater skip defeated Stoughton in the semi-finals, only to suffer a crushing defeat at the hands of Martin in the final.
In his final game at the 2009 Olympic Trials, Victoria Harbour’s Wayne Middaugh and his St. George’s Golf and Curling Club rink posted their second win in seven games, knocking off Jason Gunnlaugson of Winnipeg 9-4.
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