Brier finalists Team McEwen win early season bonspiel at Saville Shootout
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Saskatoon's Team Mike McEwen are off to a nice start in their second season as a foursome.
Playing in their second bonspiel of the 2024-25 season, Team McEwen outlasted the competition at the Saville Shootout in Edmonton, capping it with an 8-5 win over Winnipeg's Team Jordon McDonald in Monday's final.
McEwen put up a three-spot in the second end before adding deuces in the fifth and seventh ends on their way to victory.
The foursome - featuring McEwen at skip, Colton Flasch at third, Kevin Marsh at second and Daniel Marsh at lead - went 7-1 at the event, beating Team Ethan Sampson in the quarterfinal and provincial rival Team Rylan Kleiter of Saskatoon in the semifinal.
Team McDonald, who also won the U25 NextGen Classic last month, won all their games leading up to the final, including a round robin victory over Team McEwen and a semifinal victory over Team Reid Carruthers.
Calgary's Team Kevin Koe were eliminated by Team Kleiter in the quarters.
Team McEwen fell to Team Brad Gushue in the Montana's Brier final last year in Regina in their first season together.
McEwen and McDonald will both compete at the 2024 PointsBet Invitational later this month in Calgary.
The women's side of the draw saw an all-Japanese final between Kitami's Team Satsuki Fujisawa and Sapporo's Team Momoha Tabata.
Fujisawa began the final by scoring three in the first end before Tabata had the game tied 3-3 after three ends. Fujisawa led 5-4 with hammer heading into the eighth end, but the 22-year-old Tabata managed to steal three to pick up the 7-5 victory.
It's been an impressive start to the season for Team Tabata after winning the ARGO GRAPHICS Cup the previous weekend.
Other notable names that competed at the Savile Shootout, included Winnipeg's Team Kaitlyn Lawes, who dropped the semifinal to Team Tabata and Gimli's Team Kerri Einarson, who were defeated by Japan's Team Ikue Kitazawa in the quarters.
Canadian rinks led by Selena Sturmay (3-2), Corryn Brown (0-5), Serena Gray-Withers (2-3) and Kate Cameron (3-2) all missed the playoffs.
Schwaller cousins find success at Stu Sells Oakville Tankard
It was a good weekend for the Schwaller family at the Stu Sells Oakville Tankard this weekend as Yannick and his cousin Xenia both won the early season event.
Geneva's Team Yannick Schwaller, also featuring fourth Benoit Schwarz, second Sven Michel and lead Pablo Lachat, defeated Germany's Team Marc Muskatewitz, 6-5, in an extra end final to claim the men's title.
The Swiss foursome had to take down juggernauts in world No. 1 Team Bruce Mouat of Scotland in the quarterfinal and three-time defending Brier champion Team Brad Gushue in the semifinal.
Team Xenia Schwaller took down Calgary's Team Kayla Skrlik in the women's final, 7-6. The difference in the game came in the seventh end when Team Schwaller stole three points.
Team Skrlik have now dropped back-to-back finals after losing the Icebreaker Challenger last weekend.
Team Sherrilee Orsted Wins Sutherland SaskTour Icebreaker
Moose Jaw's Team Sherrilee Orsted scored three points in the third and fourth ends to down Saskatoon's Team Ashley Thevenot, 8-3, in the final of the Sutherland SaskTour Icebreaker on Sunday.
Team Thevenot, who were skipped by Skylar Ackerman at last year's Scotties Tournament of Hearts, won the Icebreaker Challenge last weekend, beating Team Skrlik in the final.