McEwen, Lawton remain undefeated with extra-end wins at Canada Cup

MOOSE JAW, Sask. - Mike McEwen and Stefanie Lawton both needed extra-end wins to remain undefeated at the Capital One Canada Cup curling competition.

McEwen improved to 3-0 with a 9-8 extra-end win over John Epping on Thursday.

McEwen scored two in the ninth end, but Epping's rink from Peterborough, Ont., came right back with two in the 10th. After easily laying his last stone into an open house, a measurement showed Epping's second rock was closer to the button than McEwen's lead stone.

But McEwen made no mistake with the hammer in the extra end, easily clearing out Epping's rock and scoring the winning point.

In women's action, Saskatoon's Lawton also needed an extra end to improve to 3-0, beating Winnipeg's Chelsea Carey 6-5. After two blank ends Carey scored one in the 10th to tie the game 5-5, but Lawton used the hammer in the extra end to get the clinching point. Carey fell to 0-3.

The win puts McEwen and Lawton a step closer to an Olympic berth. The winner of both the men's and women's tournaments will receive one of the six automatic qualification spots for the 2013 Roar of the Rings — the tournament that will determine who advances to the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi.

McEwen moved just ahead of fellow Winnipeg native Jeff Stoughton (2-0) who was idle in Draw 4.

Epping, who opened the tournament with an upset of Olympic champion Kevin Martin, fell to 1-2.

Also in Draw 4, Edmonton's Kevin Koe improved to 2-1 with an 8-7 win over former Olympic champion Brad Gushue of St. John's, N.L.

Gushue (0-3) opened with a steal of three points in the first end, but Koe came back with steals of one in the eighth and two in the ninth to take control of the game.

In women's competition, Calgary's Crystal Webster and Heather Nedohin of Sherwood Park, Alta., both improved to 2-1.

Webster beat Cathy Overton-Clapham 8-4, sending the Winnipeg rink to 0-3. Nedohin defeated Sherry Middaugh 8-6. Middaugh's Coldwater, Ont., foursome fell to 1-2.