WATCH ABOVE: Brad Gushue held back tears in the post game media scrum Saturday, before stopping and walking away for a few minutes to gather his emotions.
CALGARY – At the start of the week, Newfoundland and Labrador skip Brad Gushue said this was the best team he’s ever brought to a Brier.
Which is why losing 8-6 to Team Canada in the semifinal Saturday was one of the toughest losses he’s had in 12 trips to the Brier.
Gushue was heartbroken at the Brier again after the loss. He held back tears in the post game media scrum before stopping and then walking away for a few minutes to gather his emotions.
Gushue said he thought this team was the one that would get him back to the Brier final.
“I felt this was our year, I really did. The guys played well enough. I missed some shots last night and tonight that I don’t normally miss,” Gushue said. “I felt we worked hard and we’re one of the best teams in the world this year and played good all week.”
“We just wanted to get to the final and have one game to win and take our chances. Now we got to play in the dumbest game in curling, the bronze medal game of the Brier which we should have won before. But we’ll come out and play hard, maybe hung-over but hard,” Gushue said.
In the 10th end, Newfoundland and Labrador had a 6-5 lead coming home but Gushue was all out of rocks and all he could do was watch.
Canada with the last rock and a chance for the win and Simmons threw the big weight, blasted two red rocks out of the house to score three and the win.
Team Canada would return to the Brier final with an 8-6 victory.
“It’s been some hard loses but we’ll be back,” Gushue said.
Brad Gushue and his Newfoundland and Labrador rink played the bronze medal game Sunday and lost 7-5 to Steve Laycock’s Saskatchewan’rink at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Laycock scored a deuce in the extra end for the win.
Even if a rink doesn’t make it to the Brier final, they still get a payout. Here’s the prize breakdown for Sunday’s medal games at the 2015 Tim Hortons Brier.
Prize pool:
1. $55,000
2. $45,000
3. $35,000
4. $25,000
Cresting money (for wearing Tim Hortons crest)
1st through 4th — $10,000
5th through 8th — $7,000
9th through 12th — $4,000
Athletes Assistance Fund
1st through 4th — $7,000
5th through 8th — $5,000
9th through 12th — $2,000
The winning team will receive $10,000 for wearing a Tim Hortons Crest at 2015 Ford World Curling Championship, March 28-April in Halifax, as well as Sport Canada ‘A’ Card funding over two years, totalling $144,000 for the team, and access to Own The Podium funding (TBD) for training and competition expenses.
Comments