Harnden Brothers Reunite as Matt Dunstone's Team Prepares for Red Deer Curling Classic
In Red Deer, the Harnden brothers are set to reunite as Matt Dunstone's team prepares for the Red Deer Curling Classic. Winnipeg's Dunstone, currently ranked #9 in the world, will compete with a new lineup this tournament due to BJ Neufeld's prior commitments. As he announced, E.J. Harnden will step in at second, while Colton Lott will move to third position.
E.J. Harnden, who secured an Olympic gold medal in 2014 alongside Ryan Harnden, recently achieved back-to-back Brier titles with Brad Gushue from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. After being released from Gushue's team in October, E.J. has been training diligently at the YNCU Curling Centre in Sault Ste. Marie, gearing up for new opportunities.
Initially, Dunstone did not plan to include the Red Deer Curling Classic on this season's schedule. However, inconsistent performances in previous competitions raised the urgency for more world-ranking points. His most recent outing at the Co-op Canadian Open saw him reach the quarterfinals, where he faced setbacks against Brad Jacobs and Bruce Mouat while securing victories over Mike McEwen and Rylan Klieter in the round-robin.
Finishing with a 2-2 record, Dunstone advanced to the tiebreaker round, where he managed to win against McEwen. However, he ultimately lost 6-3 to Bruce Mouat in the quarterfinal stage. For the Red Deer Curling Classic, Dunstone received a bye in the first round and is set to face Daylan Vavrek from Sexsmith, Alberta, in his opening game, scheduled for 4:30 PM Mountain Time (MT). Vavrek previously secured a win in the opening draw against Edmonton's Ryan Jacques.
The championship final of the event will take place on Sunday at 3:30 PM MT.
