BRUNDIDGE, DROPKIN TO PLAY FOR MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE
After falling to Team Dropkin in last night’s page playoff game, Team Brundidge opened the semi-final game with hammer.
Team Brundidge gave up a steal of one to Team Violette, who advanced to the semi-final by beating Team Dunnam in the page playoff game.
Team Brundidge then scored a single with hammer in the second and stole another in the third frame.
Violette evened the scoreboard in the fourth end with a score of one before Team Brundidge executed the first multiple score of the semi-final matchup.
Scoring two in the fifth end to take a two-point lead, Brundidge hoped to force Violette to a single. After coming up just short on a freeze attempt in the sixth end to complete the force, Violette was left with a double for three points, but ended up hitting the shot rock too thin and scoring a deuce.
Brundidge and Violette exchanged single points in the seventh and eighth frames, keeping the scoreboard even with only two ends remaining and one hammer each.
In the ninth end, a pile of stones cluttered the four foot, but it was two Brundidge stones that sat shot after Violette’s final draw attempt of the end. Leaving Brundidge a draw to the four-foot for a score of three, Jed Brundidge split the tee-line and took a three-point lead heading into the final end of the game.
Luc Violette’s team was unable to even the score, resulting in an 8-5 victory for Team Brundidge.
With their semi-final victory, Team Brundidge has secured a top two finish in the field, qualifying them for a spot in the 2022 U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
"It's unbelievable to tell you the truth,” said Cameron Rittennour, lead for Team Brundidge. “It's kind of a dream come true. It was our goal the whole time to try and make the Trials and it's unbelievable to that we've made it."
Rittenour competing in his first National Championship just three years ago in Fargo.
"Being new to curling myself, it's absolutely amazing that we've gotten this far with a new team that's pretty fresh,” said Rittenour. “I'm just proud of all of us to get to this point."
Team Brundidge will face Team Dropkin in the National Championship final at 7:00 PM.
FOLLOW ALONG
Live scoring of the 2021 U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Championships.
The Championships will be broadcasted May 25-31 on the USA Curling Youtube Channel!
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