Nightmare start continues for Team Dunstone with third straight loss

It certainly hasn’t been the dream start Team Dunstone was looking for at the Canadian Olympic curling trials.

On Monday afternoon at SaskTel Centre, the Saskatchewan-based team dropped its third straight game to open the trials, this one a 10-3 blowout loss to Kevin Koe.

Aside from an electric shot with the last rock in the third that saw skip Matt Dunstone nail a runback to score two, there wasn’t much success to be had.

Entering the fifth end in a 2-2 tie, Koe put the game out of reach with a four-spot, making it 6-2 going into the break.

Dunstone responded with only a single in the sixth end, and Koe went on to scored two in the seventh.

Handshakes ensued after the eighth end, as Koe’s team stole two after continuing to make shot after shot.

However, Dunstone says the crowd support has been fantastic and there’s still plenty of curling left to go.

“Even though we’re leaving the ice, they’re still cheering us on,” Dunstone said.

“To have their support regardless is definitely going to keep us going. At the end of the day, 5-3 (record) is going to get you something really good in this field.”

Sitting with an 0-3 record, Dunstone’s team will almost certainly have to win all five of its remaining games and get some help from opposing teams along the way.

While the record speaks for itself, second Kirk Muyres says he’s seeing tons of improvement from the team.

“This one, I kind of feel better than some of the other ones because I can see the progression,” Muyres said. “The tide is kind of turning a little bit, so I think some good things are going to come tomorrow.”

Muyres credits the three teams he and his teammates have faced so far.

“We played two of the top teams in the world, (Brad) Jacobs and Koe are playing bang on, and then Mike (McEwen) you can see out there is dialled in,” Muyres said.

“Presumably, we might have been playing the three best teams in the field so far.”

Dunstone will face John Epping in his next match in an essential must-win game.