Defending champion Reid Carruthers leaves the PointsBet Invitational – Winnipeg early

Another Manitoba team was upset Thursday night at the third annual PointsBet Invitational.

Two-time defending champions Team Reid Carruthers were eliminated after losing a draw against the button in their first ever match of the single knockout bonspiel.

The sixth-seeded Carruthers foursome was defeated by 11th-seeded Felix Asselin 5-4 in the Sweep 16 round.

With the match level, Carruthers gave up two points in the ninth end, trailing a pair coming home in the 10th. After Asselin missed a double takeout for the win in the final end, Carruthers made a raising takeout to score a deuce, leaving the score level after 10 game ends.

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There will be no extra game played in this event, as the winner will be determined by a tie via the button. Carruthers went first and slid past the knob into the four-footer. Asselin then placed his throw right on the button to end Carruthers’ hopes of winning a third straight PointsBet title.

Fourth seed Matt Dunstone was eliminated with a loss in their opening match on Wednesday. And in the women’s draw, third seed and four-time national champion Kerri Einarson was upset by 14th seed Allyson MacNutt earlier on Thursday.

“It’s definitely difficult,” Einarson said. “They played very well. They made a lot of nice draws and we missed quite a few opportunities.

“We can’t take anything away from them. They played very well, we didn’t.”

Four Manitoba rinks qualified for the quarterfinals of the Elite 8. Jordon McDonald is the last Manitoba team in the men’s draw and the 13th seed will face Kevin Koe on Friday.

Fourth seed Kaitlyn Lawes will face fifth seed Selena Sturmay. Second seed Chelsea Carey, with old team Jennifer Jones, will face 10th seed Kayla Skrlik. And sixth seed Kate Cameron will meet MacNutt for a place in the last four.

-With files from Canadian Press

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