#MastersGSOC Preview

#BetweenTheSheets: Welcome To The Masters
The season's first major FINALLY hits the house

Slam season is here,

the rings will be dyed green,

are you excited?

FINALLY!

The rocks have come back to your television screen.

This is week 14 on tour rock heads. 14! And we are only getting our first slam of the season now. WTF?!?

But patience is also a virtue so with calm anticipation comes the big payoff.

Welcome to The Masters.

North Bay, Ontario is set to host the 8th co-edition of the Grand Slam of Curling event. The Masters is the annual opening major of the season and an event curling teams and fans look forward to.

While the preceding weeks on tour are also exciting, The Masters really brings the season to the forefront of the sports world. It also means winter is coming.....so spin your rock on that thought for a moment.

Before we slide out with the regular preview and prediction for the #MastersGSOC event, in fine tradition lets take a Back to the Future look at the eight ends of how this event has evolved over the years. To celebrate our present we must first respect our past as they say.

#HistoryLesson

• 2019 is the 8 year anniversary as the event being marked as a co-ed curling event. 2012 marked the first year women were included in The Masters. But for the men, the history runs a bit deeper. The first Masters event took place in 2002, then known as the Kia Masters of Curling.
• The inaugural 2002 winner was Saskatchewan's Bruce Korte (def. Jeff Stoughton). At the re-branding of the event in 2012, our first winners were Alberta's Kevin Koe (def. Jim Cotter) and Rachel Homan (def. Chelsea Carey).
• #HIStory has been made at The Masters. The #gsoc winners have been Canadian dominated since inception. Until 2016 that is. The #SwedishVikings Team Edin re-wrote the history books when they became the first non-Canadian team to win a grand slam event, defeating Brad Jacobs in the final in Okotoks, AB. Edin's run to the final was also the first time a non-Canadian team had even reached the championship game. Edin would replicate that feat the following year but was unable to #DefendTheIce losing the final to Brad Gushue.
• Don't forget #HERstory. Last year marked the first time a non-Canadian women's time was left hoisting the trophy. The #SwedishVikings Team Hasselborg claimed their first major (second slam after winning last season's opening Elite X) defeating Rachel Homan in the final in Truro, NS. European teams have come close in the past with Scotland's Eve Muirhead (2013, l. to Homan) and Sweden's Margaretha Sigfridsson (2014, l. to Team Sweeting) making the final.
• Homan History! Rachel Homan is the more decorated female skip at this event. Homan and company have won this championship 3 times: 2012, 2013, 2015. Their back-to-back wins in 2012 and 2013 also mark the only time a team has been able to #DefendTheIce at this event. Homan has also reached 2 finals: 2016 (l. to Team Flaxey) and 2018 (l. to Hasselborg). Add it up and it is 5 finals in the 7 year history of the event. Impressive!
• Howard History! Glenn Howard is the most successful men's skip. Howard has won 6 Masters titles: 2006-09, 2011 and 2013. Howard won 4 straight Masters titles from 2006 to 2009, a record still standing today. In fact Howard has never lost a final at this event.
• Koe Koncern? While Howard is batting 1.000 at this event when reaching the final, Kevin Koe has felt more heartache in the final than any other skip. Koe has come up just short of raising the trophy on 4 separate occasions. 3 of those 4 losses have come to Howard (Jan. 2008, Dec. 2008, 2009). The other Koe loss came last year (l. to Team Epping). Luckily Koe stood in the winner's circle back in 2012 to help avoid the 0-for history record.
• The Masters truly has become a Canadian slam, having been hosted in 6 different provinces: B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. Ontario leads the way with 8 hosting gigs, 2019 will be number 9. Saskatchewan is next with 3 followed by Nova Scotia and Newfoundland with 2. B.C., Alberta and Manitoba each have served as host once. The leading host city record is shared among a trio, each hosting twice: Sudbury, ON, Waterloo, ON and Truro, NS.
• Extra End: For those stat lovers, history buffs and superstitious rock heads out there, one final history point to consider going into this year's event. In the 7-year history of the event being hosted in Ontario, the men's winner has come from the home province 4 times. Alberta has won twice in Ontario and Manitoba has won once. Alberta and Manitoba each have 3 runner-up finishes while B.C. has 1. For the women, Ontario has only hosted once (2012) with a home province winner (Homan) and an Alberta finalist (Carey). So basically schedule an Alberta vs. Ontario final in 2019?

For this year's prediction post we are going to try something a bit different. Each team competing will be discussed, based on pool, but with a unique touch. Each teams preview will be presented in the form of an English favourite: Haiku!

Note the (#) is the current ranking for the team on the updated #PowerRankings (and not the current OOM ranking). Haiku on ice. Here we go....

#TourLifePredictions

#MastersGSOC (Major)

North Bay, ON

2018 Champions: Team Hasselborg (women), Team Epping (men)

Format: 15 team RR with 3 pools of 5. Top 8 qualify.

WOMEN

Pool A

(1) Team Homan

Baby on board,
trophies in hand,
the favourite still

(6) Team Carey

Canada champ,
with something to prove,
needs playoff spot here

(7) Team Fleury

Most dangerous team,
playing consistent right now,
do not sleep on them

(10) Team Stern

Welcome Team Upset,
fresh off a big win last week,
here to shock once more?

(21) Team Yoshimura

Underrated team,
lowest ranked in the field,
could they surprise us?


Pool B

(4) Team Hasselborg

Defending champs,
#SwedishVikings FTW?
Lack of play concern?

(5) Team J. Jones

Struggled in Portage,
have not looked like their best,
will slide continue?

(9) Team Fujisawa

Strong Japanese team,
always in the playoff hunt,
Due for a slam win?

(12) Team Muirhead

Shake up in line-up,
2013 finalist,
new look successful?

(20) Team Cannon

Not a new team here,
only added one player,
under the radar?


Pool C

(2) Team Einarson

Team Skipper looks good,
three slam finals with a win,
time to pad the stat?

(3) Team Tirinzoni

World champions,
always playoff contender,
time to yell 'Hopp Schwiiz'

(11) Team Scheidegger

Amber Holland in,
will shuffle help or hinder?
big question mark here

(13) Team Silvernagle

Slam debut last year,
under the radar no more,
live up to the hype?

(19) Team Rocque

Last team in field,
awaiting the slam break through,
could this be the time?


Qualifiers: Team Homan, Team Hasselborg, Team Einarson, Team Tirinzoni, Team Fleury, Team Fujisawa, Team J. Jones, Team Scheidegger

#MastersGSOC Championship: Team Einarson def. Team Fleury


MEN

Pool A

(1) Team Koe

#1 ranked team,
Kirk Muyres in for B.J.,
looks like Team Green

(6) Team De Cruz

What happened in Hat?
result cost them Euro spot,
can they regroup here?

(8) Team Jacobs

Won with Marc before,
4 straight QF slam result,
can they win again?

(12) Team Howard

The active slam GOAT,
needs two wins to tie Martin,
still gas in the tank?

(22) Team McDonald

Ontario champs,
still with something to prove here,
4th slam of career


Pool B

(3) Team Paterson

Career high ranking,
ready to win second slam?
trending up right now

(4) Team Mouat

Euro champs no more,
can they change momentum here?
need to regroup quick

(5) Team Epping

Looking strong again,
will try to #DefendTheIce,
Ryan Fry great add

(16) Team Schwaller

Clinched Euro spot,
still under the radar though,
time for slam break through?

(25) Team Shuster

Just squeaked in the field,
not the best slam record,
but QF last year


Pool C

(2) Team Bottcher

Still rollin along,
considered a favourite,
can win four straight?

(7) Team Edin

Which team will show up?
#TheVikingWay is to win,
no finals this year

(9) Team Gushue

What is happening?
Slowly falling down the ranks,
underestimate?

(11) Team Dunstone

Trending upwards now,
time for a Sasky break through,
Dunny Is Money

(17) Team McEwen

Yup we are still here,
struggle on Canada ice,
pressure is on now


Qualifiers: Team Koe, Team Epping, Team Bottcher, Team Jacobs, Team Paterson, Team Dunstone, Team Schwaller, Team Edin

#MastersGSOC Championship: Team Jacobs def. Team Epping


There you have it rock heads. What do you think about the predictions? Agree? Disagree? Who are your picks to take home the opening slam major of the season? Share your thoughts in the comment section and/or on social media and remember to tag your favourite teams with #MastersGSOC.

And what did you think of the haiku idea? Good? Bad? Ugly? The blog is always trying to mix it up, keep the ice fresh and give something a bit different.

#StayTuned

How will the results shake up the #PowerRankings? Find out at the beginning of next week.

AND, we welcome a NEW member to the #TwineTimeFam this week. Any guesses? 😏