Glenn Howard and his Coldwater and District Curling Club rink may have lost the last big curling event of the season, but the team did realize another goal they set for themselves heading into the 2011-12 campaign.

Howard and his foursome of third Wayne Middaugh, second Brent Laing and lead Craig Savill dropped a 7-6 decision to John Epping's Toronto rink in the final of the 2012 Sun Life Financial Players' Championship in Summerside, P.E.I. April 22, but did earn a berth in the 2013 Canadian Olympic trials.

Earlier in the final Grand Slam event of the season, he clinched the Capital One Cup's $50,000 men's top prize as well as the 2011-12 Canadian Team Ranking System points crown, which gives his team a direct berth into the trials.

The trials will be held from Dec. 1 to 8, 2013, in Winnipeg, with the winning team advancing to represent Canada at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

The berth puts a topper on an outstanding season that saw the Coldwater foursome capture both the Canadian and world curling titles.

"To win a couple of Grand Slams, the provincials, Brier, worlds, Capital One Cup, a trials spot, you always have all those goals in mind, but you never think you would get them all, so I couldn't be happier," said Howard. "Obviously, we came up a little short here, but John outplayed us, and we had a few misses we shouldn't have and, lo and behold, they pulled it off and congratulations to them. They had a great week."

At the Players' Championship, a Howard did get to raise the championship trophy, however, as Glenn's son Scott, who was the fifth member for his dad's Canadian and world victories, was a member of the winning Epping rink.

It was the second win for the Epping rink, which included Scott Bailey, David Mathers and Scott Howard, over the world champions in the event, as they also registered a victory during preliminary play.

Epping, who curls out of the Donalda Club, also knocked off another curling powerhouse rink in the semifinals when he sent Alberta's Kevin Martin packing.

The Epping rink picked up $28,000 for the win and added another $10,000 for placing third in the Capital One Cup race.

In the ladies' division in P.E.I., Saskatoon's Stefanie Lawton defeated Cathy Overton- Clapham of Winnipeg 7-2 to win the top prize.

Coldwater's Sherry Middaugh reached the semifinals in the event.