Koe beats Bottcher to win Tim Hortons Brier
BRANDON, Man. - Kevin Koe claimed another Canadian men’s curling championship Sunday with a 4-3 win over Brendan Bottcher in an all-Alberta final.
With previous victories in 2010, 2014 and 216, Koe joined Randy Ferbey, Kevin Martin and Ernie Richardson among skips who have won four national titles.
The 44-year-old has done it with at least one different player in his lineup each time.
Lead Ben Hebert hoisted the Tankard trophy a second time with Koe after winning it twice with Martin in 2008 and 2009.
Koe hit for two points and the win with his last shot of the game.
“It’s awesome, especially a nailbiter like that,” Koe said.
It was the first Canadian championship for vice B.J. Neufeld and second Colton Flasch.
They joined Koe prior to this season and appeared in their first Brier final.
They will represent Canada at the men’s world curling championship March 30 to April 7 in Lethbridge, Alta.
Koe also earned a return trip to the 2020 Tim Hortons Brier in Kingston, Ont., as Team Canada.
“Happy for a few reasons,” Koes said. “Obviously two big ones winning a Brier for Colton and B.J. They’ll be Brier champs forever.
“Getting the chance to represent Canada in Canada is something I’ve never been able to do so can’t wait, just down the road from Calgary.”
His foursome from Calgary’s Glencoe Club went undefeated in Brandon, Man., at 13-0.
Alberta’s Martin (2008-09), Ferbey (2003) and Pat Ryan (1988) are the only other teams to run the table since playoffs were introduced in 1980.
Eliminated in the provincial semifinal by Koe, Bottcher beat John Epping in a win-and-get-in game prior to the main draw to gain entry as the wild-card team.
Bottcher drew to lay two in the 10th, but he left a double takeout for Koe to score two for the win.
Koe hit and rolled with his shooter bumping the second stone just enough to score the deuce.
“I didn’t know if we’d made it,” the skip said. “I was waiting for (my teammates) to hopefully start jumping around.”
In the ninth, Bottcher hit and rolled to split the house and lay two. Koe gave up a steal of one when his shooter on a hit at the back of the rings spun just wide.
Koe led 2-0 at the fifth-end break scoring one with hammer in the second and stealing a point in the fourth.
Koe’s big-weight hits then stifled Bottcher’s attempts to set up a deuce until the eighth, when the Alberta skip missed a double. Bottcher hit for two to pull even.