McEwen snags Brier bronze
GREGORY STRONG
THE CANADIAN PRESS
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — Manitoba’s Mike McEwen defeated Northern Ontario’s Brad Jacobs 7-5 to win bronze at the Tim Hortons Brier on Sunday.
McEwen used his final throw to hit the Northern Ontario stone off the button for the win.
Canada’s Kevin Koe is scheduled to play Newfoundland and Labrador’s Brad Gushue in the goldmedal game Sunday night.
McEwen, who lost the semifinal to Koe on Saturday in an extra end, gave up a steal of one to Jacobs in the fourth end. The Manitoba skip reclaimed the lead with a takeout for two in the fifth.
Jacobs played a tap in the sixth to give up a steal of one as Manitoba moved ahead 4-2. A Northern Ontario hit gave Jacobs a pair in the eighth to tie the game.
McEwen drew for one in the ninth www.niagarafallsreview.ca. and threw a double takeout in the 10th with his last stone. Jacobs drew the eight-foot to force an extra end.
The afternoon showdown was a rematch of last year’s bronze-medal game, in which Jacobs defeated McEwen 7-6 in an extra end in Ottawa.
Koe defeated Gushue 9-5 in last year’sgold-medalgame.Gushuealso lost in his other Brier final appearance, falling to Ontario’s Glenn Howard in 2007 in Hamilton.
Gushue will have a raucous sellout crowd on his side this year. It’s the first time the national men’s curling championship has been played in St. John’s since 1972.
Koe also won Brier titles in 2010 and 2014 with different teams.
Announced attendance was 5,860, which pushed overall attendance at St. John’s Mile One Centre to 116,572. The venue has a capacity of just over 6,000 for curling.
The Brier winner will represent Canada at the April 1-9 Ford world men’s curling championship in Edmonton.
The winning team also receives a base payout of $71,000 in prize money, cresting and funding. A minimum of $30,000 will also be awarded for additional cresting and promotional appearances and Sport Canada will award funding of $144,000 over two years.
The Brier silver medallists earn $45,000 in prize money. McEwen gets $35,000 and Jacobs receives $25,000.
A berth in the Dec. 2-10 Olympic Trials in Ottawa will also be awarded if the Brier winner reaches the podium at the world championship. Koe has already locked up a spot at the Trials.
Ottawa’s Rachel Homan won the Scotties Tournament of Hearts last month in St. Catharines, Ont. Her team will represent Canada at the women’s world championship March 18-26 in Beijing.