Northern Ontario secures playoff berth at Brier
Brad Jacobs was excited about the arrival of his wife Shawna and infant daughter Camille in Calgary on Wednesday. Clinching a berth very early in the premiere playoff game at the Tim Hortons Brier? That too, when he found out.
“Thanks for letting me know,” the Northern Ontario skip said. “That’s a beauty. We’ll take it.”
If Jacobs and teammates were unaware of the reward that came with a 4-3 win over Saskatchewan’s Steve Laycock in the afternoon draw, it’s because they haven’t thought about anything else on the ice except execution and winning.
At 9-0, the Jacobs rink from Sault Ste. Marie looks a lot like that coldly intense team that won Olympic gold in Sochi, Russia, just over a year ago.
Of the 82 ends they’ve played at this year’s Canadian men’s curling championship, they’ve trailed in just one — back in their second game against Alberta.
With five draws still to play, the reigning Olympic champions not only secured a playoff berth early, but assured themselves a spot in the playoff between the top two seeds.
Jacobs, Ryan Fry and the front end of E.J. Harnden and Ryan Harnden won their first Canadian championship two years ago and went onto to the world title as well.
The top four teams at the conclusion of the preliminary round Friday morning make the playoffs. The winner of the game between the top two seeds advances directly to Sunday’s final. The loser drops to the semifinal to face the winner of the playoff between the third and fourth seeds.
Brad Gushue of Newfoundland and Labrador got to 7-2 with a pistol of a shot with his final stone against Alberta’s Kevin Koe. An intricate raise double to score the winner in an 8-7 victory kept Gushue very much in playoff contention and had the skip pumping his fist.
Manitoba, Alberta and B.C.’s Jim Cotter were 3-4. Ontario dropped to 2-5 alongside Prince Edward Island’s Adam Casey.
New Brunswick’s Jeremy Mallais was 1-6 and Jamie Koe of Northwest Territories is winless in seven.