No repeat: Jacobs rink ousted at Olympic trials

OTTAWA — The reigning Olympic men’s curling champions were perfect at the Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings the last time around.

The 2017 Trials were far less kind to Brad Jacobs and his team from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.

Chances of a repeat appearance at the Winter Games were dashed Thursday at Canadian Tire Centre. Jacobs essentially sealed his fate when he dropped a 9-5 decision to Reid Carruthers in the morning.

Formal elimination from playoff contention came in the evening when Brad Gushue beat Steve Laycock 8-5.

“It’s a big surprise, it’s an incredible surprise,” said Team Jacobs coach Caleb Flaxey. “We didn’t expect to be in this situation.”

Calgary’s Kevin Koe (7-0) booked a spot in the men’s final with a 7-4 victory over John Morris in the afternoon. Calgary’s Chelsea Carey (6-0) is guaranteed no worse than a tiebreaker appearance after a 9-8 win over Julie Tippin.

The top three rinks in the nine-team fields make the playoffs.

Gushue, from St. John’s, N.L., moved into second place at 5-2. Jacobs (3-4) beat Mike McEwen 6-3 in the nightcap to send the Winnipeg skip into a third-place tie with Carruthers at 4-3.

Edmonton’s Brendan Bottcher (3-3) was also in the mix after edging Toronto’s John Epping 7-6 in an extra end. Laycock, from Saskatoon, fell to 2-5 and is out along with Morris (1-5), from Vernon, and Epping (1-6).

Carey gave up a four-point second end to Tippin but chipped away at the deficit, eventually stealing three points in the 10th for the win.

“Definitely lucky to pull that one out but we’ll take it,” Carey said.

A visibly frustrated Tippin, from Woodstock, Ont., did not stop to speak with reporters after the game.

Ottawa’s Rachel Homan beat Edmonton’s Val Sweeting 7-5 in the evening. Homan was alone in second place at 6-1 and Sweeting was knocked out of the playoff mix at 3-4.

Krista McCarville of Thunder Bay, Ont., improved her playoff chances with a 5-3 win over Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg. Jones was in third place at 5-2 and McCarville was fourth at 4-2.

Sweeting, Casey Scheidegger (3-4) of Lethbridge, Alta., Winnipeg’s Michelle Englot (2-5), Tippin (1-5) and Toronto’s Allison Flaxey (0-7) will not play on the weekend.