Team BC, officially eliminated from the championship round, can still take on those looking to advance in the Tim Hortons Brier Men’s Canadian Curling Championship in Calgary.
Team Laycock scored their second straight win on Thursday March 11th, a convincing 7-4 decision against Jason Gunnlaugson of Manitoba, who has lost twice in a row after five straight wins. BC, whose ice rink includes Steve Laycock from Saskatoon, Jim Cotter from Vernon throwing fourth stones, and the Kelowna front-end duo of lead Rick Sawatsky and second Andrew Nerpin, are now 3-4, and it is there is still a preliminary round game.
Laycock took control of the game by scoring three goals at the fourth end and taking a 4-2 lead. The teams swapped points at the next four ends, erasing the eighth and Laycock scored one with the last stone in nine for a 6-4 lead. He stole a single point in 10 for victory.
The defeat dropped Gunnlaugson 5-2 from first place in Pool A after Wayne Middaugh’s Ontario Wild Card rink finished the winning streak in Northern Ontario in four games with an 8-6 decision to 6-1 win and one Place in the championship on Friday secured laps. Brad Jacobs dropped to 5-3.
Brendan Bottcher from Alberta, who lost the last three Brier Finals, increased his record to 5: 2 with an 11: 2 win over the winless Dustin Mikkelsen from the Yukon (0: 7).
Mike McEwen’s Manitoba Wild Card quartet improved to 3-4 with a 12-3 game against Gregory Skauge of the Northwest Territories (1-6).
Laycock will play Bottcher on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Pacific Thursday. A BC win would bring Bottcher 5-3, just like Jacobs, and New Brunswick’s James Grattan can move up to 5-3 with a final draw with the Northwest Territories.
The four best ice rinks in Pool A will meet the top four in Pool B on Friday and bring their round robin records into play. The team with first place after the game on Friday says goodbye to the championship on Sunday, while the teams with second and third place would meet on a semi-final Sunday.
On Thursday afternoon, the final preliminary round will take place. Calgary Wild Card entry Kevin Koe topped the list 6-1. John Epping from Ontario and Matt Dunstone from Saskatchewan, Brad Gushue’s Team Canada rink from Newfoundland, tied 5-2, Nova Scotia’s Team Murphy and Quebec’s Michael Fournier 4-3.
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roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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