B.C. will hope to finish with a .500 record at the Tim Hortons Brier Canadian menB次元官网网址檚 curling championships in Calgary.
Team Laycock, with Steve Laycock of Saskatoon at skip, VernonB次元官网网址檚 Jim Cotter throwing fourth rocks and the Kelowna front-end of lead Rick Sawatsky and second Andrew Nerpin improved to 2-4 in the preliminary round Wednesday, March 10, with a 10-5 win in nine ends over Gregory Skauge of the Northwest Territories (1-5).
B.C. will wrap up play Thursday, March 11, against Jason Gunnlaugson of Manitoba (5-1) and Brendan Bottcher of Alberta (4-2).
There was scoring in every end in the B.C.-NWT matchup. Skauge scored one in the first and the teams traded deuces in the second and third ends.
LaycockB次元官网网址檚 rink racked up three points in the fourth to take a 5-3 lead they wouldnB次元官网网址檛 relinquish.
Skauge picked up one in the fifth, but B.C. responded with a single in six and a steal of two in the seventh for an 8-4 advantage. The Territories conceded after B.C. picked up another deuce in the ninth end.
While there was scoring in every end in the Laycock-Skauge match, Brad Edwards needed only single points in three ends to hand ManitobaB次元官网网址檚 Jason Gunnlaugson a 3-0 defeat, the first loss for the Prairie squad. Gunnlaugson is 5-1 while EdwardsB次元官网网址� Northern Ontario rink improved to 5-2 with its fourth straight win.
Wayne MiddaughB次元官网网址檚 Ontario Wild Card rink improved to 5-1 with a 7-6, 11-end victory over James Grattan of New Brunswick, who forced the extra end by scoring three with hammer in the 10th. Grattan is 4-3.
Bottcher, who has lost the last three Brier finals, needed just eight ends to beat ManitobaB次元官网网址檚 Mike McEwenB次元官网网址檚 Wild Card rink 9-3. McEwen is 2-4.
In Pool B, four-time champ Kevin KoeB次元官网网址檚 Wild Card rink from Calgary is 6-0. John Epping of Ontario, Matt Dunstone of Saskatchewan and defending Brier champ Brad GushueB次元官网网址檚 Team Canada rink from Newfoundland/Labrador are all 4-2. Michael Fournier of Quebec is 4-3.
The top four rinks from both pools advance to FridayB次元官网网址檚 championship round, carrying their round-robin records with them.
s
roger@vernonmorningstar.com
Like us on and follow us on .
