Harnden drops Brier opener in an extra end

NEWS RELEASES

CANADIAN CURLING ASSOCIATION

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Ontario, Alberta Improve to 2-0

HAMILTON -- Alberta’s Kevin Martin and Ontario’s Glenn Howard head into Day 2 here at the Tim Horton’s Brier exactly where most people were expecting them to be -- atop the standings.

Martin improved to 2-0 here at Copps Coliseum Saturday night with a 10-3 thrashing of New Brunswick’s Paul Dobson while Howard moved to 2-0 with an 8-5 win over Quebec’s Pierre Charette.

The two teams are the only ones at 2-0 after the first day of action and Howard said he thinks his team can still play better.

“I’d like to get a little sharper and little more in the comfort zone,” Howard said, “but the bottom line is we’re winning.”

In other games on Draw 2, Manitoba’s Jeff Stoughton defeated Newfoundland’s Brad Gushue 6-4 and PEI’s Peter Gallant beat Northern Ontario’s Al Harnden 8-7 in an extra end.

Ontario and Quebec were tied 4-4 when Quebec fourth stone Martin Ferland attempted a very difficult in-off with the last rock of the eighth end. Ferland narrowly missed but that was enough to hand Howard what proved to be a decisive steal of three.

Stoughton, meantime, broke open a 3-2 game with Gushue in the seventh end. With Manitoba already lying two, Gushue missed a raised takeout attempt with his last rock of the end. Stoughton then drew the house with his last rock to take three.

The game was a rematch of the 2005 Canadian Curling Trials final, which was won by Gushue en route to Olympic gold in 2006.

“He’s a top team and we always want to beat him,” Stoughton said. “And he always wants to beat us.”

The Brier resumes Sunday morning with the only two-game draw of the round robin. PEI’s Gallant plays BC’s Dean Joanisse and Yukon/NWT’s Jamie Koe plays Quebec’s Charette.

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Ontario's Howard Wins Brier Opener HAMILTON -- The locals got something to root for, Alberta survived a scare and Quebec and Yukon/NWT served notice here on the first draw of the Tim Hortons Brier Saturday afternoon.

Ontario’s Glenn Howard, a two-time world champion and the consensus favourite to win it all at Copps Coliseum next Sunday, cracked a four-ender in the seventh end against Nova Scotia’s Mark Kehoe to break open a tight game and cruise to an 11-6 victory.

“That four-ender came out of nowhere -- and thank goodness,” said Howard.

“We weren’t super sharp, but we put a lot of pressure on them.”

One sheet over, it was BC’s Dean Joanisse putting a lot of pressure on Alberta’s Kevin Martin.

Martin just haired by a guard with the last rock of the game to tap back a BC counter and pick up the single he needed to earn a 6-5 victory.

Martin gave credit to sweepers Ben Hebert and Marc Kennedy. “They held that thing straight all the way.”

Saskatchewan’s Pat Simmons fell behind 6-1 to Quebec’s Pierre Charette but stormed back with a four-ender in the seventh end to make the game 6-5. But that was as close as Simmons would get as Quebec went on to win 8-5.

In the only other game on the opening draw, Yukon/NWT’s Jamie Koe, who is seeking here to win the northerners their first ever Brier title, was a convincing 6-3 winner over New Brunswick’s Paul Dobson.

The Brier resumes with Draw 2 here this evening when Manitoba’s Jeff Stoughton plays Newfoundland’s Brad Gushue, Alberta plays New Brunswick, PEI’s Peter Gallant plays Northern Ontario’s Al Harnden and Quebec plays Ontario.

The draw is being carried live on TSN, beginning at 7 p.m. ET.

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Morris Wins Hot Shots

HAMILTON -- Alberta’s John Morris defeated Newfoundland’s Brad Gushue 23-18 in the championship final of the Ford Hot Shots skills competition here Saturday.

“I guess,” Morris offered afterward, “that it’s a week of cars for me.”

No kidding.

Morris was struck by a car earlier this week while walking his dog in Edmonton. He suffered some cuts and bruises and had to be treated in hospital.

The Alberta third’s encounter with a car here on Saturday was decidedly more hospitable. With the victory over Gushue, Morris wins a two-year lease on a 2007 Ford Edge, valued at approximately $13,500.

Gushue gets $2,000 for finishing second, while Manitoba skip Jeff Stoughton picks up $1,000 for finishing third.

There were concerns over whether Morris would be able to play here at the Tim Horton’s Brier after the accident, but he appeared in fine form here on Saturday.

Morris was a perfect 4-for-4 on the first four shots of the skills competition, racking up 20 points on the hit and stay, draw the button, draw the port and the raise. He got three points on the hit-and-roll.

Morris had already clinched the victory over Gushue when he went to throw his last rock for the double takeout. With the win in the bag, Morris pulled the rock between his legs and tried a trick shot but missed everything.

“It was a bit of a surprise. The last time I was in the Hot Shots, I didn’t do very well. But the ice conditions were superb today,” said Morris.

“Hopefully I can keep that going all week.”

Morris said he’s hopeful the victory will end all the talk about his accident here at the Brier.

“I don’t want the focus to be on me or my accident. I want it to be on my team,” Morris said.

Morris and the rest of Team Alberta open the Brier here this afternoon against BC’s Dean Joanisse. In other games, Nova Scotia plays Ontario, Quebec takes on Saskatchewan and New Brunswick plays Yukon/NWT.

Previous winners of the Ford Hot Shots at the Brier include Ontario’s Ed Werenich, Rick Perron of New Brunswick, Northern Ontario’s Mike Coulter, Greg McAulay of BC and Manitoba’s Steve Gould (the only two-time winner.) ************************************************************