Northern Ontario stuns Saskatchewan

NEWS RELEASES

CANADIAN CURLING ASSOCIATION

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Tiebreakers looming at the Brier There will be one tiebreaker, and possibly two, on Friday at the Tim Hortons Brier Canadian men's curling championship in Winnipeg.

B.C.'s Bob Ursel and Newfoundland/Labrador's Brad Gushue both won their final round-robin games in Draw 16 Thursday afternoon at the MTS Centre to finish the round-robin with 7-4 records, tied for the fourth and final playoff position.

And Manitoba's Kerry Burtnyk could get into that mix, too, if he wins his final round-robin game tonight, against Saskatchewan's Pat Simmons.

B.C. completed a terrific comeback after opening with a 0-3 record, scoring three in the fourth end and hanging on to beat James Grattan of New Brunswick 8-6.

"What a battle all week," said Ursel. "It's been just crazy. We're pretty excited. We lose our first three games, and to come back against this field and make the tiebreaker or playoffs, we couldn't ask for anything more than that."

New Brunswick finished its Brier with a 2-9 record.

Newfoundland/Labrador, meanwhile, got into the tiebreaker with a 7-6 extra-end victory over P.E.I.'s Peter Gallant 7-6. Gallant had a shot at two in the 10th, but his final rock overcurled and he settled for one.

"Another gut check, another one where we just grinded it out and made a lot of shots late in the game, but just dug a hole for ourselves early," said Gushue, who finished second to Ontario's Glenn Howard last year in Hamilton. "Hopefully, we can get that figured out."

The Islanders finished out with a 3-8 record.

In other Draw 16 action, Saskatchewan's Pat Simmons blew a chance to lock up second place and a berth in Friday's Page playoff one-two game, falling 7-6 to Northern Ontario's Eric Harnden. The result left Saskatchewan at 8-2 and needing to beat Manitoba in tonight's last draw of the round-robin to reach the one-two game against Alberta's Kevin Martin (10-0). A loss combined with a win by Ontario's Glenn Howard, who's up against Nova Scotia's Brian Rafuse, would put Ontario in the one-two game.

Manitoba kept its playoff hopes alive with a 7-3 win over Quebec's Jean-Michel Menard, dropping Quebec to 3-7.

The first- and second-place teams at the end of round-robin play Thursday night will meet in the Page playoff one-two game on Friday while the third- and fourth-place teams also will meet Friday (times TBA). The winner of the one-two game will advance directly to Sunday's championship game (6:30 p.m., all times Eastern) on CBC. The loser will play the winner of the three-four game in Saturday's semifinal at 2:30 p.m. on CBC.

Play at the Tim Hortons Brier resumes Thursday at 8 p.m. on TSN. *********************************

Alberta clinches first place Alberta has locked up first place and last-rock advantage throughout the playoffs at the Tim Hortons Brier Canadian men's curling championship in Winnipeg.

Kevin Martin's half-Edmonton, half-Calgary team knocked off defending Brier and world champion Glenn Howard of Ontario 7-4 in Draw 15 play on Thursday morning at the MTS Centre.

With the win, Martin, third John Morris, second Marc Kennedy and lead Ben Hebert improved to 10-0, meaning no team can catch them for first place.

"We couldn't ask for anything better," said Hebert. "First place, hammer in the playoffs, we're playing great throughout the lineup. We have our draw weight. And hopefully the ice stays the same, because it's really good right now."

They will play in Friday's Page playoff one-two game against either Ontario (8-2) or Saskatchewan's Pat Simmons (8-1), who had a bye on Thursday morning. Saskatchewan needs only a split today, against Northern Ontario's Eric Harnden this afternoon and Manitoba's Kerry Burtnyk tonight, to clinch second place.

Alberta gave up single points in the first two ends to Ontario, and trailed 3-1 through five. But the Wild Rosers tied it with a deuce in the sixth, forced Ontario to one in the seventh, then cracked a big three in the eighth.

In other action, Newfoundland/Labrador's Brad Gushue and B.C.'s Bob Ursel both picked up wins to stay alive for the fourth and final playoff berth.

B.C. improved to 6-4 by beating P.E.I's Peter Gallant (3-7) 6-3, while Newfoundland/Labrador turned back New Brunswick's James Grattan 9-7 to keep pace with B.C.

Should they both win their afternoon games — B.C. plays New Brunswick while Newfoundland/Labrador takes on P.E.I. — it would force a tiebreaker on Friday.

It could be a three-team tiebreaker should Manitoba win twice today, against Quebec's Jean-Michel Menard and Saskatchewan.

In the other morning game, Nova Scotia's Brian Rafuse (3-7) shaded Chad Cowan of the Yukon/Northwest Territories (2-8) 8-7.

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