Rematch just what Team Jacobs wanted (14 photos)

Triples in the final end became a big thing for Brad Jacobs and his team from the Community First Curling Centre on Saturday.

Needing a pair to win in the eighth end, with the hammer, Jacobs scored three to beat Brad Gushue (St. John’s, Nfld.) 5-3 on Saturday night and earn a berth in the final of the National, the third event on the Grand Slam of Curling schedule, where he will face Reid Carruthers (Winnipeg, Man.) on Sunday afternoon.

The Jacobs rink scored the three-spot when Gushue’s final shot of the end, sailed through the house, leaving Jacobs with three rocks surrounding the button and the victory.

“It’s a great feeling to make another grand slam final and especially to do that in our hometown is very special,” Jacobs said. “We had our ups and downs this week but we had a great day today.”

To advance out of the quarter-final, Jacobs needed a pair in the eighth end to tie against John Morris (Vernon, BC) and force an extra end but an opportunity to score three came up and the Jacobs rink was confident enough in the line to take the shot.

“We were lucky because that line we had played two ends earlier,” Jacobs said. “We knew the spot and when you know it, everyone can throw it and call it and sweep it with confidence. It was maybe a little heavy but it ended the game perfectly.”

For the Jacobs rink, which included Jacobs, third Ryan Fry, second E.J. Harnden and lead Ryan Harnden, the game against Gushue was a chance at redemption after a round robin loss to the team.

“We didn’t play well in that first game (in the round robin),” Jacobs said. “We played quite well (on Saturday). (Gushue) had a chance to potentially bury us in six but we were able to get out of that end with a force and that was a huge turning point. We got out of seven with a blank and the guys made some amazing shots in (the eighth end). It set the tone for that whole end. We were never chasing. We were always playing offensive shots and forced them into a tough one at the end.”

Jacobs said the five-rock rule has changed the game to make multi-point ends happen more often.

“There are threes out there everywhere in five-rock rules,” Jacobs said. “All it takes is a small mistake. It's exciting. (The five-rock rule) has changed the game.”

Jacobs would add that the five-rock rule has meant teams are never out of games.

Gushue got to the semifinal after a 4-3 win over Charley Thomas (Edmonton, Alta.) in an extra end in the quarters. Thomas forced the extra end after stealing one in the eighth end.

Carruthers enters the final after a 7-0 win over Niklas Edin in five ends in the semifinals. Carruthers scored one in the opening end with the hammer before steals in four consecutive ends for the victory.

Carruthers beat John Epping (Toronto, Ont.) 7-3 in the quarters. Trailing 2-0, Carruthers erased the lead with a pair in three and then stole one each in the following two ends. A three-spot in the seventh sealed the win.

Edin needed an extra end to beat Kevin Koe (Calgary, Alta.) 6-5 in the quarter-final. The National marks the first Grand Slam of Curling event that Edin has not been involved in the final after winning the first two events.

On the women’s side, Kerri Einarson (Winnipeg, Man.) will face Silvana Tirinzoni (Zurich, Switzerland) in Sunday’s final.

Einarson earned a berth in the final thanks to a 9-6 win over Binia Feltscher (Flims, Switzerland). With the game tied at two in the third end, Einarson scored four to take a commanding lead that she wouldn’t relinquish.

Einarson beat Anna Sidorova of Russia 8-7 to get into the semis. Trailing 7-6, Einarson scored a pair in the eighth end to win.

Feltscher advanced to the semifinal thanks to a convincing 8-2 win over Val Sweeting (Edmonton, Alta.) in six ends. Leading 3-2, Feltscher scored three in the fifth end before a steal of two in the sixth sealed the win.

Tirinzoni stole a pair in the eighth end to earn the second championship berth on the women’s side. Trailing 5-4 without the hammer, Tirinzoni picked up the steal to beat Krista McCarville (Thunder Bay, Ont.) 6-5. Trailing 2-1, McCarville scored a pair in the fifth to take the lead and then stole two more in the sixth to take a 5-2 lead. Tirinzoni set the stage for the winning steal with a pair in the seventh end.

Tirinzoni got to the semifinal thanks to a 9-2 win over Chelsea Carey (Calgary, Alta.). Leading 5-2, Tirinzoni stole four in the sixth end to seal the victory.

Thanks to a three-spot in the seventh end, McCarville earned the semifinal berth thanks to an 8-5 win over Rachel Homan (Ottawa, Ont.). McCarville posted the three and then ran Homan out of rocks in the eighth end.

Sunday’s championship games are set for noon for the men with the women getting underway at 4 p.m.