Team Jacobs opens new season

The curling season has begun, and the new-look team skipped by Brad Jacobs is off to a good start.

The Sault Ste. Marie-based team, which includes second E.J. Harnden, lead Ryan Harnden, and a new third in Marc Kennedy, is competing in the Shorty Jenkins Classic in Cornwall, Ont. this week and picked up a pair of wins on Thursday.

The Jacobs rink opened the event with a 7-1 win over Yannick Schwaller of Switzerland in three ends on Thursday morning.

With the hammer to start, the Jacobs rink jumped out of the gate, taking a 3-0 lead early.

After Schwaller got one back in the second end, the Jacobs rink added four more in the third end, sealing the win.

In the evening draw, the Jacobs rink picked up an 8-3 win over Scott McDonald of Kingston, Ont.

McDonald took the early lead, scoring one in the opening end with the hammer but Jacobs would take the lead for good with four in the second end.

McDonald cut the Jacobs lead to 4-3 thanks to a single in the third end before stealing one in the fourth but Jacobs scored a pair in the fifth end to extend the lead before capping off the win with a steal of two in the seventh end.

The Jacobs rink returns to action on Friday morning in the first of a pair of games.

In the early-morning draw, Jacobs will face Quebec’s Jean-Sebastien Roy at 8 a.m.

At 4:15 p.m., Jacobs is set to face John Epping of Toronto, a team that includes former Team Jacobs member Ryan Fry.

Fry left the Jacobs rink in March in what was a mutual decision for everyone involved. Kennedy was named Fry’s replacement shortly thereafter.