Bluenosers escape Brier gate with two wins, giving PEI their 2nd loss (CCA)

(by Larry Wood). They may not sustain it for the week — not with co-favourites Kevin Koe and Glenn Howard breathing down their necks — but the rookie Nova Scotians skipped by Jamie Murphy experienced a first Tim Hortons Brier day to remember on Saturday at the Credit Union Centre.

Murphy, 30, and his CFB Halifax team of Jordan Pinder, Mike Bardsley and Don McDermaid followed up on an afternoon 9-5 victory over Jamie Koe’s Territories team with an 10-4 evening conquest of Charlottetown’s Mike Gaudet to stay alone atop the heap of competitors with a 2-and-0 record.

Jamie Murphy calls to his teammates during the 2012 Tim Hortons Brier.
(Photo: CCA/Michael Burns Photography)

The Bluenosers left little doubt of their first-year Brier intentions, hammering a five on the board in the fourth end against the Polars, then opening with a four-ender against the Islanders.

“I think we were more nervous going out for practice, opening ceremonies and Hot Shots,” said Murphy, “and when we were out in that environment for a while it felt pretty good.

The co-favourites got off to single victories on the day. Alberta’s Koe of Calgary outpointed Jim Cotter of British Columbia 9-5 on the late shift while Ontario’s Howard had an open hit to nudge New Brunswick’s Terry Odishaw 6-5 in the afternoon.

In other second-draw contests, Manitobas’s Rob Fowler of Brandon squared his record on the day at 1-1 with a 6-3 win over New Brunswick’s Terry Odishaw (0-2) while Brad Jacobs of Northern Ontario won a see-saw 7-6 affair from Newfoundland’s Brad Gushue in an extra end.

Gushue, who shot 74 per cent in the evening while Jacobs was one percentage point better, admitted “we were horrible in the extra end”.

“We missed our first six shots. We had a horrible line call in the ninth. We just made a lot of mistakes,” he said.

In Draw Three on Sunday at 8:30 a.m. Alberta faces New Brunswick, Manitoba plays Newfoundland, British Columbia tackles Nova Scotia and Northern Ontario goes against P.E.I.

Click for full story at the CCA website.

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