(by Jonathan Brazeau)
SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — Edmonton’s Kevin Martin advanced to the playoffs at the Players’ Championship following a 5-2 win over Calgary’s Kevin Koe in Draw 12 on Friday.
Martin (3-2) settled for one in the fifth to break a 2-2 tie and added single steals in the sixth and seventh ends. Koe ran out of rocks in the eighth and the two rinks shook hands.
Koe (4-1) also advances to the quarterfinals.
Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen capped the round-robin with a perfect 5-0 record following a 7-6 win over Brad Jacobs, from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. Jacobs lied three in the final end but McEwen held the hammer and drew to the button with his last rock to score the winning point. McEwen receives a bye straight to the semifinals while Jacobs (2-2) has one more round-robin match against Winnipeg’s Jeff Stoughton at 8:30 p.m. AT.
Meanwhile, Stoughton defeated Switzerland’s Sven Michel 6-2 after seven ends of play. Stoughton (2-2) scored a deuce in the second and followed up with steals of two in the third and one in the fourth to jump out to a 5-0 lead. Michel (0-5) settled for one in the fifth and stole a single in the sixth. Stoughton added another point in the seventh to close out the game.