It was all about the drama of Northern Ontario’s survival effort – a TV episode of a reality show that required a lot of things to happen for Brad Jacob’s Soo crew to endure … with a little help from his curling friends.
Team Alberta (Photo: Michael Burns Photography)
With Manitoba, Ontario and Newfoundland assured of weekend play, the only remaining interloper was Northern Ontario, who needed to win two Thursday games, and have Alberta’s Kevin Martin lose his deuce.
In that event, a tiebreaker would happen Friday.
Jacobs did his part, beating New Brunswick’s James Grattan 6-1, and for a while, it looked like Territores’ skipper Jamie Koe was going to rain on Martin’s parade.
Koe led the defending Olympic gold medalist by one heading into 10 without, and a series of great shots by his team, particularly third Tom Naugler, left Martin in tough spot, having to make a four-banger raise, to stick for two and win the game assuring his squad would be the fourth team on the weekend roster.
He made it.
When asked if it was the best shot he made all week, Martin replied “It was certainly the only shot I made all day,” he laughed, tipping his cap to Koe.
Nova Scotia ran its record to 4-6 with a 12-3 win over P.E.I.’s Eddie Mackenzie who finishes at 1-10.
The last draw features the Martin/Howard showdown as well as Gushue’s match-up with Quebec. Also on the ice, Northern Ontario plays Saskatchewan and B.C. takes on Nova Scotia.
“It’s great to be 9-2, but nothing’s secure other than hammer in the ¾ game so we’ll just wait and see what happens,” says Stoughton.
“Kevin (Martin) has our fate in his hands, or else Glenn (Howard) does, depending on what way you want to look at it.”
A Gushue win guarantees him a spot in the Page 1-2 game.
If Martin beats Howard tonight and Quebec beats Newfoundland/Labrador, it will set up a Stoughton/Martin Page 1-2 game. A Howard win also buys him a spot in that game .