Kurt Balderston of Grande Prairie, Alberta has clinched the bye to the Saturday’s championship final following an 8-5 win over Ontario’s Mark Homan.
Balderston made a nice double take-out with his final shot of a tied game to count three. His record is 10-1 and regardless of what happens in his last two games, the berth in the final is still his. Homan drops to 7-4 and in a five way tie for third place in what should be a wild finish for the final two playoff berths in the semi- finals.
New Brunswick’s Sylvie Robichaud avoided the mess at 7-4 with a workmanlike 6-3 win over Nova Scotia’s Chris Sutherland (2-8). Robichaud is alone in second place at 8-3.
Joining Homan in the logjam at 7-4 are Quebec’s Martin Ferland who fell 8-5 to PEI’s Brett Gallant (6-5); Saskatchewan’s Jason Ackerman who was beaten 11-4 by BC’s Doug Marshall (6-5); and Manitoba’s Sean Grassie (7-4) and Northern Ontario’s Mike Assad (7-4) who each had evening byes.
In the evening’s final match, Newfoundland & Labrador’s Gary Alcock stopped Yukon’s Scott Hamilton 14-4 to improve to 2-8. Hamilton is winless at 0-11.
Key Thursday match-ups are: NB versus Saskatchewan and Alberta versus Northern Ontario in Draw 16; Ontario vs BC and Alberta versus Saskatchewan in Draw 17; and, Quebec versus NB and the battle of Ontario in the evening draw when Assad meets Homan. PEI plays Newfoundland and Labrador in the morning draw.