(by Larry Wood).
A pair of surprises on the Tim Hortons Brier late shift on Sunday night left only one contender — Alberta’s Kevin Koe-skipped aggregation — undefeated heading into the next four days of round-robin skirmishes.
Koe, the 2010 Brier champion, had a bye with a 3-and-zip record while his brother Jamie, skipping the Territories entry from Yellowknife, upended 2007 champion Glenn Howard of Ontario 10-6 in an extra frame for his second victory in a row over the Upper Canucks. His team dealt North Ontario’s Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie an 8-5 loss ion the afternoon.
Kevin Koe watches his sweepers during the 2012 Tim Hortons Brier.
(Photo: CCA/Michael Burns Photography)
New Brunswick’s previously winless Terry Odishaw, meanwhile, hung tough to call a halt at 8-6 to the three-game winning streak of Nova Scotia’s Jamie Murphy.
Odishaw jumped into a 3-0 lead on previously unbeaten Murphy of CFB Halifax, then stole another deuce and refused to relinquish control once the Bluenosers attempted to make a comeback.
“We knew coming into this,” said Moncton’s Odishaw, “that we were playing some pretty tough teams right off the start.”
In fact, the Herringchokers lost to Ontario, Manitoba and Alberta before turning it around Sunday night.
“When you know you’re playing those tough teams you have to make up some ground fast,” said Odishaw, who received plaudits for his play from conquerors in spite of his first three defeats.
In other night-time tiffs, Manitoba’s Rob Fowler won his third in four starts, handing P.E.I.’s Mike Gaudet his fourth straight setback — an 8-3 thumping.
And Manners of the Battlefords executed an open hit with his last rock to edge Robert Desjardins (1-2) of Quebec 6-5.