CONCEPTION BAY SOUTH, N.L. — Team Brad Jacobs stole in the extra end to escape with a 4-3 win over Edmonton’s Team Brendan Bottcher during the Boost National men’s quarterfinals Saturday at CBS Arena.
Brad Jacobs shoots a stone during the GSOC’s Boost National men’s quarterfinals on Dec. 14, 2019, at CBS Arena in Conception Bay South, N.L. (Anil Mungal)
Bottcher held the hammer in overtime but needed to make a delicate draw to the button and rolled just a little too deep.
It’ll be The Brad Show in the semifinals as Jacobs takes on Team Brad Gushue. The local favourites from St. John’s, N.L., clipped Switzerland’s Team Peter de Cruz 6-5.
The other men’s semifinal matchup is an all-European affair between Team Niklas Edin of Sweden and Team Bruce Mouat of Scotland. Edin eliminated Winnipeg’s Team Mike McEwen 5-2 and Mouat ousted Calgary’s Team Kevin Koe 7-2.
The women’s semifinals see Winnipeg’s Team Jennifer Jones against Team Tracy Fleury of East St. Paul in an all-Manitoba matchup and short-handed Team Satsuki Fujisawa of Japan versus Team Anna Hasselborg of Sweden.
Team Fujisawa is only a trio this week with led Yurika Yoshida sick. Despite the odds, they advanced to the semifinals after taking down top-seed Team Elena Stern of Switzerland 9-3 during Saturday afternoon’s quarterfinals. Hasselborg also ran up the score to knock out Calgary’s Team Chelsea Carey 9-2. Jones eliminated Scotland’s Team Eve Muirhead 7-4 and Fleury ousted Team Robyn Silvernagle of North Battleford, Sask., 6-3.
Broadcast coverage of the men’s and women’s semifinals is on Sportsnet ONE (7 p.m. ET). Online streaming is available via Sportsnet NOW (Canada) or Yare (international).
Both finals are set for Sunday.
NOTES: The Boost National is the third event and second major of the 2019-20 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season featuring 15 of the top men’s teams and 15 of the top women’s teams from around the world. Qualification is based on the WCF World Team Ranking system. … A $300,000 combined purse is on the line, split equally between both divisions, with the winners receiving $35,000 each plus berths to the season-ending Humpty’s Champions Cup in Olds, Alta. … Teams also earn points towards the Pinty’s Cup awarded to the season champions following the conclusion of the Players’ Championship in April.