Full-House Brier Curling Madness in St. John’s

ST. JOHN’S, NL – it’s Friday afternoon and the Mary Brown’s Centre is full. 

The Page 1 vs 2 Qualifier includes three skips who have won 11 of the last 13 Briers. Kevin Koe has turned back Father Time with an all-star performance this week for Team Alberta. He is up against Brad Jacobs for the 64th time, dating back to the National in January of 2010. 

Jacobs holds the edge at 32-31 but Kevin has won the last three in a row, including a 6-5 win at the Canadian Olympic Trials, Brad’s only loss of the week.

The other Brad, the one everyone is here to cheer on, is up against Matt Dunstone. Gushue is hoping to cap off his career with a seventh Brier win, bookending his first in this building, nine years ago. 

Dunstone is trying to return to the Brier final after a heartbreaking loss to Jacobs last year in Kelowna.

A happy accident as Colton Lott throws a “wicky-ticky” hit in the second end, rubbing a long guard to make a triple on three red Gushue stones. On skip’s final stones, Dunstone is unable to freeze to the face of Gushue’s buried rock and he leaves a delicate double for two points, which Brad executes to perfection to capture the first deuce of the game.

In the third end, Dunstone is unable to make a difficult crotch double for two, his shooter spinning out of play and Manitoba is held to a single.

In the fourth, Matt makes a hit and roll on his last and Brad is forced to a draw to the four-foot for his single. He covers the pin. 3-1 after four ends.

In the fifth end, Dunstone rebounds to score two following a miss by Nichols attempting to snake through a port. The score is 3-3 at the break and Gushue holds the hammer.

Facing two yellow Dunstone stones – Dun-stones? – in the four foot, Brad makes another draw to the button for his single and holds a 4-3 lead after six ends.

Dunstone is forced in the 7th end.  In the eighth, E.J. Harnden misses both his shots; the second is a pick b ut this first is ridiculous bad luck. His flummoxed  “What is that?” is captured perfectly by TSN’s cameras and player microphones, and it should become a meme.

Lott’s first draw attempt is light and it appears to be trouble for Dunstone until Colton makes a perfect hit and roll on his last throw. Gushue attempts to open things up and eventually makes a perfect freeze on the button on his first. Matt follows down with a nose hit and Brad is forced to toss his final stone away and accept the single point.

In the ninth end, rather than a hit and roll on E.J.’s first, Matt chooses the double peel. He is working towards a blank before the end is half over. Brad chooses not to force the issue and the result is indeed a blank.

The 10th end includes the perfect cross of two centre guards, two corner guards and shot stone in the top eight foot, belonging to Gushue. Early positioning appears in Gushue’s favour until Colton is able to draw beneath the centre guards, crossing the Gushue stone on the top four foot. The angles are now dangerous for Team Newfoundland and Labrador and Brad elects to throw a long guard. 

Manitoba calls timeout, while Jacobs also calls time one sheet over. A unique photo of all players in discussion in the late stage of these tension-packed contests.

Matt chooses a double peel and Brad attempts to replace his guard… and hogs it! Dunstone is left with a runback into the pile and scores his two (actually three) three to win. The fans are politely applauding but also in a state of shock. 

The arena will be packed tonight as Gushue will try to rebound against Jayden King and Team Ontario while Dunstone rests until Saturday night and a battle with Kevin Koe.

In the non-TV matchup, Jacobs and Koe trade singles in the first three ends, followed by two blanks. It’s 2-1 Alberta at the break, Canada with hammer.

Koe is sitting three early in the sixth end. Gallant comes around a centre guard and Kevin decides to peel on Tyler Tardi’s first stone. A missed double on Tardi’s next and the rings are split by Jacobs, leading to the first deuce of the game. Brad leads Kevin 3-2 heading to the seventh end.

On his first in that end, Koe makes a delicate soft-weight tap on a Jacobs stone top button behind a centre guard. Brad follows down and taps Kevin’s stone just past their red stone at the back eight foot to third shot. Jacobs sits first and second, shot stone is open on the side of the four-foot. 

Kevin calls a timeout and considers if they have a shot to score two or possibly three. It’s the shot of the playoffs thus far, as Koe rubs a hairline fraction of shot stone for a very thin double to score a triple and leap ahead of Jacobs five to three.

In the eighth end, Koe makes another double on his first to escape the end. Jacobs is forced to one.

Trouble in the ninth end for Koe with Jacobs putting pressure early and Alberta removing or running back guards. Kevin is playing to hold Jacobs to no more than one so he can, at worst, be tied with hammer in the final frame. Koe eventually draws for his single and leads 6-4. 

In the 10th end there are an uncomfortable number of red Canada stones, but Kevin is able to maneuver yellow rocks into the correct positions and Marc Kennedy and his skipper are unable to clear the area. 

On his final stone, Brad attempts a double-raise-angle-triple that fails, resulting in a steal for Alberta and a 7-4 win for Kevin Koe.

Jacobs will take on Braden Calvert of Manitoba tonight while Kevin secures a spot in the Page game Saturday night against Matt Dunstone, and a chance to return to the Brier final for the first time in four years.

Prior to the draw, Koe received his first-ever First Team All-Star award, along with Colton Lott, Brett Gallant and Geoff Walker.  The Second Team All-Star skip is Brad Gushue, with Marc Kennedy, E.J. Harnden and brother Ryan Harnden in the lineup.