News Canadian Open

YORKTON, Sask. — Edmonton’s Brendan Bottcher upset Olympic gold medallist Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., 8-3 Wednesday afternoon at the Canadian Open.

The 2012 world junior champion Bottcher moves on in the A bracket of the triple knockout preliminary round and will face Toronto’s John Epping in his next match.

After Jacobs scored a deuce in the opening end, Bottcher settled for a single in the second and stole points in three consecutive ends to lead 4-2 after five. Bottcher stole single steals in three consecutive ends. Jacobs was forced to a point in six and shook hands after Bottcher put an exclamation mark on the match with a huge score of four.

“We got off to a little bit of a shaky start and gave up two in the first end that we didn’t deserve to give up then just started playing better and figuring out the ice only one shot at a time and that worked out well for us,” Bottcher said. “We just made more shots than they did by the end of the game.”

Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen, who captured his fourth Grand Slam title last month at the National, picked up where he left off in the series scoring two in the eighth end to edge Charlottetown’s Adam Casey 7-6. 

Calgary’s Kevin Koe also scored a deuce in the final frame to fend off Winnipeg’s Reid Carruthers with a 7-6 win.

Glenn Howard of Penetanguishene, Ont., doubled up on Switzerland’s Sven Michel 6-3 and Calgary’s John Morris broke a tie with a four-ender in six to win 7-3 over Jeff Stoughton of Winnipeg.