News Canadian Open

CAMROSE, Alta. — Team Korey Dropkin from the United States and Sweden’s Team Niklas Edin both climbed to 2-0 records in the Co-op Canadian Open and are one more win away from qualifying for the playoffs.

Dropkin defeated Winnipeg’s Team Matt Dunstone 5-2 while Edin edged Norway’s Team Magnus Ramsfjell 5-4 during the A-semifinals of the triple knockout preliminary round Wednesday evening.

Teams must win three games before they lose three in order to advance to the playoffs.

Dropkin has taken a page out of the Team Homan playbook as he’s still throwing fourth rocks but has handed skip duties over to third Andrew Stopera.

After blanking the first three ends, Dropkin had to settle for a single in the fourth and then fell behind as Dunstone scored a deuce in the fifth. That was all the offence Dunstone could muster, however, as Dropkin reclaimed the lead with a three-count in the sixth and stole a point in the seventh.

Edin, who won with a single in the eighth end, is playing in his first event since sustaining a knee injury in late October.

Dunstone and Ramsfjell now hold 1-1 records and dropped into the B brackets.

Meanwhile, Scotland’s Team Bruce Mouat grabbed their first win of the B-side by beating Team Tanner Horgan of Sudbury, Ont., 6-2.

Mouat (1-1) was already ahead 2-1 after three ends and rolled away stealing one in the fourth, two in the fifth plus another point in the sixth. Horgan was held to another lone point in seven and shook hands.

Kevin Koe’s Calgary club celebrated their skip’s 48th birthday with a 7-6 victory over Saskatoon’s Team Colton Flasch.

Koe improved to a 1-1 record.

Horgan and Flasch fell into the C-side with 0-2 records and now must win three straight while on the brink of elimination.

The Co-op Canadian Open resumes Thursday with Draw 9 at 10:30 a.m. ET / 8:30 a.m. local time. Single draw tickets plus full-event, weekend and daily passes are available at the Encana Arena box office and online at camrosegsoc.goigniter.com.

NOTES: The Co-op Canadian Open is the fourth event of the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season with 16 of the top men’s teams and 16 of the top women’s teams from around the world at Encana Arena. … Broadcast coverage of the Co-op Canadian Open begins Thursday at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT on Sportsnet and streaming online at Sportsnet NOW (Canada) or Yare (international). … Triple knockout action runs through to Saturday morning. The quarterfinals are scheduled for Saturday afternoon followed by the semifinals in the evening. Both finals are set for Sunday.