News Elite 10

FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. — Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., qualified for the playoffs at the Syncrude Elite 10 after taking down Toronto’s John Epping during Draw 6 action Friday night.

The reigning Olympics gold medallists scored four ends to win 4-and-2 and finish pool play of the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling match play event with a 3-1 record. 

Jacobs bounced back in Fort McMurray after missing the playoffs during the Syncrude National last season.

“It feels great. We’ve redeemed ourselves from last year, we didn’t play too well last year but this year we’ve qualified and that’s one goal completed,” Jacobs said. “I’m just really proud of the way the guys came out and played today. We played pretty awesome, really had a good handle on the ice and the rocks and I think that’s why we played so well and made so many shots.”

The non-major Syncrude Elite 10 tournament uses match play rules. Teams compete to win the most ends by either scoring two or more points (with hammer) or steal at least one point (without hammer). A blank results in loss of hammer similar to a skins game, however, the unclaimed point does not carry over to the next end.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” Jacobs said. “It’s always nice to go out there and it’s pretty much 0-0 at the start of every end whether you have the hammer or not. It’s a really cool format, I think it’s exciting for the fans and it’s exciting for the players.” 

Epping opened with hammer but couldn’t get two and Jacobs took control. Jacobs made an open takeout in the second to win the end and stole the third to go 2-up when Epping just missed the mark with an angle raise. Epping drew to the button with his final shot in four to push again. Jacobs appeared to already be sitting two in the fifth end but threw his final shot to grab a piece of the button and guarantee the checkmark to go 3-up.

Jacobs nailed a triple takeout with his first skip stone in six to pour on the pressure that led to a steal to ice the game. 

Epping (1-2) is right back on the ice facing Calgary’s Kevin Koe in Draw 7 at 8:30 p.m. MT.

Only one other game was on the draw with Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen landing on the lid with his final shot in the eighth to preserve a 1-up win over Glenn Howard of Penetanguishene, Ont. Howard stole the second end but his final shot in four came up light and McEwen swiped that end to tie it. McEwen took the sixth end to grab the lead and held on.

McEwen (3-1) moves to the playoffs while Howard (2-1) plays Niklas Edin in the final round robin draw.