News National

SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. — Hometown hero Brad Jacobs scored three in the final frame to lift his squad into the Boost National semifinals with a thrilling 6-5 win over John Morris of Vernon, B.C., during Saturday’s quarterfinals at the Essar Centre.

Down by two with the hammer coming home, the reigning Olympic champion had a golden opportunity to advance when Team Morris fourth Jim Cotter crashed on a guard with his last. Jacobs was already sitting the tying pair and drew to the eight-foot circle with backing to count three and send the crowd into a frenzy.

“It was nice to end on a high note,” Team Jacobs second E.J. Harnden said. “The way the game was going, there were not very many opportunities to get the crowd into it. I think the biggest thing is we just stayed with it. It wasn’t our best but we made the key shots when it mattered, got a few breaks and fortunately for us we’re off to the semifinals.”

Jacobs overcame a shaky start as Morris was in control for most of the match. The 2010 Olympic gold medallist Morris established a 3-1 lead scoring a deuce in the third after Jacobs was heavy and chipped off his own guard.

Morris dodged a bullet in the fourth as Cotter froze his last and Jacobs looked to unlock it to score three and pull ahead. Jacobs attempted an angle raise, but couldn’t get the counter out far enough and only scored one. Team Morris was forced to draw for a single in five and Cotter covered the pin perfectly to reclaim the two-point advantage. 

Jacobs had a chance for two in the sixth when Cotter crashed on a guard and went through the rings untouched, but he couldn’t capitalize as his last was light to only count the one already in the house. Morris added another on the board in seven to set the stage for Jacobs to redeem himself with the comeback end in the eighth.

Jacobs will face Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., in the semifinals. The defending champion Gushue edged Edmonton’s Charley Thomas 4-3 in an extra end. (Watch the men’s and women’s semifinals at 7:30 p.m. ET on Sportsnet ONE & SN NOW).

Gushue made it clear through the round-robin portion and into the quarterfinals with a 4-0 record in his first event back from a hip/groin issue. Coincidentally, Thomas filled in for Gushue during a few events this season and just last week helped them reach the final of the Canada Cup. Team Gushue third Mark Nichols, who skipped during Gushue’s absence, said facing Thomas wasn’t awkward when the game was going on.

“I wouldn’t say it’s odd but it’s hard to say,” Nichols said. “When you’re on the ice you don’t even think about it but now that I’m thinking about it, yeah maybe a little bit if we had won last week. Charley is a great player and a great skip. His team’s got a good chance to play well in Alberta playdowns and they have a good chance of getting to the Brier.” 

Meanwhile, Winnipeg’s Reid Carruthers brushed aside an early scare to defeat Toronto’s John Epping 7-3 and advance. Carruthers gave up points in the first two ends before waking up with a deuce in three followed by back-to-back single steals of his own in four and five. The recent Canada Cup winner Carruthers limited Epping to one in the sixth then closed out the game with a three-ender in seven. 

Carruthers collides with Sweden’s Niklas Edin, who clipped Calgary’s Kevin Koe 6-5 in an extra end. The WFG Masters and Tour Challenge champion Edin looks to win a third consecutive Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling men’s title.

NOTES: The Boost National is the third event and second major of the 2016-17 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season. … Action continues Saturday with the women’s quarterfinals at 4 p.m. ET on Sportsnet & Sportsnet NOW. … The Boost National runs through to Sunday afternoon at the Essar Centre.