News National

FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. — Brier champion Kevin Koe of Calgary stole a spot in the Syncrude National quarterfinals from Sweden’s Niklas Edin with a 5-4 win in the tiebreaker match Saturday.

Koe, who captured the Canadian title this past Sunday, trailed 4-2 after five ends and rallied with a single in the sixth followed by back-to-back steals in seven and eight to qualify.

The reigning Canadian Open champion Koe, who finished pool play with a 3-2 record, will now take on Switzerland’s Sven Michel, who topped the table at 5-0. Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen also posted a perfect 5-0 record and meets Saskatoon’s Steve Laycock (3-2) on the other side of the bracket.

Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., faces Sweden’s Oskar Eriksson and Glenn Howard of Penetanguishene, Ont., plays Edmonton’s Kevin Martin in the other quarterfinal matches. All four teams finished round-robin play with identical 4-1 records.

The Syncrude National is the third leg of the Grand Slam of Curling. Howard won the Masters in early November while Koe took home the Canadian Open two weeks later.