News National

FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. — Brier champion Kevin Koe of Calgary improved to a 1-1 record in the Syncrude National with a convincing 11-4 victory in only five ends over Halifax’s Mark Dacey during Draw 3 action Thursday.

Koe, who won the Canadian men’s curling title this past Sunday, scored three points in the first and posted four-enders in the third and fifth ends. Dacey, who won the Brier in 2004, picked up deuces in the second and fourth ends and also holds a 1-1 record in the tournament.

Team Koe third Pat Simmons returned to the lineup after missing Wednesday’s opening draw, a 5-4 loss to Sven Michel of Switzerland, due to his flight being cancelled.

Defending champion Jeff Stoughton of Winnipeg also moved up to a 1-1 record after winning 6-3 in six ends over Edmonton’s Brendan Bottcher. Stoughton scored one the first and picked up steals of two in the second and one in the third end to pull away 4-0. The teams alternated deuces in the fourth and fifth ends and shook hands after Bottcher (0-2) could only add a single in the sixth.

Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen picked up another big win defeating Japan’s Yusuke Morozmi 10-3 in five ends. McEwen (2-0) scored a five-ender in the first and closed the match with a score of four in the fifth. Morozumi dropped to 0-2 in the tournament.

Glenn Howard of Penetanguishene, Ont., and Switzerland’s Sven Michel sit at the top of the table climbing to 2-0 records. Howard scored three in the fourth and stole two in the fifth during a 7-4 win against Pascal Hess of Switzerland and Michel stole back-to-back singles in the seventh and eighth ends to fend off Toronto’s Travis Fanset. Both Hess and Fanset are winless with 0-2 records.