Alberta’s Kevin Koe stayed unbeated Tuesday afternoon at the Tim Hortons Brier Canadian Men’s Curling Championship in Brandon, downing Vernon’s Jim Cotter 9-5.
Koe improved to 5-0, taking control of the game in the seventh end by scoring three to snap a 4-4 tie. Cotter, backed by third Steve Laycock, second Tyrel Griffith and lead Rick Sawatsky, dropped to 3-2.
Cotter shook off his first loss Monday at the Brier by scoring a single point with the hammer in the final end to beat Terry Odishaw of New Brunswick 7-6 in the evening draw.
Defending champion Brad Gushue’s Team Canada rink from Newfoundland/Labrador knocked off Cotter 10-4 in the Monday morning draw in a battle of teams that had been 2-0.
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Gushue suffered his first loss Monday night, 7-6 to Koe, who used a great angle takeout with his final stone in the 10th end to score a pair. Koe is 4-0 and alone atop the group.
Stuart Thompson’s Dartmouth rink won their third straight, 11-2 over winless David St. Louis of Nunavut (0-4).
Ontario’s Scott McDonald improved to 2-2 with a 10-2 thumping of Koe’s brother, Jamie, of the Northwest Territories, who fell to 0-4.
Elsewhere in Pool B Tuesday afternoon, Gushue improved to 4-1, scoring two in the 10th to beat Odishaw 8-7. Ontario’s Scott McDonald won his third straight, 5-4 over Stuart Thompson of of Nova Scotia. Both rinks join Cotter at 3-2. And Jamie Koe of the Northwest Territories defeated David St. Louis of Nunavut 9-4 in a battle of winless teams.
Cotter will play twice Wedneday as the preliminary round wraps up; at 7 a.m. Pacific vs Jamie Koe (NWT), and at 5 p.m. Pacific against Scott McDonald (Ont.).
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The top four rinks in each eight-team pool will bring their records following play Wednesday into a second crossover pool against the other four squads.
The top four teams following that round robin Thursday and Friday advance to Saturday’s page playoffs.
roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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