A battle of unbeaten teams came down to an extra end on Tuesday and it was Brad Gushue that came away with the victory to remain atop the standings at the 2021 Tim Hortons Curling Trials in Saskatoon.
After giving up a pair in the 10th end that sent the game to the extra, Gushue made a draw to pick up a 7-6 win over Sault Ste. Marie’s Brad Jacobs at the nine-day event being held this week at SaskTel Place.
In a Curling Canada story, Jacobs called the game “a heck of a battle.”
“I was proud of my guys, the way they were able to stick in there,” Jacobs added. “Not our sharpest, not our best. I think (there’s) lots to build off. You’ve got to expect to lose a game or two, or more, in a field like this.”
The tightness of the game wasn’t lost on Gushue either.
“You can’t expect anything different playing those guys,” Gushue said. “You want the advantage of last rock in the 10th end or the extra end, and fortunately we did.”
Gushue went on to call it “probably our best game of the week.”
After blanking the opening end, Gushue got on the board with a single in the second end before going up 2-0 thanks to a steal.
The Jacobs rink got on the board with a single in the fourth.
Gushue scored a single in the fifth end to extend the lead to 3-1.
The teams then traded deuces with Jacobs scoring a pair in the sixth end before Gushue getting it right back in the seventh.
Singles by each team in the next two ends sent the game into the 10th end with Gushue leading 6-4 before Jacobs forced the extra end with a pair.
The Jacobs rink, which includes third Marc Kennedy, second E.J. Harnden, and lead Ryan Harnden is back in action on Wednesday.
The team is scheduled to face Jason Gunnlaugson of Morris, Man in the morning draw at 10 a.m. Sault time.
Jacobs will take a 3-1 record into the game.
After facing Calgary’s Kevin Koe in the afternoon draw on Thursday, Jacobs will wrap up the round robin on Friday with a pair of games, meeting Mike McEwen in the morning draw before capping the day off in the evening draw against Tanner Horgan.