A pair of late steals were the difference as Brad Jacobs and his team from the Community First Curling Centre lost its first game of the season on Monday afternoon.
The loss came in the final of the Stu Sells Oakville Tankard, which wrapped up early Monday evening in Oakville, Ont.
The Jacobs rink, which includes third Marc Kennedy, second E.J. Harnden, and lead Ryan Harnden, dropped a 5-3 decision to Bruce Mouat of Scotland Sunday after picking up a pair of wins earlier in the day to get into the championship game.
Trailing Mouat 2-1 through four ends after the Scottish team stole one in the fourth to take the lead, Jacobs scored a pair to take the lead.
Mouat proceeded to score one in the sixth and steal one more in the seventh to take a 4-3 lead into the final end.
After Mouat made his final shot to lie one heading into the final rock of the eight end, Jacobs opted to try to remove the Mouat stone to score two for the win instead trying to force an extra end.
Jacobs rubbed one of his own rocks which left Mouat with a steal of one and the win.
Both Jacobs and Mouat posted perfect records in the round robin before picking up wins in the quarters and semis to set the stage for Monday’s final.
In semifinal action, Jacobs advanced thanks to a 6-1 win over Glenn Howard of Penetanguishene, Ont.
With the game tied at one, Jacobs scored three in the fifth before steals of one each in the sixth and seventh ends en route to the win.
Jacobs opened action on Monday with an 8-2 win in five ends over Toronto’s John Epping in Monday morning’s quarter-final draw.
Jacobs jumped out to a 3-0 lead over Epping thanks to a pair in the opening end before stealing one in the second.
After Epping got on the board with a pair in the third, Jacobs scored one in the fourth before sealing the win with a steal of four in the fifth end.
The championship appearance was the second for the Jacobs rink in as many tournaments to start the season after the Sault-based team won the Oakville Labour Day Classic one week earlier.