Kevin Koe’s Team Alberta squad is the first team to qualify for the 2023 Tim Hortons Brier at the Budweiser Gardens in London, Ontario. On Tuesday, Alberta improved to a record of six wins and zero losses after a narrow 6-4 win over Newfoundland’s Nathan Young, and a blowout 10-1 win over Nunavut’s Jake Higgs.
In Alberta’s win over Newfoundland, the game was tied at four points apiece after eight ends. Then Koe scored a point with the hammer in the ninth end, and then stole a point in the 10th end. In the final end between Alberta and Newfoundland, Alberta put an incredible amount of pressure on Newfoundland. At one time they were counting four points. At the end of the day when Young had his final rock to throw, he had a difficult opportunity to score his single point with the hammer to tie the contest.
Koe’s Team Alberta squad is one of two teams at the Brier undefeated. The other is Manitoba’s Matt Dunstone, who is at five wins and zero losses. Koe faces Dunstone in Pool A action on Wednesday night.
In Pool B, Canadian Olympic gold medalist Brad Gushue of St. John’s, Newfoundland moved into first place with a 6-3 win over Team Wildcard’s Brendan Bottcher. Gushue, who won the gold medal at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, is at five wins and one loss.
