We now know the six teams left at the 2024 Montana’s Brier in Regina, Saskatchewan. In Pool A, Canadian Olympic gold medalist Brad Jacobs of Sault. Ste. Marie, Ontario clinched top spot with a record of seven wins and one loss following a 6-3 win over Alberta’s Brendan Bottcher. Jacobs, who is representing a team from Manitoba at the Brier, won the gold medal for Canada at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.
The major challenge for Bottcher this week has been his draw weight. That is how he lost to Northern Ontario’s Trevor Bonot on Monday afternoon as Bonot stole one point in the 10th end when Bottcher was unable to reach the four foot with his draw. Then on Thursday night, Jacobs stole a key point in the seventh end to take a 3-2 lead when Bottcher was light again.
Team Jacobs is one of two pool winners. The other was Saskatchewan’s Mike McEwen at 7-1. In Friday’s play, McEwen will play Bottcher, and Jacobs will play Canadian Olympic gold medalist Brad Gushue. The pride of Newfoundland, who is representing Team Canada as the defending Brier champion, Gushue won gold at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin. The winners of the 1/2 qualifiers will go to the 1/2 page playoff game on Saturday. The losers of the 1/2 qualifier will play the Northwest Territories and Manitoba’s Matt Dunstone on Friday evening in the page 3/4 qualifier.
It was an historic Thursday at the Brier as Northwest Territories advanced to the playoffs for only the second time ever. Jamie Koe of Yellowknife advanced to the playoffs with a record of five wins and three losses after a 9-8 extra end win over Prince Edward Island. Koe also reached the playoffs in 2012.
