Manitoba’s Mike McEwen has earned the bronze medal at the Tim Hortons Brier in St. John’s, N.L.
McEwen scored two in an extra end to clip Northern Ontario’s Brad Jacobs 7-5 Sunday for the third spot on the podium.
Team Canada’s Kevin Koe defeated Jacobs 6-2 in Saturday’s Page playoff 3-4 game and stole in an extra end to edge McEwen 7-6 in the semifinal. The defending champ Koe takes on hometown hero Brad Gushue for gold in a rematch of last season’s final.
Jacobs, the 2013 Brier winner, topped McEwen to take the bronze a year ago.
Here’s how it went down:
EXTRA END
McEwen draws to the side of the button on his first skip stone. Jacobs attempts to freeze for shot, but leaves just enough separation for McEwen to knock it out. MB 7, NO 5
10 END
Manitoba misses a raised takeout attempt on its first skip stone allowing Northern Ontario to sit two. McEwen needs to make a game-saving double, hits the top one on the outside and angles it back to knock them both out. Jacobs draws to tie it and force the extra end. MB 5, NO 5
9TH END
McEwen draws against two and takes the single. MB 5, NO 4
8TH END
Both Manitoba and Northern Ontario sit pairs of stones in the four-foot circle, Jacobs taps one of his own to bump McEwen’s shot rock and score a deuce to make it all square. MB 4, NO 4
7TH END
With just one Manitoba stone in the house, Jacobs peels it out to blank. MB 4, NO 2
6TH END
McEwen piles on the pressure with four counters including two stacked on the button. Jacobs bumps them to move one back and gives up a steal of one. MB 4, NO 2
5TH END
Jacobs looks to make a thin double, but doesn’t push the second one far enough and leaves his shooter open. McEwen taps it out the back door to score two. MB 3, NO 2
4TH END
McEwen is light on the draw and concedes a point to Northern Ontario. NO 2, MB 1
3RD END
Facing two and possibly three, Jacobs hits the shot rock and sticks around for one to draw level. MB 1, NO 1
2ND END
McEwen hits and rolls to the button with a long guard up top, but Jacobs sees just enough of it to peel it out and blank. MB 1, NO 0
1ST END
Manitoba opens with the hammer. McEwen draws against two counters for a single. MB 1, NO 0