CAMROSE, Alta. — Kevin Koe’s Calgary crew is staying alive in the C-side of the Meridian Canadian Open.
Koe scored in the extra end to eliminate John Morris 6-5 Thursday night in the last-chance bracket of the triple knockout round.
It’s always a heavyweight tilt when the two former teammates lock up and Team Koe third Marc Kennedy also credits the five-rock rule for the match going the distance and then some.
“Especially with the five-rock rule you know it’s hard to run away with games,” Kennedy said. “We knew it was going to be close. We were still not playing our best but it was nice to get a win under our belt for sure.”
Sixteen of the top men’s teams and 16 of the top women’s team from around the world are competing in the fourth tournament — and third major — of the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season. The Meridian Canadian Open is also the final tour event prior to the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
The tournament is a bit of a send-off for both with Team Koe representing Canada in men’s play while Morris and Kaitlyn Lawes are competing in the inaugural mixed doubles competition. Title sponsor Meridian is also a supporter of Team Koe and has given them extra motivation too.
“With our title sponsor being here, they’ve been a huge supporter of us and curling. To come here and represent them well is important but also for some family,” said Kennedy, the 2010 Olympic gold medallist from St. Albert, Alta. “My wife and kids aren’t coming to South Korea so for them to come and be able to watch us before we leave is pretty special.
“We’ve got a good history with this building. Kevin’s won provincials here, we won provincials here and a couple other big events so it’s always nice to be close home and close to family and friends.”
Team Koe took a break over the Christmas holidays after winning the Roar of the Rings in December to punch their tickets to Pyeongchang but they’re ready to gear up for the Winter Games.
“We’ve been busy but we had a nice break over Christmas so we wanted to get right back at it and play as many games as possible before another little break here,” Kennedy said. “This has been good and hopefully we can play a little better tomorrow.”
Koe got off to a good start Thursday night scoring a deuce in the opening end. Morris managed to knot it up with a single in the second and an equalizing steal in three as Koe hit and rolled away to concede one.
The two-time world champion Koe pulled off a pinball angle raise hitting three stones to score a point in the fourth and retake the lead 3-2 at the break.
Team Morris fourth Matt Dunstone knotted it up again in six drawing against three Koe counters.
Dunstone’s last in the seventh curled right into a guard and it looked like Koe had Team Morris on the ropes eyeing a tricky double takeout for a handful. Koe let Morris off the hook though and opted for a less risky, but still difficult, hit for a deuce to pull back ahead 5-3.
“I think Matt missed his last one otherwise it would have been tough to even score one. When you get a chance for a deuce when you didn’t think you’d have one, you take it,” Kennedy said. “Kevin made a great shot for two, it really wasn’t that easy. A big deuce turned the tables for us and gave us control the rest of the way.”
Dunstone made a great soft bump and kept his shooter in play to count two in the eighth and force the extra end.
Koe faced four Morris stones on his last rock of the extra end and drew to the back of the four-foot circle to shut it down.
The Vernon, B.C., based Team Morris (0-3) relied on a couple spares this week with Dunstone filling in for Jim Cotter at fourth stones and Don Bartlett making a last-minute emergency substitution for lead Tyrel Griffith.
It’s still an uphill battle for Koe (1-2) as he now takes on defending champion Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., in the C-side semifinals Friday at 2 p.m. ET / Noon MT (Watch on Sportsnet).
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Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen bounced back through the B brackets to advance to the playoffs. McEwen stole three in the sixth and one in the seventh during a 6-1 victory over BOOST National champion Bruce Mouat in the B-qualifiers.
Edmonton’s Laura Crocker is off to the playoffs with a 6-4 win over Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg in the women’s B-qualifiers.
Casey Scheidegger of Lethbridge, Alta., kept her Meridian Canadian Open title defence going by ousting Edmonton’s Val Sweeting 6-4 in a C-side match.
Scheidegger, fresh from winning her first Alberta Scotties title Sunday, took two in the first and stole one in the second to build an early 3-0 lead. The three-time Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling champion Sweeting was held to a single in three and Scheidegger extended her advantage to 5-1 with another deuce in four.
Sweeting was down but not out (yet) getting another point in five and stealing one in six to cut the deficit down. Scheidegger was to a single in seven as Sweeting retook the hammer for the final frame.
Sweeting came close to getting a tying three but never got around to throwing her last one as Scheidegger ran her out of rocks.
“We were really hot at the beginning of the game,” Scheidegger said. “We came out with awesome draw weight and then I struggled in that middle part a little bit. I regretted throwing our first rock in in that last end because we’re in a situation right now where maybe give up three because of that rock but it worked out so it’s good.
“Avoiding the three. That’s the game plan.”
Attempting to qualify through the C brackets isn’t the ideal path but having their backs against the walls worked out for Scheidegger last year as it was the path her team took en route to the Meridian Canadian Open title in her top-tier Grand Slam debut.
“It did and I think that we’re still on a little bit of a high from provincials but those two losses sort of kicked us back into reality,” Scheidegger said. “We’re like, ‘OK we’re not as good as we think we are,’ so it was good. It’s nice to have a win anywhere you go. A little bit of money and just that confidence too on arena ice.”
Scheidegger missed her team’s first game Wednesday due to work commitments and two-time Scotties Tournament of Hearts champion Heather Nedohin stepped in to skip.
South Korea’s EunJung Kim punted Alina Paetz of Switzerland 7-4 in another C-brackets match.
The Meridian Canadian Open features a triple knockout preliminary format where teams must win three games before they lose three in order to qualify for the weekend playoffs. Eight teams advance in both divisions with Brad Jacobs and Jason Gunnlaugson already through on the men’s side and Rachel Homan and Allison Flaxey advancing in the A brackets in women’s play.
Action resumes at Encana Arena with Draw 11 Friday at 8:30 a.m. MT.
NOTES: Winners of the Meridian Canadian Open earn berths to the season-ending Humpty’s Champions Cup running April 24-29 at Calgary’s WinSport Arena. … Points are also up for grabs for the Bonus Cup, awarded to the overall season champions. … Television coverage resumes Friday at 2 p.m. ET on Sportsnet. Also watch online at Sportsnet NOW (Canada) or gsoc.yaretv.com (international).