Calgary skips Kevin Koe and Brock Virtue have advanced to the A-qualifier of the Alberta Boston Pizza Cup and their teams will face off with a playoff spot on the line in Wainwright, Alta.
Koe, a three-time Alberta champion, defeated Edmonton’s James Pahl 7-5 in nine ends Thursday morning. Trailing 4-3 at the fifth-end break, Koe scored four points in the sixth to lift his team into the lead. Pahl blanked two consecutive ends but couldn’t get the equalizer and was held to a single point in the ninth.
ATTENTION Rogers and Shaw customers.
Already enjoying Sportsnet ONE? Now get access to digital editions of Sportsnet magazine at no extra cost.
Virtue earned a deuce in the final end to edge Brendan Bottcher of Edmonton 8-7. Bottcher scored three in the second and stole one in the third to go up 4-1 before Virtue tied it with a single in four and a steal of one in five. The rinks traded pairs of points through the seventh and eighth ends and Bottcher regained the lead 7-6 with one in the ninth but gave up the hammer coming home.
Pahl and Bottcher fell to the B bracket of the triple knockout tournament.
The winner of the Boston Pizza Cup will represent Alberta at the Tim Hortons Brier, starting Feb. 28 in Calgary. Watch coverage of the Boston Pizza Cup starting Sunday at 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT on Sportsnet West.
