Issue 3 – Monday, March 5, 2012 • An Offi cial Publication of the Canadian Curling Association. Ontario Killer Koe Polar skip Jamie Koe knocked both Ontario squads from the ranks of the undefeated Sunday in Saskatoon. Sponsors of the Day January 10-13, 2013 • South Okanagan Events Centre • Penticton, BC See Sponsor Profi les on page 9 Page 2 2012 Tim Hortons Brier – Tankard Times Day Two at The Brier Koe Brothers rule the roost By Larry Wood “This will help,” Koe said in Tankard Times Editor reference to that goal. Said the vanquished How- pair of surprises ard (2-1): on the Tim Hortons “I thought I had it made ABrier late shift on in the 10th (with the three- Sunday night left only one ender) but it wasn’t quite contender — Alberta’s Kevin there. He made a couple of Koe-skipped aggregation — great rolls. He made a great undefeated heading into the roll one end and then ended next four days of round-robin up forcing us with another skirmishes. great roll in the eighth. He Koe, the 2010 Brier cham- played well pion, had a bye with a 3-and- “Bottom line, they made a zip record while his brother bunch of shots and we didn’t Jamie, skipping the Territo- play that great. You play ries entry from Yellowknife, average here and you lose. upended 2007 champion It doesn’t matter who you’re Glenn Howard of Ontario playing.” 10-6 in an extra frame for Odishaw jumped into a 3-0 his second victory in a row lead on previously unbeaten over the Upper Canucks at Murphy of CFB Halifax, then the Credit Union Centre. His stole another deuce and team dealt North Ontario’s refused to relinquish control Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. once the Bluenosers attempt- Marie (2-1) an 8-5 loss in the ed to make a comeback. afternoon. “We knew coming into New Brunswick’s previ- this,” said Moncton’s Odis- ously winless Terry Odishaw, haw, “that we were playing meanwhile, hung tough to some pretty tough teams call a halt at 8-6 to the three- right off the start.” game winning streak of Nova In fact, the Herringchok- Scotia’s Jamie Murphy. ers lost to Ontario, Manitoba “That’s a pretty big day for and Alberta before turning it us,” said the six-time NWT around Sunday night. champion skip who traded “When you know you’re singles with Howard on the playing those tough teams eighth and ninth frames, then you have to make up some warded off an Ontario rally in ground fast,” said Odishaw, the home end and cleaned who received plaudits for his house perfectly in the 11th play from conquerors in spite and left the building with four of his first three defeats. of his stones counting. “I thought we played those “We played badly yester- tough teams pretty good,” he day and came out today and agreed. “We spent the whole put two good games together year back home losing to a and got some good breaks,” team and beating it later. We said Koe, who headed into seem to lose to a team and this morning’s contest with then come back every time. the home-province favourite So that’s the way we’ll look at Scott Manners at 2-and-1. this. I think we’re an exciting “It’s always good to beat team to watch. You never one of the top teams in the know.” world,” said Koe. “We’ve In other night-time tiffs, never beaten them before. Manitoba’s Rob Fowler won But they struggled tonight his third in four starts, hand- and we capitalized on that. ing P.E.I.’s Mike Gaudet his “We had a key two in the fourth straight setback — an seventh and that kept our 8-3 thumping. momentum going. He had a And Manners of the Bat- chance for three in the last tlefords executed an open end and unfortunately for him hit with his last rock to edge he rolled a touch too far.” Robert Desjardins (1-2) of The Territories team is Quebec 6-5. aiming to at least better its It was Manners’ second best previous Brier record, a win in three starts. 6-5 log established in Koe’s debut year — 2006. Continued on Page 3 Third E.J. Harnden and his Northern Ontario mates dropped their first game to the Territories. Monday, March 5, 2012 Page 3 Continued from 2 14-time Brier vet, Gushue forced Howard to You’re not likely going to stay on a roll the “We were focused and ready and everybody one, but then a key missed shot in the ninth left whole week, we know that.” was geared up and steady,” said the angular the door open for a steal of two by the Ontar- Manners suffered his first loss, an extra-end Saskatchewan skip. ians. 6-5 job to B.C.’s Jim Cotter (1-2). “This is one we wanted to win. It’s what we Newfoundland was forced to take a single in The wins continued to pile up for unsung came about. An evening game in front of the the 10th and Howard made no mistakes in the Nova Scotia in the morning. home crowd at the Brier. extra, making a routine draw to the four-foot. Murphy and his rookies vaulted into a 5-2 “We’ll just take what game has to offer. We Gushue said it’s been one little thing in each lead at the half and defended its way to a 5-3 have to look at ‘em one at a time. That’s our game – hard to pinpoint, but he was definitely victory over Cotter, thereby extended its win goal. not happy with the record. skein to three. “Yesterday I was nervous but today was a Last year’s bronze-medal winner said there’s Over a three-game opening span, Murphy’s settling day. Not so anxious tonight, just ready no easy fix. last-rock shooting percentage was an impres- to play.” “I don’t know what we need to do,” he said. sive 87. Saskatchewan grabbed a 3-1 lead with a “We’re right there to be quite honest. Today, a “The crowd’s almost so big it’s easy to stay in deuce in the third end and never was headed. horrible break in nine; this morning we make your own bubble,” said Murphy. “At least that’s Fowler has a one-draw assignment today one shot we probably win that game; last night how we’re finding it. We don’t know how these and was safely tied with Murphy at 3-and-1. we make one more shot we win that game. teams are going to react but so far we’ve been “We’re happy to be where we are after the “Things haven’t gone our way in the first able to play our game plan. first weekend,” said the Brandon car dealer, a three games. It’s a disappointing start don’t get “Everything feels pretty comfortable. We’re former teammate of absent defending cham- me wrong, but we’re not playing horrible, either. executing and we’re playing well within our- pion Jeff Stoughton of Winnipeg. If we’re going to take anything out of this one, selves.” “The first game, I thought the team played if we were playing a team not named Glenn Alberta and Northern Ontario each won their really good. It was a matter of a couple of shots Howard, it might have been a little bit easier.” second straight on the morning draw. Koe was that I might have nailed down and we maybe Said Howard: a 9-4 winner over New Brunswick’s Odishaw could have been 4-and-0. But we’re in a good “It was a pretty well-curled game; I think Brad who wilted in the latter stages, yielding a stolen spot. made two incredible shots in seven and eight, three in the ninth end, while Jacobs survived “From my perspective, when I have the op- hits and rolls, and then that light shot in nine, his second straight tight-fit, rallying for an 8-7 portunity to put points on the board I have to do not sure what happened there. I wasn’t expect- extra-end verdict against Gaudet’s P.E. Island- that. The last three games I’ve done that. ing to steal two for sure.” ers (0-3). “Any time you win three in a row it gives you The Polars jumped out to a 3-0 lead after Manitoba’s Fowler posted a 10th-end deuce some momentum ad I’ve been around long two ends against Northern Ontario before the to nip Gushue 8-7 in one other thriller. enough to know that momentum is a huge Soo crew rebounded with a deuce, but the Ter- Fowler drew the four-foot to clinch it after thing.” ritories answered with three more and Jacobs Gushue’s last in-turn failed to curl sufficiently. In other afternoon action, Newfoundland’s chased the game the rest of the way. “Any time you have a draw to the four-foot Brad Gushue was left looking inside from the Alberta kept its perfect record intact with a to win the game, it’s something you’re pretty Glenn Howard seemed as surprised as back door with three straight losses. tidy, seven-end 9-2 win over Quebec.