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Issue 5 – Wednesday, March 7, 2012 • An Official Publication of the Canadian Curling Association. Clash of the Koes Alberta’s Kevin Koe takes on Territories’ brother Jamie in the morning draw today. Dad Fred will be rooting for both of them. See Larry Wood, Page 5. Sponsor of the Day MARCH 2-10 • REXALL PLACE See Sponsor Profiles on page 9 Page 2 2012 Tim Hortons Brier – Tankard Times Day Four at The Brier No more unbeaten crews By Larry Wood lucky there.” Halifax. Tankard Times Editor The game was done in Fowler knocked off Mur- nine panels. phy 10-7 in the morning he Tim Hortons “It was kind of nice to but Murphy bounced back Brier form chart is get one less end for a to defeat Manners 10-7 on Tbeginning to run change,” said the Ontario the late draw. true to form. skip. “We’re getting a little “We had seven pretty The two former champi- better. We’d love to put good ends tonight but ons in the field — Alberta’s the rocks in together a this ice is so good you Kevin Koe (2010) and little more often. Still not can bury in the wings and Ontario’s Glenn Howard vintage Team Howard but when you miss a couple (2007) — headed into we’re getting closer all the of peels they’ll score three their last four round-robin time.” on you in a hurry,” said the assignments today and Howard plays B.C. and Bluenose skip who should Thursday with 6-and-1 P.E.I. today. have salted away the issue records. “We’ve been concen- with a four-ender in the If there’s been a differ- trating on the ice and the seventh but allowed Sas- ence during their respec- nuances,” he said. “It has katchewan right back in it tive first seven games, it’s been a little bit different with three in the eighth. the manner in which their but it’s getting better all It was a one-point game victories have rolled out. the time. You always have after Murphy wrecked with Koe has admitted his to read ice and rocks at a last rock in the ninth. opponents applied limited Brier and I think we’re do- “But the guys played pressure as he won six. By ing a good job with it here.” well coming home and we comparison, Howard finally Koe’s brother Jamie, had it set up pretty good,” won a relatively simple one steering the Territories he said. “He (Manners) on Tuesday night — 8-4 crew from Yellowknife, almost didn’t have a shot.” over Manitoba’s Rob Fowl- faltered in his quest to stay The Nova Scotians er — after four consecutive with the leaders Tues- were bad guys with the extra-end nailbiters. day night when he was home-province crowd and Alberta’s Koe, with Pat bounced 9-6 by the lowly Murphy allowed: “That’s Simmons, Carter Rycroft Prince Edward Islanders the most nervous I’ve ever and Nolan Thiessen, skipped by Mike Gaudet. been in a curling game. was the last to lose his The victory for Gaudet We pretty well had every- unbeaten status when was his second of the day, one rooting against us.” Northern Ontario’s Brad also the tournament. Quebec’s Robert Desjar- Jacobs hung up a 7-6 last- “That’s the first time dins, aka Curling Bob, won rock verdict on Tuesday we’ve accomplished that, his second of the week in afternoon. two straight,” allowed one other late tilt, dispos- Howard, with Wayne Gaudet. “I think if we play ing of New Brunswick’s Middaugh, Brent Laing and solid as a team we can get Terry Odishaw 8-3. Craig Savill, won twice, better no matter who we’re Jamie Koe needed an earlier slipping past Sas- playing. I definitely enjoy afternoon extra end to beat katchewan’s Scott Man- playing the toughest teams Quebec with a perfect hit- ners 7-5 with a deuce in and putting in a solid ef- and-stick for an 8-7 win. overtime. It was Howard’s fort. Everyone picked up “We’ve gotta be happy record 175th Brier game, everyone else when we with the way things have surpassing the 174-game needed it.” been going,” said Koe. log previously recorded by Jamie Koe (5-2) pleaded “We’re getting a ton his brother Russ. guilty to a bad night. of support from all over In the nightcap, Howard “They played well and I Canada,” said the Polar was leading 2-1 in the fifth just didn’t have it myself,” skip. when Fowler tossed a light he said. “We had some “It’s great; we really feed draw and enabled Ontario chances and I just missed off of it. Everyone’s going to steal a killer three. a bunch of shots. I didn’t nuts from all the social “I don’t know what hap- have it at all. We have to media going on. It’s a lot pened,” said Howard. “I figure out what went wrong of fun to interact with the wasn’t paying attention and get ready for tomor- fans. That’s what makes and I heard Rob yell and row.” the Brier the Brier.” he came up light and we The Koe brothers face Brother Kevin, on the stole three. I was shocked. off this morning at 8:30 CT. other hand, admittedly had He makes that and we go At 4-3 heading into his team’s worst effort in 2-2 at the half and prob- today were Fowler of Mani- dropping the decision to P.E.I.’s Mike Gaudet knocked Territories Jamie Koe off his roll with a big ably another barnburner toba, B.C.’s Jim Cotter Northern Ontario. that goes 11 ends. We got and Jamie Murphy of CFB Continued on 3 win Tuesday night. Wednesday, March 7, 2012 Page 3 Continued from 2 real easy to fold the tent, but that’s fect.” The Jacobs bunch (3-4) desper- not our character.” Gushue managed a third-end ately needed a win to stay above Manners came out aggressively single after giving up aces in the water after losing 7-3 to B.C. in the and kept it close to the last shot fi rst two ends but never hit the morning. against Howard in the afternoon. board again. It truly was a morning “We’re feeling pretty good about “There was a bit of a hiccup of frustration for the Newfoundland- this last game, but not very happy there,” he said of his last rock ers. with the way things have gone this which left Ontario an easy winning “We played well, and we did a week,” said Jacobs. deuce. “If I had to have one shot good job keeping it clean,” said “We’ve all taken our misses here back, that’s the one I’d want back. Koe. and there in bad timing situations. Just a hair hot. It straightened up. “Brad didn’t really push it too There are lots of games left. This That’s curling.” Howard said he was much and we were happy to go is familiar ground for us. We were humbled by the historic experience with that fl ow. That style of game 3-4 last year going into Wednesday of playing his 175th game. has been working for us and we got morning. I guess we do need some “It’s an awful lot of games,” he a couple of big misses in the last help, but if they are coming back said. “It’s pretty neat to say you’ve couple of ends.” to us, that’s good.” Newfoundland/ played in more Brier games than Cotter’s win was B.C.s fourth Labrador’s Brad Gushue put up anyone in history.” straight triumph. It was Northern only his second win of the week, Kevin Koe’s Calgary unit was Ontario’s third straight setback. one he needed to have to keep any ruthless in pushing the aggressive- The relentless B.C. crew from slim hopes alive. It was an 8-6 pro- ness against Gushue’s reeling New- Kelowna took control in the fourth duction over Cotter’s B.C. squad, a foundlanders in the morning. Six of end with a deuce and staunchly team going in on a four-game roll. Alberta’s eight points were posted refused to allow the Soo Crew back “I haven’t looked at the scenari- without the benefi t of last rock. into it. os,” said Gushue, Alberta prevailed again in spite “We’re getting better each game “but it is only Tuesday, and I of two hogline violations from third and we felt like we were pretty solid imagine 6-5 could still keep us alive Pat Simmons and a couple of shots out there today,” said the ball-caped for tiebreakers.” fouled by debris. Cotter. Still, his new team is adjusting “You talk about how to handle “Our confi dence is growing as we and hopes for the best the rest of adversity like that all the time,” said get a handle on the ice.” the way after losing 8-1 in the morn- the 37-year-old Koe. Fowler executed a key shot for ing draw to Alberta. “It’s more how you recover from a quad in the seventh to settle the “We had a good chat after this your aches and your errors. We issue with Nova Scotia.