SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. — Brad Jacobs will play for a Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling title in his hometown taking on the red-hot Reid Carruthers of Winnipeg in the Boost National final.
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Jacobs scored three in the eighth end to cool down defending champion Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., 5-3 during Saturday night’s semifinals.
Team Jacobs second E.J. Harnden said it feels phenomenal getting the chance to play for a championship in front of friends, family and fans at the Essar Centre.
“We couldn’t have written it any better,” Harnden said with a smile. “This is obviously what we hoped for coming into this week, to put in a good performance together and give the fans something to cheer for. We’re extremely, extremely lucky and fortunate to have the support that we do here in Sault Ste. Marie. We wanted nothing more than to be in the final, hopefully win, but at the very least give our best performance and give the city something to cheer for so we can’t wait.”
Team Jacobs will be in tough against Team Carruthers, who have maintained their momentum from last week’s Canada Cup victory — clinching a spot to next year’s Olympic Trials in the process — winning six straight heading into Sunday.
“Reid and those guys have been playing really well. They’re on a hot streak and everything seems to be going their way right now so we hope that we can change that tomorrow,” Harnden said. “I think what we’ve done really well this week has not factored into anything other than just trying to play our own game and playing solid. I think we did a really good job of that tonight, being patient and taking advantage of the opportunities that we had.”
Gushue was riding a streak of his own winning five consecutive games in his first event since returning from a hip/groin issue.
The six-time Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling event winner Gushue opened with the hammer, but Jacobs struck the scoreboard first stealing a point in the second end. Gushue capitalized to score a deuce in the third after a jam for Jacobs. The reigning Olympic champ Jacobs settled for one in the fourth to square it up 2-2.
A single in six for Gushue gave him one-point lead. Gushue had a counter in the house in seven with Jacobs possibly sitting one at the top of the 12-foot circle. Jacobs was confident it was out though and after hit and rolling out with Gushue’s rock, a measurement ruled the top stone was indeed not in the rings for the blank.
Team Jacobs played a solid eighth end to sit three and didn’t need to throw their final stone as Gushue’s last rock went clear through the house. Harnden said it was massive for himself and his confidence to execute both of his shots perfectly in the final stanza.
“I feel like I’m a much better player than the level that I’ve been playing at for the last number of events and feeling that I’ve been letting my team down and expecting a lot more out of myself,” he said. “I know they expect a lot more out of me so that was huge for me to make those two shots to give our team a chance to win and it’s positive for me to take into tomorrow.”
Jacobs fell to Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen during the previous time Sault Ste. Marie hosted the National two years ago. He looks to get the job done while also playing in his second Grand Slam final of the season after settling for runner-up to Sweden’s Niklas Edin in the WFG Masters championship game in October.
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Meanwhile, Carruthers was first past the post and into the final shutting out Edin 7-0 in just five ends.
“Even if we lose the final I have to say this has been the best December I’ve ever had,” Carruthers said. “Two great spiels so far. I’m really excited with how I’m playing and how the guys are throwing. I wish we had a tournament next week.”
Carruthers was forced to a single in the first, but was riding high from there as Edin struggled and gave up steals in four consecutive ends.
It just wasn’t Edin’s night as he missed an angle raise in the third to give up two and his last in four sailed clear through the house. Another steal of two in five brought out the handshakes.
“He made a really good shot in the first end to force us and it was like the momentum was in his corner,” Carruthers said. “We got a break in the second when he was a little light on a draw, which is uncharacteristic for him, and then the guys didn’t really miss. I don’t think we actually missed after the second end.
“The guys played really well and Nik wasn’t as sharp as he’s been this whole winter so far. He’s been unbeatable. It’s one of those games going into it I knew it would be a big coin-flip but it flipped in our way.”
Edin, from Karlstad, Sweden, claimed both the WFG Masters and Tour Challenge titles this season and was looking to make it three in a row.
Since Carruthers made short work of Edin to end the night early, he only knew he was facing one Brad in the final, but didn’t know which one just yet. Either way, staying sharp is the game plan for Sunday.
“Probably playing similar to how we played tonight,” Carruthers said. “I felt we were really sharp and came ready to play. Playing against those teams you know you’ve got to bring your 90 or 95 game to have a chance to win them. The way we’re throwing, I like our chances, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re playing against a tough Brad tomorrow.”
Elsewhere, Winnipeg’s Kerri Einarson made it through to her first career Grand Slam final holding on for a 9-6 victory over reigning world champion Binia Feltscher of Switzerland.
Einarson will play another Swiss squad in the women’s championship game facing Silvana Tirinzoni, who scored two in the seventh and stole a pair coming home to complete a 6-5 comeback victory over Krista McCarville of Thunder Bay, Ont.
McCarville, the sponsor’s exemption at the Boost National, upset Rachel Homan 8-5 during the quarterfinals to oust the defending champion.
Cathy Overton-Clapham is filling in at third on Team Tirinzoni with Manuela Siegrist out due to a knee injury. Overton-Clapham has been a super spare before with two Grand Slam titles over the past couple seasons as a sub.
Coincidentally, both teams were champions in the series last season and at the same event. Tirinzoni captured her first career Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling title in the Tour Challenge Tier 1 division while Einarson earned the Tier 2 championship to move up into the elite ranks where’s she stayed put and proven she belongs.
Watch the Boost National women’s final at 4 p.m. ET on Sportsnet East, Ontario, Pacific and ONE and online at sportsnet.ca/now.