Koe heads to final of Canad Inns Prairie Classic

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/10/2015 (3982 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE — A clash of the titans left Kevin Koe the top skip still standing at the Canad Inns Prairie Classic, heading into tonight’s final. 

Koe toppled Brad Jacobs 7-3 in just six ends of Monday afternoon’s semifinal, bolstered by a stunning steal of three in the fourth end and sealed by a triple in the sixth. 

That paves the way for a 6 p.m. final between Koe and Saskatchewan skip Steve Laycock, who rolled past Alberta’s Charley Thomas in a 7-4 win. 

The final will be broadcast live on Shaw TV. 

Thomas was one of the surprise headlines of the event, after he rolled to a B-event qualifying berth with consecutive wins over Mark Kean, Glenn Howard, Mike McEwen and reigning world champion Niklas Edin.

His Albertan rink, which is currently ranked 25th in the world on the overall order of merit but 16th overall in year-to-date points, then overcame reigning Japanese champion Yusuke Morozumi in the Monday morning quarter-final. 

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

Mike McIntyre | On Sports

Thursdays

Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter.

Sign up for Mike McIntyre | On Sports

Sign Up

I consent to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies.

I consent to CASL agreement.

“It’s definitely up there with one of the hardest (win streaks),” Thomas said, after shaking hands with Laycock. “It definitely feels great to have beaten that many good teams.”

Thomas, who along with partner Kalynn Park is the reigning Canadian mixed doubles champion, is sticking around Portage for the new Mixed Doubles Classic. 

That event, leapfrogging off the growing buzz of mixed doubles’ entry into the 2018 Winter Olympics, also features a slew of intriguing pairings. Jennifer Jones is teaming up with her hubby, Koe second Brent Laing; laser-shooting skip Rachel Homan is trying her hand with Johnny Morris; and in an intriguing duo, Manitoba icon Jeff Stoughton will be back in the hack alongside Jones vice Kaitlyn Lawes.

Just because the heavyweights of curling are now circling the suddenly expanding mixed doubles scene, doesn’t mean they’ll have it easy. 

“They’ll be the first to tell you after this weekend, it’s not anything like the four-man curling,” Thomas said. “You still have to make a lot of shots, but it’s a completely different game.”

Melissa Martin
Reporter-at-large

Melissa Martin reports and opines for the Winnipeg Free Press.

Every piece of reporting Melissa produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.