With playoff spots still up for grabs, things have heated up at the 2025 Montana’s Brier in Kelowna, B.C.
Teams with ties to northern Ontario remain in the hunt for playoff spots with one team having clinched a spot heading into the final day of round robin action on Thursday.
Brad Jacobs’ Alberta-based team moved to 6-0 in round robin play thanks to an 11-5 win over Ontario’s Sam Mooibroek in Wednesday’s afternoon draw.
The Jacobs rink took full advantage of ends in which they had the hammer, scoring multiple points four times in the victory.
After scoring deuces in the first, third, and fifth ends, the Jacobs rink tacked on five more in the seventh end to seal the win.
Following play on Wednesday, the Jacobs rink officially clinched one of three playoff spots in Pool B.
Matt Dunstone’s rink from Manitoba, which includes Sault products E.J. and Ryan Harnden, has a 6-1 record following a Wednesday that saw the team pick up a pair of wins.
In the morning draw, Dunstone picked up a 9-3 win over Nova Scotia’s James Grattan.
The Dunstone rink scored four in the seventh end to break the game open completely after holding a 5-2 lead through six ends.
In Wednesday’s evening draw, Dunstone beat Manitoba’s Reid Carruthers 8-6 and moved into second place in Pool A thanks to the win.
Trailing 5-4 after six ends, Dunstone blanked the seventh end before scoring four in the eighth to take the lead for good.
Team Northern Ontario, skipped by John Epping, remains in the playoff hunt in Pool A after a 9-6 win over Ty Delello of Newfoundland and Labrador on Wednesday evening.
The Epping rink stole three ends in the win, picking up steals of three in the second end, two in the third, and one more in the sixth en route to the win, which improves their record to 5-2.
Team Northern Ontario currently sits fourth in Pool A with a 5-2 record with Carruthers sitting third at 6-2.
The Dunstone rink will wrap up round robin play in the afternoon draw on Thursday when they face Team Canada, skipped by Brad Gushue.
Epping’s northern Ontario rink will wrap up the round robin in Thursday’s afternoon draw as well with a game against Shane Latimer of Nunavut.
Team Jacobs will play a pair of games on the final day of the round robin, facing Felix Asselin of Quebec in the morning draw before wrapping up the round robin with a game in the evening draw against Mike McEwen of Saskatchewan.