With a quick turnaround after competing over the weekend in a World Curling Tour event in Penticton, BC over the weekend, Brad Jacobs was back in action on Wednesday.
The Jacobs rink, which includes third Marc Kennedy, second E.J. Harnden, and lead Ryan Harnden, opened the Canada Cup in Leduc, Alta. with a pair of games on Wednesday, picking up a split on opening day.
Jacobs dropped an 11-7 decision to Calgary’s Kevin Koe in the evening draw on Wednesday night in the second of two games for the Sault rink.
With the hammer to start, Koe took an early 2-0 lead with a pair in the opening end but Jacobs quickly erased the lead with a pair of his own in the second end before stealing two in the third to take a 4-2 lead.
Koe retook the lead with three in the fourth.
A single by Jacobs in the fifth end tied things at five.
In the sixth end, Koe made a tough shot with his final rock of the end to score four and take a 9-5 lead at the time.
Another shot for the Kevin Koe highlight reel! Triple for 4⃣ points in the sixth end agains Jacobs! Unreal. #CanCup2019 #geareffect @TeamKevinKoe pic.twitter.com/gSMDw8pKY3
— Curling Canada (@CurlingCanada) November 28, 2019
Jacobs cut into the lead with a single in the seventh and a steal of one in the eighth but Koe sealed the win with a pair in the ninth end to pick up the win and move to 2-0.
Jacobs opened the event with a 6-3 win over Glenn Howard of Penetanguishene, Ont. in the second draw on Wednesday.
After Howard scored one in the second end with the hammer to take the lead, Jacobs would blank the third end before scoring three in the fourth to take the lead.
A pair in the seventh gave Jacobs a 5-2 lead at the time and the teams traded singles in the subsequent two ends to cap off the scoring.
“It was a really great start,” Jacobs said in an interview with Curling Canada. “Glenn’s team played great. We were just a little bit better today. We took advantage of our opportunities. We were really comfortable with the ice and the guys played great in front of me. It made my job pretty easy.”
The Jacobs rink won the event one year ago.
Kennedy played with the team for that event while Ryan Fry had stepped away from the team and joined the team full time over the summer.
“He brings a really good vibe,” Jacobs said of Kennedy. “We’re just having a lot of fun. He’s a great player and everybody knows that but Marc Kennedy the guy is pretty phenomenal too.”
Jacobs will return to action on Thursday with a pair of games.
The Jacobs rink will open the day against Matt Dunstone of Regina, Sask. in the morning draw before facing John Epping of Toronto in the evening draw.
Dunstone enters action on Thursday with an 0-2 record while Epping split a pair of games on Wednesday.
The Canada Cup features seven men’s and seven women’s teams.
The teams with the best record through round robin action will advance directly into the finals on Sunday while the second- and third-place teams will meet in the semifinal to determine the other finalist.
The tournament winners will earn spots in the 2021 Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings and a spot on Team Canada at the 2020 Continental Cup.