An impressive run at the 2021 Tim Hortons Brier for Team Glenn Howard will continue into the weekend.
The Howard rink, in the tournament as one of three wild card teams, wrapped up round robin action with a 7-1 record following a pair of wins on Thursday.
Team Howard, which has been skipped by Wayne Middaugh throughout the tournament due to an injury suffered by Glenn Howard prior to the event, will move into the Championship Pool, which begins on Friday afternoon.
On Thursday morning, the Howard rink clinched a spot in the Championship Pool thanks to an 8-6 win over Team Northern Ontario, skipped by Brad Jacobs.
“That’s whack that we’re in the Championship Pool. That’s not right at all,” Middaugh joked during media availability provided by Curling Canada after the win over Jacobs. “But you know what? It’s great. Our goal is to win as many games as we can, and if that gets us to the playoffs at the end of the week, fantastic, but we’re really starting to head into the deep end of the pool. We’re playing (Manitoba’s Jason) Gunnlaugson (later on Thursday), who’s had a great run. And then, oh, we only have to play (Kevin) Koe, (Brad) Gushue, (John) Epping — there’s no soft touches. You just come out, stand on your head, and hope you’re good enough.”
Thanks to a pair in the opening end and a steal of one in the second, Team Howard never trailed against the Jacobs rink.
In the evening draw, it was a pair in the 10th end that lifted the Howard/Middaugh rink to a 5-4 win over Team Manitoba.
After Middaugh stole one in the eighth end to take a 3-2 lead, Gunnlaugson proceeded to score a pair in the ninth to retake the lead and set the stage for the deuce in the final end.
The Howard rink will enter the Championship Pool having won five straight and will return to action Friday in a 2:30 p.m. (eastern time) start against Team Saskatchewan, skipped by Matt Dunstone.
The Howard rink will then face Team Ontario, skipped by John Epping, skipped by John Epping, in the evening draw at 8:30 p.m. (eastern time).
In other Pool A action from Thursday morning, Team British Columbia, skipped by Steve Laycock, beat Team Manitoba 7-4.
Team Wild Card1, Mike McEwen, beat Team Northwest Territories, skipped by Gregory Skauge,12-3 in eight ends.
Team Alberta, skipped by Brendan Bottcher, beat Team Yukon, skipped by Dustin Mikkelsen, 11-2 in eight ends.
In other Pool A scores from the evening draw, Team Wild Card1, skipped by Mike McEwen, beat Team Yukon 14-2 in eight ends.
Team Alberta beat Team British Columbia 7-5
Team Northwest Territories beat Team New Brunswick, skipped by James Grattan, 10-6.
Pool B also wrapped up round robin action on Thursday.
In Pool B games on Thursday, Team Wild Card2, skipped by Kevin Koe, beat Team Quebec, skipped by Michael Fournier, 10-5 in nine ends.
Team Ontario, skipped by John Epping, beat Team Prince Edward Island, skipped by Eddie MacKenzie, 8-4 in eight ends.
Team Canada, skipped by Brad Gushue, beat Team Nunavut, skipped by Peter Mackey, 9-2 in eight ends.
Team Saskatchewan beat Team Nova Scotia, skipped by Scott McDonald in place of Jamie Murphy, 7-5.
Final standings in Pool A were as follows:
- Team Wild Card3 (Glenn Howard): 7-1
- Team Alberta (Brendan Bottcher): 6-2
- Team Northern Ontario (Brad Jacobs): 5-3
- Team Manitoba (Jason Gunnlaugson): 5-3
- Team New Brunswick (James Grattan): 4-4
- Team Wild Card1 (Mike McEwen): 4-4
- Team British Columbia (Steve Laycock): 3-5
- Team Northwest Territories (Gregory Skauge): 2-6
- Team Yukon (Dustin Mikkelsen): 0-8
Final standings in Pool B were as follows:
- Team Wild Card2 (Kevin Koe): 7-1
- Team Canada (Brad Gushue): 6-2
- Team Ontario (John Epping): 6-2
- Team Saskatchewan (Matt Dunstone): 6-2
- Team Nova Scotia (Jamie Murphy): 4-4
- Team Quebec (Michael Fournier): 4-4
- Team Newfoundland and Labrador (Greg Smith): 2-6
- Team Prince Edward Island (Eddie McKenzie): 1-7
- Team Nunavut (Peter Mackey): 0-8
