Jacobs is Brier Champ!
Posted at 11:42 pm on March 10, 2013
Brad Jacobs, Ryan Fry, E.J. Harden and Ryan Harden are the 2013 Tim Hortons Brier champions. The team, representing Northern Ontario, toppled veteran skip Jeff Stoughton of Manitoba 10-4 to win the biggest trophy in Canadian curling. The win earns them a spot at the World Championship.
Every Brier final is exciting, and this one was no different. Stoughton boasts one of the best and most dynamic teams in the game. The addition of Mark Nichols at the lead position has brought new strength to his team. After finishing the round robin with the better record of the two teams, Manitoba had a slight edge heading into Sunday night’s final. But Team Northern Ontario, having defeated Ontario’s Glenn Howard in the semi final, was riding a wave of momentum that was ready to knock down anyone who got in the way.
After picking up two points in the opening end, Northern Ontario stole one more in the second to take an early 3-0 lead.
Manitoba struck back with a deuce in the second to make the game tight again. But the close game was short lived.
A beautiful pick-shot in the fourth end allowed Jacobs to collect three big points and jump out to a comfortable 6-2 lead.
Stoughton’s team battled hard in the second half of the game, but they just weren’t able to keep pace with the red-hot Northern Ontario. After dazzling the crowd with a couple of spin-o-rama shots, Stoughton shook hands and officially conceded the game, giving Jacobs the first Brier title of his young career.
At 27 years old, Brad Jacobs becomes the youngest skip to win the Brier since Kevin Martin won at age 24 in 1991.
The Jacobs foursome now earns the privilege of wearing the maple leaf at the 2013 World Curling Championship in Victoria, BC. The action gets underway March 30th.