Clash of the Kevins, Martin vs. Koe April 18, 2008 It's draw eleven at the TYLENOL Players' Championship in St. John's, and we saw one of the greatest match-ups in curling: Kevin Martin and Kevin Koe. This battle of Alberta is a rematch of the Canada Cup final, where Koe edged out Martin for the cup. Both Kevins headed into today's draw with a perfect 2-0 record in the tournament thus far. The winner of this draw will secure a spot in the quarter finals.

Photo by Brent Hayden

Koe earned last rock advantage to open this game, but was forced to take the single due to Martin's strong offensive play. This made the hammer switch hands, and Kevin Martin took full advantage. Team Martin picked up a big three points in the second end to jump ahead by a 3-1 margin.

With the hammer back, Koe was again held to a single point. That world-class offense from Team Martin struck again in the fourth end, where Martin picked up another two points to extend his lead even further.

Koe tried to change the momentum of this game in the fifth end by keeping a lot of rocks in back. But the plan didn't work out as planned, as Koe was once more held to just a single point.

In the sixth end, Martin had a huge end, and after Koe's final stone, they threw in the towel. The end didn't officially count, but Martin still gets the 5-3 victory, keeping his perfect record alive. This gives Martin a berth to the playoffs

The loss is only the first for Koe in this tournament, and with a 2-1 record, his hopes of winning the title are still very much alive.

Kevin Martin himself dominated this game, posting a shocking 98%. Marc Kennedy, playing the second position on Team Martin who was named male MVP at last night's World Curling Tour awards ceremony also had a great game, at 92%. Blake MacDonald, who throws skip stones for Koe, had a disappointing game, curling just 63%.