Kevin Koe, Rachel Homan rinks setting pace in first day of 2015 Canada Cup

Republished December 02, 2015 - 9:41 PM

Original Publication Date December 02, 2015 - 11:45 AM

GRANDE PRAIRIE, Alta. - Kevin Koe and his Calgary rink are the only men's crew to go 2-0 on Wednesday in the first two draws at the Canada Cup curling event.

Koe defeated 2014 Olympic winner Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., 7-6 in the evening draw to sit alone in first place. Earlier he downed Brad Gushue of St. John's, N.L., the 2006 Olympic champ, 8-5.

"They are two great teams, but honestly there are eight great teams here," said Koe. "It's good to beat them but if you don't come out and follow it up tomorrow it'll sting a little."

If Koe wins this weekend it will be a large step toward him being Canada's representative in the 2018 Olympics. The tournament winner gets a berth into the 2017 Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings Canadian Curling Trials in Ottawa.

"The Trials seem so far away. We expect to get there one way or another," said Koe. "But you can't take anything for granted. I don't think we're putting any extra pressure on us just for that going into this."

In other men's games on Draw 3, Winnipeg's Reid Carruthers edged Gushue 5-4 while Mike McEwen, another Winnipegger, took out Toronto's John Epping 9-6.

McEwen, Carruthers, Jacobs, Epping, Steve Laycock of Saskatoon and Pat Simmons of Calgary are all 1-1. Gushue is the only team that's 0-2.

Ottawa's Rachel Homan joined Sherry Middaugh of Coldwater, Ont., atop the women's standings at 2-0 after defeating five-time Canadian champion and reigning Olympic champion Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg 6-5.

Homan delivered a double takeout to score two in the 10th end for the team's 22nd consecutive victory.

"Two-and-oh looks a lot better than one-and-one," said Homan. "That was a tough game, a battle both ways — lots of big misses and lots of big shots, too. We're thankful to get out of that with the win. It was a great team shot, my last one — a great line call by Emma and great sweeping by Lisa and Joanne not to listen to me. That was awesome."

In earlier draws, Middaugh pulled off wins over Jones (7-2) and Edmonton's Kelsey Rocque (7-5). Rocque, Winnipeg's Kristy McDonald and Val Sweeting of Edmonton are 1-1 while Jones and Tracy Fleury of Sudbury, Ont., are 0-2.

Sweeting, the defending Home Hardware Canada Cup champ, bounced back from a morning loss to Homan to defeat Fleury 8-6 Wednesday evening.