ELLIE LAMBERT
Curl B.C.
Defending champion Jim Cotter remains on-track to retain his Canadian Direct Insurance BC Men’s crown after defeating Team Pierce in a dramatic extra end semi-final Saturday.
The Vernon skip booked his place in the final when he made a draw to the four-foot to secure a 7-6 victory over Pierce who was a world champion in 2000.
Pierce had twice stolen in the game and was in a strong position going into the 10th end as he had hammer and trailed by just one but Cotter limited him to a single forcing the extra end.
With the Vernon Curling Club home crowd cheering him on, the four-time BC Men’s champion showed his experience as he calmly delivered his winning stone to make today’s final.
The rink of Cotter, third Ryan Kuhn, second Tyrel Griffith and lead Rick Sawatsky, will now face Royal City Curling Club’s Team Joanisse who beat them yesterday.
Two-time BC Men’s champion Dean Joanisse secured a spot in the final when he defeated Cotter 8-5 in the 1v2 play-off on Saturday.
The team of Joanisse, third Paul Cseke, second Jay Wakefield and lead John Cullen, had lost to Cotter earlier in the Championship but bounced back in the playoff to qualify automatically for the final.
The 2015 Canadian Direct Insurance BC Men’s Championship final will be televised live on Sportsnet Pacific from 12.30pm today.
The team who take the title will go on to represent BC in the 2015 Tim Hortons Brier, which takes place in Calgary from February 28 to March 8, 2015.
