Teams Jacobs, Homan headed to Olympics after winning Canadian curling trials
CBC
Brad Jacobs owned a poor performance in his opening game at the Montana's Canadian Curling Trials.
He didn't lose again at Scotiabank Centre and is now on his way back to the Winter Olympics.
Jacobs and his Calgary-based team held off a spirited challenge from Matt Dunstone's Winnipeg side on Saturday night in Halifax, making a hit in the 10th end for a 6-5 victory and two-game sweep in the best-of-three men's final.
Jacobs, third Marc Kennedy, second Brett Gallant and lead Ben Hebert will wear the Maple Leaf at the Milan Cortina Games in February.
"We're just four curling maniacs together on the same team," Gallant said. "Like, we're all a little bit different and maybe approach the game in slightly different ways, but when put together it's a great combination."
Afterward, coach Paul Webster said Jacobs is one of the "most open, honest and accountable" skips in the game.
Jacobs sat down with his teammates after a 6-5 defeat to Kevin Koe last weekend and told them the loss was "on him" after throwing too many heavy draws, Webster recalled.
"He was just accountable," Webster said. "He owned the loss and said, 'Hey, what do we have to do next?"'
The veteran squad figured things out quickly. Six straight wins followed against one of the deepest men's fields in recent memory.
The run of victories gave Jacobs a bye to the final. A 9-8 victory in Game 1 on Friday at Scotiabank Centre was followed by a second straight one-point win over the top-ranked Dunstone.
"This was the one event that was circled on the calendar four years ago that this team wanted to show up for and win," Jacobs said.
"To work toward that and have all of the systems and preparation in place to come here and play our best and win is something special."
Earlier in the day, Ottawa's Rachel Homan defeated Christina Black of Halifax in the women's final.
After a rollicking back-and-forth affair a night earlier, Jacobs was forced to a single in the opening end and picked up a steal in the second when Dunstone was light on a draw.
