Dunstone beats Gushue in Page 1-2 game at Brier, Jacobs tops Carruthers in 3-4 game

When veteran skip Brad Jacobs joined his new teammates last spring, one of their main goals was to get to the final Sunday at the Montana's Brier. 

Mission accomplished for the Alberta foursome. Now it's just a matter of getting to the top step of the podium. 

Jacobs secured a semifinal berth with a 6-5 win over Manitoba's Reid Carruthers in the Page playoff 3-4 game on Saturday at Prospera Place.

"We're in a pretty good spot," Jacobs said. "We're giving ourselves every opportunity that we can give ourselves to try to win this thing. I'm just really confident in the guys."

After giving up a steal of two in the ninth, Jacobs used hammer in the 10th to score a single for the win. 

Top-ranked Matt Dunstone of Manitoba and defending champion Brad Gushue were scheduled to play in the Page playoff 1-2 game on Saturday night. 

The winner advances to the final and the loser will play Jacobs in the semifinal on Sunday morning.

"We've worked really hard to get here," said Alberta vice Marc Kennedy. "I think we're comfortable with our preparation. We'll just go out there and play loose and let 'er fly." 

A near-sellout crowd of 5,309 spectators was treated to some excellent early shotmaking by the two veteran teams. 

Carruthers made a brilliant tap in the second end before exchanging perfect freezes with Jacobs, who made a tough pick to salvage a single. The Alberta foursome set up a force in the fourth end with Carruthers making a tricky draw to get on the board.

A takeout attempt by Alberta second Catlin Schneider overcurled in the fifth and ticked the stone. That allowed Jacobs to build for a pair and he made a draw for a 3-1 lead.

Jacobs made a double-takeout to set up a blank attempt by Carruthers but the Manitoba skip nosed the rock to score a single and lose hammer. Jacobs took advantage and made another double to make it 5-2.

Carruthers was forced to score a single in the eighth end but tied the game in the ninth after a Jacobs peel attempt jammed in the house. 

"That was probably his first peel miss in six months," said Kennedy. "But hey, it happens. Reid made a great shot on his last one. It's not a bad thing for us to have to play a game tied up coming home with (hammer) with a shot to win. All good."