New Brunswick moved into first place in Pool B at the Canadian mixed curling championship Thursday, using two wins — including a last-end comeback against Alberta — to take control of a crowded group.
The rink led by Sylvie Quillian first defeated Saskatchewan’s Tyler Hartung by a 5-3 score in the day’s second draw. New Brunswick then completed the day with a 6-5 victory over Alberta’s Andrew Hodgson, scoring two points in the final end to decide the evening game.
Those results lifted New Brunswick’s record to 7-1. The team’s position at the top of Pool B is particularly significant because the group began the day with three teams tied for first, leaving little room for error across the two scheduled draws.
A pair of wins changes a tight group
New Brunswick entered Thursday sharing the Pool B lead with Nova Scotia and British Columbia. By the end of the day, the standings had separated as the teams produced different results against a range of opponents.
Nova Scotia’s Brent MacDougall rink opened its day with a 5-3 win over Alberta. It then lost 6-5 to Saskatchewan, leaving Nova Scotia with a 6-2 record. British Columbia’s Joshua Miki rink lost both of its games, falling 4-3 to Northern Ontario and 7-4 to Quebec, and finished the day at 5-3.
The results made New Brunswick the only team in Pool B listed with seven wins after Thursday’s action. Saskatchewan also split its games, defeating Nova Scotia after losing to New Brunswick, while Alberta dropped both of its contests.
| Team | Record after Thursday | Thursday results |
|---|---|---|
| New Brunswick — Sylvie Quillian | 7-1 | Defeated Saskatchewan 5-3; defeated Alberta 6-5 |
| Nova Scotia — Brent MacDougall | 6-2 | Defeated Alberta 5-3; lost to Saskatchewan 6-5 |
| British Columbia — Joshua Miki | 5-3 | Lost to Northern Ontario 4-3; lost to Quebec 7-4 |
| Saskatchewan — Tyler Hartung | 4-4 | Lost to New Brunswick 5-3; defeated Nova Scotia 6-5 |
| Alberta — Andrew Hodgson | 3-5 | Lost to Nova Scotia 5-3; lost to New Brunswick 6-5 |
Late points settle Alberta game
The Alberta match was decided in the final end, when New Brunswick scored twice to turn a one-point margin into a 6-5 victory. The result was the rink’s second narrow win of the day and gave it a clean sweep of Thursday’s schedule.
New Brunswick’s earlier game against Saskatchewan was more controlled on the scoreboard, although the four-point margin was still modest in a pool where several teams remain within reach of the lead. Saskatchewan’s record moved to 4-4 after the split, while Alberta’s two losses left it at 3-5.
For the Quillian rink, the two victories also provided an important response to the day’s competitive conditions. With Nova Scotia and British Columbia beginning Thursday level with New Brunswick, every draw had the potential to reshape the upper part of Pool B. New Brunswick was the only one of those three teams to win both games.
Quebec remains unbeaten in Pool A
The other pool was led by Quebec’s Felix Asselin rink, which remained the only undefeated team at the championship. Quebec improved to 8-0 after defeating Manitoba’s Colin Kurz 8-3 and then beating British Columbia.
Northern Ontario’s Bryan Burgess rink stayed in second place in Pool A at 6-2. It first defeated British Columbia before losing 9-4 to Manitoba. Manitoba improved to 4-4 with the win, matching Saskatchewan’s record in Pool B but competing in the separate pool.
The championship is being played at the West Prince Curling Club in Woodstock, P.E.I. Thursday’s results leave New Brunswick at the head of a Pool B group that includes four teams with records ranging from 3-5 to 7-1. The Quillian rink’s next result will determine whether it can hold that lead as the round-robin competition continues.
