The final score ended up probably being much closer than he would have liked.
In the end, however, reigning world champion Kevin Koe and his Calgary rink got the result they were hoping for as they came away with a 7-6 extra-end win over Edmonton’s Charley Thomas at the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling’s Meridian Canadian Open at the North Battleford Civic Centre.
“The score might not indicate it, but I felt like we played a solid game,” Koe said. “It’s always good to get that first game of a tournament under your belts, and I think we’ll be in good shape the rest of the way.”
Koe stole a point in the extra end to come away with the victory, as he capitalized off a couple of misses by Thomas after he made a great freeze on his first shot.
“When he missed his first shot (which was a hit attempt) that really changed the end as that left him with a tough shot on his last,” Koe said.
“You always have to a little bit of good fortune on your side when your stealing a shot, especially in the extra end.”
When looking back on the game, Koe expressed some regrets with how the seventh end played out, as he found himself facing four Thomas stones on his last shots.
“My first shot turned out absolutely terrible,” Koe said. “The hit turned out to be a good one, if I was playing the other team.
“Luckily, we were able to make a great draw on my last shot to only give up one point, and that kept us in the game.”
Meanwhile, Sweden’s Niklas Edin started off his tournament with a narrow 4-3 victory over Heath McCormick of the United States.
“It was a really good performance by our team,” Edin said. “I missed a couple of chances to get two or three points in a couple of ends, but we played well enough to have an opportunity to win.”
The other men’s game saw 2014 Olympic gold medalist Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. came away with a 5-4 win over Scotland’s Kyle Smith.
In women’s action, Edmonton’s Kesley Rocque picked up a 5-4 win over Casey Scheidegger of Lethbridge, while Michelle Englot of Winnipeg edged defending Canadian champion Chelsea Carey in a 5-4 affair.
Play will resume at the Civic Centre at 3 p.m. with five more games.
Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen and John Morris’ Vernon, B.C. rinks will be making their debuts as they square off in a first round game.
Edmonton’s Brendan Bottcher will face American John Shuster in a ‘A’ semifinal, while Winnipeg’s Reid Carruthers will take on Saskatoon’s Steve Laycock in a ‘B’ event first round contest.
In women’s competition, Switzerland’s Silvana Tirinzoni will face Caledon’s Allison Flaxey in a ‘A’ semifinal, while Winnipeg’s Kerri Einarson goes up against Sudbury’s Tracy Fleury in a ‘B’ event first round game.
