The playoff lineup and road to the championship are coming into focus at the Canadian mixed doubles curling trials, with key spots decided in Thursday’s early draw.
Lisa Weagle and John Epping secured their playoff berth with a 9-5 win over Tyrel Griffith and Jennifer Armstrong, finishing second in Pool B with a 5-2 record. They’ll face Rachel Homan and Brendan Bottcher, the Pool A leaders, in a crossover game.
Jim and Jaelyn Cotter also advanced, clinching third in Pool B after an 8-7 victory over Riley Sandham and Brendan Craig. The Cotters (4-3) earned their spot via a tiebreaker over Kadriana and Colton Lott and will now take on Brittany Tran and Rylan Kleiter, the second-place team from Pool A.
Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant went undefeated in Pool B, earning the top seed and a matchup against the second-place team from Pool A, to be determined in Thursday night’s final draw.
The playoff format offers a clear but challenging path to the finals. The winners of the crossover games move to the 1v2 playoff on Friday, where a win guarantees a spot in Saturday’s championship game. The Page 1v2 loser gets a second chance, playing the winner of the 3v4 playoff for the remaining final spot.
Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing are in contention for the last Pool A playoff position, entering Thursday night’s draw tied with Laura Walker and Kirk Muyres. Jones and Laing hold the tiebreaker after their 9-3 win over Walker and Muyres earlier this week.
The stakes are high as teams fight for a spot in Saturday’s final, where the winner will earn the right to represent Canada in mixed doubles curling.
