Assad bounces back

Thunder Bay skips went 4-1 in early-draw action Tuesday at the Northern Ontario Men’s provincial curling championship at Fort William Curling Club.

Al Hackner, subbing for an ill Mike Assad, helped their club rebound from a Monday night loss with a 9-6 win over Robbie Gordon in one of two morning draws, improving to 3-1 after suffering a loss at the hands of former two-time champion Mike Jakubo.

In the other morning match, Bryan Burgess nailed down his third straight victory, beating Jakubo 5-3.

In Draw 7 play, skip Jeff Currie salvaged any hope of making a playoff run with a narrow 5-4 win over Dave MacInnes, who stole one in the 10th, but still fell short.

Meanwhile Joe Scharf kept pace with the only other undefeated rink, downing fellow Thunder Bay skip Mike Pozihun 7-5.

Scharf, at 4-0, is tied atop the standings with Sault Ste. Marie’s Mike Jacobs, who handily beat Geraldton’s John Salo 7-1 in six ends on Tuesday afternoon.

In other action, Stratton’s Tim Nordin picked up his first win of the week, downing Dustin Montpellier’s North Bay squad 6-3.

Burgess will take on Jacobs in Draw 9 on Tuesday night, while Scharf will take on Assad in the only two matches featuring Thunder Bay curlers. MacInnes and Jakubo will hook up in another match, while Gordon and Nordin will each be seeking their second win in the final match of the day.