Assad eliminated in Page Playoff

It will be at least 10 years between visits to the Brier by a Thunder Bay skip.

The city's hopes on Friday rested squarely on the shoulders of Mike Assad, but Sudbury's Tim Phillips for the Fort William Curling Club team, who fell 10-7 in the 3-4 Page Playoff.

Assad, lead Jamie Childs, second Kory Carr and third Al Hackner were the last Lakehead team standing in Sault Ste. Marie.
They clinched a playoff spot earlier on Friday with a 9-4 win over Sudbury's Robbie Gordon. Joe Scharf, who fell in last year's final in Thunder Bay, had a chance to earn a tiebreaker berth with a win in his final round robin game, but came up short against Phillips, falling 8-7 and was eliminated.

Colin Koivula, who started slow to begin the week, knocked off fellow Thunder Bay curler Jeff Currie in his final round robin game, the 9-2 win good enough for a 6-5 finish, one win short of advancing.

Currie finished a disappointing 4-7.

Phillips will take on defending champion Brad Jacobs in Saturday's semifinal for the right to play former champion Mike Jakubo in the final.

Jakubo waltzed through the round robin 10-1, and dispatched of Jacobs in the 1-2 Page Playoff with an 8-6 win.
The final is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.