Tbaytel Major League of Curling

Needing a loss by Manitoba's Matt Dunstone and a win over Yukon, Team Northern Ontario came up short of the playoffs, but still had a very successful national men's curling championship.

Thursday's 8-3 loss to Matt Dunstone leaves the Thunder Bay rink in need of a win and a Manitoba loss in the final round-robin draw.

Unheralded Thunder Bay rink is 5-1 and closing in on a playoff spot in Regina, with two games to go.

Team Northern Ontario is alone in first in Pool A and has five wins in six outings this week.

Thunder Bay rink is 4-1, one of four teams in Pool A with a single loss.

Steals in nine and 10 earn Northern Ontario their third win in four outings at the Brier in Regina.

Bonot falls to 2-1 at the Montana's Brier after Sunday's action.

Northern Ontario foursome will look to continue their run on Sunday night against Manitoba's Reid Carruthers.

Northern Ontario foursome scored four in the fourth and stole three more in the fifth in their 9-4 win over New Brunswick.

Three of the four team members are making their first Brier appearance, with third Mike McCarville going back for the first time in 10 years.