Kevin Koe started off his 2021-22 season with a win at the ATB Okotoks Classic.

The Calgary rink of Koe at skip, John Morris at third, BJ Neufeld at second and Ben Hebert at lead went a perfect 5-0, beating Scotland’s Ross Whyte in the championship game, 5-1. 

Koe defeated Brendan Bottcher in the semi-final, 6-4. It was a rematch of last year’s Tim Hortons Brier final, a game which Bottcher won, 4-2. 

This was the first event of the season for Team Koe. 

The 16-team field had a purse of $29,000 with $9,000 going to Team Koe as the winners. 

 

Headed to the Olympics

Peter De Cruz will represent Switzerland at the Winter Olympics for a second straight time after his Geneva rink swept Yannick Schwaller of Bern 4-0 in a seven-game series. 

De Cruz, who calls the game but throws second stones, is joined by fourth Benoit Schwarz, third Sven Michel and lead Valentin Tanner. 

In Game 4, Team De Cruz scored a deuce in the 10th and final end for the 8-7 win and the ticket to Beijing. 

At the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, De Cruz defeated Team Koe of Canada in the bronze medal contest.

The 31-year-old has also been successful at the World Men’s Curling Championship, winning bronze four times in 2014, 2017, 2019 and 2021. 

 

Carey Wins with New Team 

Chelsea Carey is skipping a new Saskatchewan-based team this season and the foursome has already found some early success. 

Carey won the Craven Sports Services Curling Classic in Saskatoon Sunday evening, defeating Jessica Mitchell 6-2 in the final.

The two-time Scotties champion joined forces with third Jolene Campbell, second Stephanie Schmidt and lead Jennifer Armstrong this off-season after sparing for Team Tracy Fleury at the national championship inside the Calgary bubble. 

Team Carey went 6-0 over the three day event in Saskatoon.

The 24-team field had a total purse of $12,000.

 

Challenge Accepted

Scotland’s Eve Muirhead won The Challenger bonspiel in Basel on Sunday, getting past Irene Schori, 7-5. 

Muirhead, third Vicky Wright, second Jennifer Dodds and lead Hailey Duff went 5-1, including a victory over defending world champ Silvana Tirinzoni in the semi, 7-5. 

Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg fell in the other semi-final. 

 

Other Results on Men’s Tour

Tallinn Men’s International Challenger – Marco Hoesli 

Torchlight Brewing Classic – Rob Nobert

Craven Sports Services Curling Classic - Daymond Bernath

The Curling Store Cashspiel – Travis Colter 

 

Other Results on Women’s Tour

The Curling Store Cashspiel – Christina Black