Canada’s Brad Jacobs secured a second consecutive victory at the Pan Continental Curling Championship by defeating Marc Pfister of the Philippines 10-3. Meanwhile, defending champion Rachel Homan faced an 11-5 loss to Japan but later bounced back with a 10-2 triumph over New Zealand in the evening session.
The Pan Continental event serves as a regional qualifying tournament for the 2026 men’s and women’s world championships. Canada has already earned a spot in the women’s world championship as the host nation in Calgary from March 14-22.
The top four countries in the men’s Pan Continental competition, along with the host United States, will participate in the next year’s men’s championship in Ogden City, Utah, scheduled from March 27 to April 4.
Jacobs, along with his team members, vice Marc Kennedy, second Brett Gallant, and lead Ben Hebert from Calgary’s Glencoe Club, dominated their match against the Philippines. Pfister, the skip for the Philippines team, has a history of international curling representing Switzerland.
Jacobs expressed satisfaction with their performance, crediting lead Ben Hebert for setting up the ends effectively. The team views the Pan Continental as crucial preparation for the upcoming Winter Olympics trials in Halifax in November. The Canadian men will face South Korea and New Zealand on Wednesday.
In another match, Homan struggled against Japan, giving up five points in the third end but managed to score three in the fourth. Despite their efforts, they couldn’t catch up to Satsuki Fujisawa’s team, resulting in a defeat. Homan acknowledged the opponent’s strength and emphasized the learning experience gained from the game.
Jacobs, who led Canada to Olympic gold in 2014, is focusing on improving on-ice communication with his current teammates, highlighting the importance of effective communication, clock management, and game planning for success.
The Canadian curling teams are gearing up for more challenging matches in the ongoing Pan Continental Curling Championship, aiming to secure their spots in the upcoming world championships.