Music: {allcanada} CANADA'S JACOBS RALLIES AGAINST FINLAND, STAYS UNBEATEN

Sunday, March 31, 2013

{allcanada} CANADA'S JACOBS RALLIES AGAINST FINLAND, STAYS UNBEATEN

VICTORIA -- Canada's Brad Jacobs remained unbeaten after two draws at the world men's curling championships Sunday.

The Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., native beat Finland's Aku Kauste 8-6 after overcoming an early 4-1 deficit.

Jacobs, who is competing at the worlds for the first time, was slated to play Scotland at night, while Finland (0-2) was due to face Denmark on the evening slate.

The Finns were looking for a strong effort after squandering a 4-0 lead against Sweden in the opening draw. But they were disappointed again as Kauste struggled with his turns and draw weight.

Canada took a 1-0 lead in the second end, but he was forced to come back after Kauste had a big third end.

With Finland lying three, Jacobs wrecked on a guard with his first attempt. He tried to offset the damage by getting his second shot closer to the button than one Finnish rock, but Kauste made a short angle-raise takeout to go up 4-1.

Jacobs started chipping his way back in the fourth end as he drew to the button for one. In the fifth, Canadian lead E.J. Harnden, second Ryan Harnden and third Ryan Fry put up junk, blocking the right side of the house. The Canadians were aided by a Finnish rock that also blocked Kauste's path.

Rather than blast things up, Kaust tried to go left with his first attempt, but his rock went through the house with Fry sweeping hard to make sure it did. With his final attempt, Jacobs put up a guard, completely blocking both sides of the T-line.

Kauste opted to try and come around on the left, but his rock stayed wide and went long to give Canada a steal of three and a 5-4 lead. The Finnish skip got one back in the sixth end as he drew to the four-foot to create a 5-5 tie.

Jacobs had a chance to score two in the seventh, but he was heavy with a draw and had to settle for one. After two measurements, a Finnish rock was found to be a fraction closer than Canada's second stone.

Two mistakes by Kauste enabled the Canadians to increase their lead in the eighth end. First Kauste wicked off a guard with his first attempt, setting up an easy takeout for Jacobs on his final throw, enabling Canada to keep lying two.

Kauste then failed to come around on his final attempt and watched in dismay as his shooter went long, giving Canada an 8-5 lead. But he finally got his rock to curl in the ninth end as he drew his way around two Canadian stones into the four-foot to earn a single point.

But with the hammer and a two-point lead, Canada easily ran the Finns out of rocks.