Team Canada will face Newfoundland-Labrador tonight in the one Brier semi-final to be played after just squeaking past Saskatchewan in the 3v4 playoff by 8-7.

The teams exchanged singles then blanked the third before Saskatchewan skip Steve Laycock had to draw the button for one in the fourth. Three missed doubles by Saskatchewan in the fifth gave TC a gift of two shots going into the half time break.

In the sixth a line of stones left Steve Laycock facing a difficult angled double to remove two TC stones. He made the double but his shooter scooted out and he only got the one. 4-3 to TC.

TC drew for a one in the seventh when blanking was not an option and two great draws by Steve Lacock evened up the score at 5-5 in the eighth.

TC then went two ahead in

 the ninth when Pat Simmonds just managed to chip out  the Saskatchewan shot that he could just see a tiny piece of. He was unlucky not to stay for three but his shooter, after jamming on a back stone was frantically swept out of the house by Saskatchewan.

Saskatchewan came right back again in the tenth with Steve Laycock having a double for four with last stone to kill the game but the shooter rolled out taking another counter along with it. 7-7. Extra end.

This was a very tense affair for all the players but TC got a stone onto the back of the tee early and tried to keep things open out front.  When Pat Simmonds’ first stone to the top four didn’t draw enough, Steve Laycock had room to get to the shot and chip it out but his stone just nicked his own stone lying second shot top four and it was all over.