It was one of those afternoons to forget for Jim Cotter.
The Vernon skip fell to 1-1 at the Tim Hortons Brier Canadian Men鈥檚 Curling Championships in Kingston, Ont., losing to home province favourite John Epping of Toronto, 11-3. Epping is now 2-0.
The game was tied 3-3 at the fifth-end break but Epping took control in the sixth with the hammer, putting up a four-spot for a 7-3 lead. The No. 2-ranked team on the World Curling Tour then locked away the match with steals of two in both the seventh and eighth ends, resulting in handshakes from the B.C. champs.
Cotter, supported by Steve Laycock of Saskatoon, the front end of Andrew Nerpin of Kelowna and Rick Sawatsky of Vernon, and fifth player Brad Wood of Penticton, will look to regroup with a doubleheader on Monday.
Matt Dunstone of Regina will play Cotter in the early draw at 6 a.m. Pacific, and then Mike McEwen鈥檚 Wild Card entry from Winnipeg will meet the BC champs at 11 a.m. Pacific.
Top four teams in the round-robin pool will carry there records over into Round 2, four games against the top four teams from the other pool. The top four teams after that advance to the playoffs.
* Canada improved to 2-1 Sunday at the World Wheelchair Curling Championships in Switzerland with a 6-3 win over Korea.
Spallumcheen鈥檚 Ina Forrest is the third for Team Canada, which is in a three-way tie for fourth place in the 12-country field at 2-1 with Latvia and Russia.
Sweden, Norway and China lead the standings at 3-0.
Canada faces the host Switzerland rink and Scotland in play Monday.
roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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