Manuel wins Nova Scotia playdowns to advance to Brier

Matthew Manuel's team booked a ticket to the Tim Hortons Brier with a 5-4 win over Owen Purcell in the Nova Scotia men's final Monday morning.

With the scored tied 4-4 coming home, Manuel stole a point in the 10th end for the victory at the Bluenose Curling Club. Manuel prevailed with a three-man team in the final because second Jeffrey Meagher was ill.

Manuel's third Luke Saunders is the son of six-time Canadian and two-time world champion Colleen Jones.

Purcell's 8-7 win in an extra end over Manuel on Sunday evening forced a rematch Monday to decide the province's representative at the national championship March 3-12 in London, Ont.

Manuel curled for Nova Scotia in four consecutive Canadian junior championships from 2015 to 2018.

Manuel joins Jacques Gauthier (B.C.), Thomas Scoffin (Yukon), Jake Higgs (Nunavut), Tanner Horgan (Northern Ontario), Mike McEwen (Ontario), Felix Asselin (Quebec), Nathan Young (Newfoundland and Labrador), Tyler Smith (P.E.I.) and defending champion Brad Gushue of St. John's, N.L., among teams already qualified for the 18-team Brier field.

Saskatchewan and Northwest Territories open their men's provincial championships Wednesday. Alberta, New Brunswick and Manitoba start theirs next week.

The Brier's three wild-card entries will come from the top three non-qualified teams in the Canadian Team Rankings System (CTRS) at the conclusion of provincial and territorial championships.

Alberta's Brendan Bottcher, Manitoba's Matt Dunstone, Gushue, Alberta's Kevin Koe and Manitoba's Reid Carruthers ranked first to fifth Monday.

The Brier champion will wear the Maple Leaf in the world men's championship April 1-9 in Ottawa.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 30, 2023.