Team Canada tried to go for the win in the 10th end but couldn't overcome a tough Scotland rink. (Michael Burns/Curling Canada)

By Britton Gray - CKOM News

Curling

Canada loses in semis to Scotland at World Men’s Curling Championship

Apr 6, 2025 | 9:55 AM

Brad Jacobs elected to go for the win rather than try to steal one in the extra end — unfortunately, the rocks didn’t fall in Team Canada’s favour.

Jacobs was against three yellow Scotland stones and tried a triple takeout to sit two for the win rather than throw a draw.

However only one stone was removed, the Bruce Mouat Scotland rink scored two and a 7-4 decision means Canada will remain without a World Men’s Curling Championship for another year. The last time a Canadian team won it was in 2017 with Brad Gushue’s rink.

“We’re always going to play for the win there. We know the odds are stacked against us playing Scotland in an extra end,” said Jacobs following the Saturday afternoon loss in Moose Jaw.

“We were close. We fought and battled all the way to the end. I thought we were really resilient all throughout that game and I’m proud of us for being that way.”

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Canada had to claw back after settling for a single, giving up a double, settle again, and giving up another double.

With the game on the edge of getting away from them, Jacobs connected on a double takeout to score two and knot things up at four.

“(That start) is tough to come back from but we made a nice double in seven to keep ourselves in that game but we needed to be a bit more precise today. We weren’t our sharpest and we weren’t our best,” Jacobs said.

“I think our best up against that team and their best, I do think we win. But that wasn’t what we had today.”

While it’s a tough loss for Canada, lead Ben Hebert, originally from Regina, said he’s proud of how the team played.

“Disappointed but not disappointed in the way we played,” Hebert said. “Two of the best teams in the world duking it out and they made a couple more than us today.

“The circumstances make it disappointing but not disappointed in how we played this week, how we represented our country and I’m proud of my teammates. It’s not going to change my life. If we would have went out and laid an egg and played terrible, I probably would be fuming but we played well. They made a couple more shots than us.”

Jacobs joined the Alberta-based rink in April 2024 to skip the team consisting of Hebert, second Brett Gallant and third Marc Kennedy.

The rink only lost one game at the 2025 Montana’s Brier en route to winning Canada’s men’s curling title.

During the round-robin at the tournament, the Canadian team only lost once — a 6-5 loss to the Scotland rink skipped by Mouat with Hammy McMillan at lead, second Bobby Lammie and third Grant Hardie.

Team Scotland celebrates after defeating team Canada 7-4 in semifinal. (Michael Burns/Curling Canada)

With Canada finishing in first place after the round-robin, the team got a bye to the semifinals.

Earlier in the day, Scotland defeated defending world champion Sweden 8-7.

In the first end, Canada had to settle for one after some good shots by Scotland.

Jacobs tried for a double takeout in the second end but wouldn’t connect on the second rock. That allowed Mouat to score his two in the second end.

Some more great shots by Scotland in the third once again forced Canada to settle for one to tie things at two again.

After back-to-back blanks in the fourth and fifth, Canada avoided disaster in the sixth.

Mouat was just heavy on his takeout attempt which allowed Kennedy to sweep out the rock and limit the damage to two.

Mouat was heavy on his first draw in the eighth end which allowed Canada to play some defence and force Scotland to just a single point.

Canada will now take on China in the bronze medal game at Temple Gardens Centre on Sunday morning at 9 a.m.

Scotland and Switzerland will play for gold at 3 p.m.