TEAM USA 2-1 AT WORLD WOMEN’S CURLING CHAMPIONSHIP 2022
WCF / Jeffrey Au 2022
The World Women’s Curling Championship 2022 got underway on Saturday in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada.
The Championship welcomed 13 of the top women’s curling countries in the world to compete in a round robin before advancing two teams directly to the playoffs and four more to qualification games.
Team USA (Cory Christensen, Sarah Anderson, Vicky Persinger, Taylor Anderson, and Sydney Mullaney) made their World Women’s Curling Championship debut as a fivesome in the Team’s opener against Czech Republic on Saturday afternoon.
Despite not having last rock advantage to start the game, Team USA was first on the board, stealing two points to open the Championship.
“We had a really good pregame practice and right in the first end we decided to go for it because everyone was feeling so comfortable with the ice,” said skip Cory Christensen. “We just kept that the whole game and felt really, really good.”
Team USA went on to defeat Czech Republic 9-2 after eight ends of play, picking up the Team’s first win of the event.
“I’m so impressed with how the girls played, commended Christensen. “We came right out in the very first end and everyone was spot on. It just felt really good.”
In the second matchup, the U.S. faced Italy, skipped by 2022 Olympic Mixed Doubles Gold Medalist Stefania Constantini.
The U.S. was first on the scoreboard again despite not having hammer to start the game.
Leading by one in the tenth end with hammer, Team USA successfully forced the Italians to a single point to send the game to an extra end, where USA scored a single point with hammer to secure its second victory of the tournament.
Shortly after clinching the win in game two, Team USA returned to the ice for the third game of the Championship against Japan who also sat at 2-0.
After being forced to only singles with both hammer opportunities in the first half of the game, the U.S. regained the lead by making a lightweight takeout to score three points in the seventh end.
Team USA and Japan evened the score at 6-6 going into the final end of the game, but it was the U.S. who had hammer.
The U.S. attempted a lightweight tap on Japan’s counter that sat buried under a guard, but over curled and wrecked on the guard, resulting in a 6-7 loss to Japan and a 2-1 record for the U.S. after three games of round robin play.
Cory Christensen, Sarah Anderson, Vicky Persinger, Taylor Anderson, and Sydney Mullaney will return to the ice tomorrow for two games of round robin play against Korea and then Norway.
USA Curling is sponsored by Columbia Sportswear, Toyota, Twin Cities Orthopedics, Training HAUS, Brakebush, ISS (Ice, Sports & Solar), and Sitrin, and is partnered with IHG, Rock Solid Productions Inc., Laurie Artiss Ltd. – The Pin People.
