U.S. Women’s Curling Team Needs an Extra End to Clinch Semi-Final Place over Switzerland

Clinched second place with an extra end to do it

Cortina Bay, ITA- The U.S. Women’s National Team clinched a spot in the semi-Finals of the Olympic Curling games as they finished in second place after being forced into an extra end by Switzerland. The Swiss tied it up in the last regulation end of the match, and team Tabitha Peterson had to get the job done to put her side through without fear of another team sneaking past them. So they move on for a chance to qualify for the Gold Medal Game as the USA won it by a final score of seven-to-six in the Extra End.

Overview

Team USA led three-to-two after the first six ends until they had a big score in the seventh end to extend their lead by three. Cory Thiesse, who sent the fifth stone down the sheet, was able to get a chain reaction hit to remove a Swiss stone and clear the left side of the house. Both sides continued to jockey for position until Tabitha Peterson sent the hammer down, with help from Taylor Anderson-Heide and Tara Peterson sweeping the ice to get it to curl; the stone landed inside the eight-foot and, with a stone inside the 12-foot, got the two points for a five-to-two lead. Both sides traded a point each until the tenth end.

What looked like a big win was coming for the USA, with a stone already inside the button, they sent their last stone down to knock out the Swiss’s stone, but it almost exited the house. With two stones remaining for the Swiss inside the top of the four-foot, Alina Paetz sent the hammer down and got it to glide down the right side, curled toward the button, removed the USA stone, and got a miracle three points to tie the match and force an extra end. Team Tabitha Peterson would not be denied their place in the Semi-Finals as she was able to send the hammer down the sheet, and as it removed the last Swiss stone, it would slowly stop inside the bottom of the four-foot, and their trip to the Semis was complete.

The final standings in round robin action have Sweden at the top with a 7-2 record, followed by the next three as the USA, Switzerland, and Canada finish respectively from second through fourth place with a 6-3 record. The Women’s Curling Semi-Finals will be on Friday, February 20th, as Sweden will face Canada & the USA will once again face the Swiss for the right to play in the Gold Medal Game.

NOTE: During the final matchday of the Men’s Round Robin Play, Italy lost to Switzerland, but Norway defeated Canada by a final score of 8-6 to put them in the Semi-Finals, and Team USA was officially eliminated.

Olympic Curling News:

• U.S. Men’s Curling Team Concedes to Great Britain After Horrible Start
• U.S. Women’s Curling Team Falls on Last Stone Miracle Shot to Great Britain
• U.S. Men’s curling team Can’t Complete the Comeback, Falls to Italy
• U.S. Women’s Curling Team Redems Themselves With A Monster Performance against Denmark

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