FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 26, 2008

Swedish ladies send USA packing at 2008 World Women's Championship

(VERNON, British Columbia) - Stina Viktorsson's Swedish ladies said vi ses senare to Debbie McCormick's American team Wednesday night as the Swedes walked away with an extra-end steal to defeat the U.S., 8-7, at the 2008 Ford World Women's Championship at the Greater Vernon Multiplex.

The Swedish rookies from the Skellefteå Curling Club handed the U.S. its fourth loss, which puts the U.S. on the outside looking in at a playoff berth with two games remaining in the round robin.

"That was a tough one," said Ed Lukowich, USA Curling athlete development director.

McCormick (Rio, Wis.) and teammates Allison Pottinger (Eden Prairie, Minn.), Nicole Joraanstad (Madison, Wis.) and Tracy Sachtjen (Lodi, Wis.) finish out the round robin tomorrow against Switzerland (7-2) and Russia (4-5).

"We were a little off with our execution," Coach Wally Henry said. "The opposition made it tough for us."

The U.S. came out shooting well in the first end as they forced Viktorsson to draw for a single. The ladies got a good end set up in the second with three stones in and around the button that eventually led to a deuce.

The Swedes countered with a deuce in the third end but would give the Americans a chance for two once again in the fourth. Viktorsson missed a takeout on the stone McCormick tucked behind a center guard allowing the 2003 world champion to draw in for two. A solid fifth end by the U.S. left Viktorsson looking at three U.S. stones, forcing her to draw full four-foot. She came up a touch too light and the Americans stole one to go ahead 5-3.

Viktorsson bailed her team out in the sixth end with a raise takeout for two. In the following end, McCormick had a chance to remove the lone partially buried Swedish stone in the back of the four-foot for four but sailed through the house, settling for one. "When they got that lucky deuce in the sixth end, it really changed the momentum," Henry said.

Two good stones by McCormick in the eighth end forced Viktorsson to make another big shot. This time, however, she'd only earn a point for her team when her shooter stone jammed on a U.S. brick in the four-foot on a takeout attempt.

The U.S. was attempting to blank the ninth end but the Swedes got a stone buried behind the center guard. The Americans then decided to go for the deuce but McCormick couldn't quite curl her stone behind the Swedish rock, leaving it open for Viktorsson to take out. McCormick then drew in for the single and gave the Swedes the last rock in the 10th end.

The U.S. did a good job keeping the Swedes out of the house until the last four rocks as they played a freeze game giving Viktorsson a shot at the win. After a measurement, the Swedes earned one and headed to an extra end.

The Americans got into a bind in the extra end as the Swedes put the winning stone in position with four rocks left to throw. McCormick tried to draw through and then wick off a Swedish stone to the button for the win but came up short.

"We struggling to find consistency with all four players," Henry said. "Tracy has come in and played great for us, but we've had a hard time getting all four players to have a good game on the same day." USA lead Natalie Nicholson (Bemidji, Minn.), still suffering from influenza symptoms, was forced to return to the U.S. today.

Game scores: Sweden 8, USA 7; Japan 7, Scotland 2; Russia 4, Denmark 3; China 10, Italy 8

USA line score:
Sweden* 102 002 010 11 8
USA 020 210 101 00 7
*last stone in first end

Standings:
Canada 8-1
China 8-1
Switzerland 7-2
Denmark 6-3
Japan 5-4
Sweden 5-4
USA 5-4
Germany 4-5
Russia 4-5
Italy 1-8
Scotland 1-8
Czech Republic 0-9

USA Curling is sponsored by AIT Worldwide Logistics, AmerAust Technologies and Nike.

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For more information: Terry Kolesar, USA Curling, terry.kolesar@usacurl.org, 715-344-1199, Ext. 202, or 608-338-9900 (cell).