FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 26, 2006

Sweden edges USA for gold at 2006 World Women's Championship

(GRANDE PRAIRIE, Alberta) - Debbie McCormick's Team USA was on the losing end of Anette Norberg's perfect season falling 10-9 to Sweden in the gold-medal game Sunday afternoon at the 2006 Ford World Women's Curling Championship at the Canada Games Arena in Grande Prairie, Alberta.

"It was a good game," said McCormick, the 2003 world champion. "We really wanted to win but it was a terrific week. We had a great run at it. I'm proud of my girls. Unfortunately, this one doesn't have the same shininess as the other one. "

McCormick (Rio, Wis.) and teammates Allison Pottinger (Eden Prairie, Minn.), Nicole Joraanstad (Madison, Wis.), Natalie Nicholson (Bemidji, Minn.) and Caitlin Maroldo (Rochester, N.Y.) started the game a lot more aggressive than they hoped but it momentarily paid off as Sweden was held to just one point in an end that looked like it had disaster written all over it for the Americans.

"We wanted to play more conservatively but the first end got out of control," McCormick said.

The climax of the game, however, was quite the opposite ending up relatively text-book. The U.S. put up guards quickly with just over four minutes on their time clock with the Swedes eventually peeling them. "The clock was a factor but it didn't ruin what shots we did or didn't make," McCormick said.

The U.S. got two rocks in the house in the top and bottom of the eight foot forcing Norberg to draw the four-foot for the win. "That is the kind of shot I usually make," Norberg said. "You don't think it is there until it stops. It's been an amazing season and this is the perfect ending." Norberg's team won gold in the European Championships, the 2006 Olympic Winter Games and now here to cap the triple.

The game was a roller coaster of scoring between the two former world champions. The U.S. tied the game with a single in the second after looking like it was going to be a blank end. McCormick's takeout on a Swedish stone rolled the shooter out allowing Norberg to draw behind a guard. Sweden generated a deuce in the third when McCormick's last rock rolled out giving Norberg an open draw for two.

It was the fourth end for the Americans that seemed to ignite the team. Team USA capitalized on a missed takeout by Swedish vice skip Eva Lund as Pottinger made a perfect freeze to the U.S. stone in the eight-foot. Norberg loosened the pot but wasn't able to chip out a U.S. rock. McCormick tried to freeze to the nest of rocks but was a little heavy moving the rocks around a bit. When Norberg was short on her freeze attempt to the U.S. rock in four-foot, it opened the door for the U.S. to strike big.

McCormick and Pottinger hesitated to attempt the double takeout until Nicholson spoke up. Smart call, since 30 seconds later McCormick delivered to score four and go ahead 5-3. "It was a huge boost," Pottinger said of the four-ender. "The goal was to hold them to two after cracking the big end. It was a great game because both teams like to generate a lot of points."

Sweden crawled back into the game scoring three in the next end when Norberg made a double takeout on the U.S. rocks. McCormick would come up short with her draw in the next end allowing Sweden to steal a point and regain a two-point lead.

The steal was doubly important because it gave Sweden back control of the even ends, which meant that more than likely they would have the hammer advantage in the last end.

McCormick's team did all they could to stay in the game scoring two in the seventh after Norberg executed yet another double takeout to eliminate Team USA's hope for three points.

Another deuce by Sweden in the eighth put the pressure on the Americans to tie the game heading into the 10th. The U.S. answered when they were able to get a rock buried behind a guard and Norberg hit and rolled out with her last rock on the other U.S. stone in the house giving McCormick a draw for two for the tie. The U.S. did all they could to set up the steal in the final end but it was Sweden's day to shine once again.

"I think if we stick together we'll be back here many more times," McCormick said.

A highlights program from the 2006 World Women's Championship will be shown on ESPN2 on April 2 from 2-4 p.m. ET. The Men's World Curling Championship is set for April 1-9 in Lowell, Mass. The Pete Fenson rink, 2006 Olympic bronze medalists, will represent the U.S. in the 12-team field.

Line score:
Sweden 102 031 020 1 10
USA 010 400 202 0 9

USA Curling is sponsored by AIT Worldwide Logistics, AmerAust Technologies, The Hilton Family and Nike as well as by AT&T, General Motors, The Home Depot, and Bank of America through a joint marketing program with the U.S. Olympic Committee.

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For more information: Terry Luder, USA Curling, terry.luder@usacurl.org, 608-338-9900 (cell)