TEAM PETERSON FIRST TO WIN COLUMN IN BEST-OF-THREE GAME FINAL AT 2022 U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS
Photo by Bob Weder
In the best-of-three game final for the women’s field at the 2022 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Curling, Team Peterson (Tabitha Peterson, Nina Roth, Becca Hamilton, Tara Peterson, and Aileen Geving) started game one with last rock advantage against Team Christensen (Cory Christensen, Sarah Anderson, Vicky Persinger, and Taylor Anderson) due to Team Peterson’s higher ranking in the standings at the conclusion of the double round robin.
Both teams kept a lot of rocks in play to open the game and Team Peterson was first on the scoreboard, drawing the button for two points in the first end.
In the second end, Team Peterson sat counting two when Team Christensen delivered their final rock of the end, attempting to draw to the full four-foot. Team Christensen’s draw came up light and only outscored one of Team Peterson’s counters, resulting in a steal of one and a 3-0 lead for Team Peterson.
Team Christensen controlled much of the third frame, sitting three in the house when Team Peterson delivered their final stone of the end. A made double takeout on Team Peterson’s last gave Team Christensen a draw to the eight-foot for two points, moving the score to 3-2.
Team Peterson was forced to a single point in the fourth end, before Team Christensen rebounded with a score of three by making a takeout in the fifth end to close the half.
Team Peterson was quick to rebound, returning a score of three in sixth end by promoting one of their rocks at the top of the house into the four-foot to take a 7-5 lead.
Team Christensen and Peterson exchanged forces in the seventh and eighth ends.
In the ninth end, Team Christensen was forced to another single after narrowly missing a hit and roll attempt to the four-foot to score two.
Team Peterson held an 8-7 lead with hammer entering the final end of the game. Team Christensen sat counting two when Team Peterson executed a double takeout on the final rock of the game.
“At the halftime we knew we just needed to keep trucking along and keep the precision up,” said Tabitha Peterson. “We talked about focusing on our communication and getting rocks in the right spots to put pressure on them.”
The 8-7 victory over Team Christensen moves Team Peterson one win away from an Olympic berth in the best-of-three game series final. The second game of the women’s final will be played on Saturday, November 20th at 8:00PM CST.
“We just got to come out and bring our ‘A’ game,” said Peterson.
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