Team North America pads lead with singles wins

PENTICTON, B.C. — Team North America took its first lead of the 2013 World Financial Group Continental Cup, presented by Monsanto, on Friday morning. On Friday afternoon, they started to stretch that lead. The home team in curling’s version of the Ryder Cup claimed four of the six singles matches against Team World on Friday at the South Okanagan Events Centre to take a 10.5-7.5 lead in the competition. A total of 60 points are up for grabs, with the first team past 30.5 points claiming the WFG Continental Cup. “We do feel good,” said Team North America captain Kelley Law (Coquitlam, B.C.). “We had a great night last night (with North American men’s teams winning of three games), and then again this morning (when the North American women’s teams claimed 2.5 of the three available points), and then we came out on top in singles, so that was awesome. The energy in the locker-room is great, and the teams out there have bounce in their step.” The bounce got higher with the performance in singles, which sees players throw a series of skill-testing shots with points awarded based on the end result of the shot. Team North America’s Heather Nedohin (Saville Sports Centre, Edmonton, Alta.) was a 17-11 winner over Team World’s Eve Muirhead (Dunkeld CC, Dunkeld, Scotland), thanks largely to back-to-back perfect shots from second Jessica Mair on the hit-and-roll to the button and lead Laine Peters on the raise-to-the-button. “It just boosted everybody,” said Law. “You could see the smiles; those were great, timely shots.” In the other women’s matchups, Team North America’s Allison Pottinger (St. Paul CC, St. Paul, Minn.) defeated Team World’s Margaretha Sigfridsson (Skellefteå CK, Skellefteå, Sweden) 18-13, while Team World’s Mirjam Ott (CC Davos, Davos, Switzerland) turned back Team North America’s Jennifer Jones (St. Vital CC, Winnipeg, Man.). In the men’s games, Team North America’s Glenn Howard (Coldwater & District CC, Coldwater, Ont.) was a 22-17 winner over Team World’s Thomas Ulsrud (Snarøen CC, Oslo, Norway), Team North America’s Kevin Martin (Saville Sports Centre, Edmonton, Alta.) topped Team World’s Niklas Edin (Karlstads CK, Karlstad, Sweden) and Team World’s Tom Brewster (Curl Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland) beat Team North America’s Heath McCormick (Ardsley CC, Ardsley-on-Hudson, N.Y.). The second day of the 2013 WFG Continental Cup concludes with men’s traditional team games, beginning at 6:30 p.m. (all times PST, all draws broadcast on TSN). “We’re just on the wrong side of inches right now,” said Team World captain David Hay (Perth, Scotland). “Everything’s running not quite our way at the moment. Most of these games, we’ve had shots to turn zeroes into ones. The whole competition is based on Sunday; those 30 points (from six skins-format games) are absolutely massive, so no matter what happens we’re still in the event. It’s just a case of trying to keep that gap as tight as we can going into Sunday.” httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1iU_P4Zru8 There will be nine more traditional team games (six men’s, three women’s), each worth one point for a win, and one-half point for a tie. All games are eight ends and there are no extra ends. For the six mixed doubles and six singles matches, one point will also be awarded for each victory, one-half point if tied. The six skins games (two mixed, two women’s and two men’s) on Sunday will offer a total of five points per game, with the first six ends of each game worth one-half point each, while the seventh and eighth ends are worth one point each. In skins, a count of at least two with last rock or a steal is required in order to win an end. Otherwise, the points carry over. The winning side receives $52,000 Cdn ($2,000 per member, including captain and coach), while the losing side gets $26,000 ($1,000 per member, including captain and coach). As well, the side that generates the highest points total from the final three skins games will receive an additional $13,000 ($500 per player, plus captain and coach). Each side has won four Continental Cups; Team World prevailed last year in Langley, B.C. Here is the remainder of schedule for the first three days of the competition; matchups for the six skins-format games that could decide matters on Sunday will be determined when the respective coaches and captains (coach Rick Lang of Thunder Bay, Ont., and captain Kelley Law of Coquitlam B.C., for Team North America; coach Peja Lindholm of Östersund, Sweden, and captain David Hay of Perth, Scotland, for Team World) meet on Saturday afternoon. FRIDAY, Jan. 11 6:30 p.m. PST Men’s Team Sheet A: Team North America/Glenn Howard (Coldwater & District CC, Coldwater, Ont.) vs. Team World/Tom Brewster (Club Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland) Sheet B: Team North America/Kevin Martin (Saville Sports Centre, Edmonton, Alta.) vs. Team World/Niklas Edin (Karlstads CK, Karlstad, Sweden) Sheet C: Team North America/Heath McCormick (Ardsley CC, Ardsley-on-Hudson, N.Y.) vs. Team World/Thomas Ulsrud (Snarøen CC, Oslo, Norway) SATURDAY, Jan. 12 9 a.m. PST Mixed Doubles Sheet A: Team North America/Natalie Nicholson (St. Paul CC, St. Paul, Minn.) and Glenn Howard (Coldwater & District CC, Coldwater, Ont.) vs. Team World/Anna Sloan (Dunkeld CC, Dunkeld, Scotland) and Greg Drummond (Club Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland) Sheet B: Team North America/Jennifer Jones (St. Vital CC, Winnipeg, Man.) and Brent Laing (Coldwater & District CC, Coldwater, Ont.) vs. Team World/Carmen Kung (CC Davos, Davos, Switzerland) and Torger Nergård (Snarōen CC, Oslo, Norway) Sheet C: Team North America/Jessica Mair (Saville Sports Centre, Edmonton, Alta.) and Heath McCormick (Ardsley CC, Ardsley-on-Hudson, N.Y.) vs. Team World/Maria Prytz (Skellefteå CK, Skellefteå, Sweden) and Sebastian Kraupp (Karlstads CK, Karlstad, Sweden) 1:30 p.m. PST Women’s Team Sheet A: Team North America/Jennifer Jones (St. Vital CC, Winnipeg, Man.) vs. Team World/Eve Muirhead (Dunkeld CC, Dunkeld, Scotland) Sheet B: Team North America/Allison Pottinger (St. Paul CC, St. Paul, Minn.) vs. Team World/Margaretha Sigfridsson (Skellefteå CK, Skellefteå, Sweden) Sheet C: Team North America/Heather Nedohin (Saville Sports Centre, Edmonton, Alta.) vs. Team World/Mirjam Ott (CC Davos, Davos, Switzerland) 6:30 p.m. Men’s Team Sheet A: Team North America/Kevin Martin (Saville Sports Centre, Edmonton, Alta.) vs. Team World/Thomas Ulsrud (Snarøen CC, Oslo, Norway) Sheet B: Team North America/Heath McCormick (Ardsley CC, Ardsley-on-Hudson, N.Y.) vs. Team World/Tom Brewster (Club Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland) Sheet C: Team North America/Glenn Howard (Coldwater & District CC, Coldwater, Ont.) vs. Team World/Niklas Edin (Karlstads CK, Karlstad, Sweden) Other information: • For ticket and other event information, visit www.curling.ca/championships/continentalcup. • TSN, the exclusive television network for the Canadian Curling Association’s Season of Champions, and French language sports network RDS/RDS2 will provide complete coverage of this year’s World Financial Group Continental Cup, from the Opening draw (Women’s Team games) on Thursday morning through to and including the final Skins games on Sunday. • The World Financial Group Continental Cup is a joint venture of the Canadian Curling Association, United States Curling Association and World Curling Federation. • Media inquiries for other story ideas can be directed to: Al Cameron Director, Communication and Media Relations Canadian Curling Association 403-463-5500 [email protected] www.curling.ca