2014 U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS
Shuster rink clinches men's title, heads to
Germany to earn U.S. its Olympic berth
Team USA for Sochi includes (l-r) Erika Brown, Debbie McCormick, Jessica Schultz, and Ann Swisshelm. Te team has added Allison Pottinger as alternate for the Olympic Winter Games.
Tis will be the fourth Olympic Games for McCormick (Rio, Wis.),
who was skip for Team USA in Vancouver most recently. “Last Olympics obviously did not go well for me and there were times when I wanted to quit this game, quite honestly,” McCormick said. “I was so frustrated and sad and all the terrible emotions that go through it. I’m proud of myself for taking a year break and playing with Erika’s team as alternate. I think that really helped me realize how much I still love this sport. I felt like I could still contribute to a team and wanted to be a part of a team and just kind of wanted to face my demons and just keep going for it.” Tis is the second trip to the Olympics for Schultz (Minneapolis,
Minn.), who was on the 2006 team; and also the second appearance for Swisshelm (Chicago), 45, who was with McCormick in 2002 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Tey are coached by Bill Todhunter, who won bronze at the 2007 world men’s championship. “I think we’re all just very excited and shocked,” said Schultz, 28. “With all the hard work, everything’s been coming together and this is what we’ve been waiting for.” Pottinger (Eden Prairie, Minn.) and teammates Nicole Joraanstad
(Verona, Wis.), Natalie Nicholson (Bemidji, Minn.), and Tabitha Pe- terson (Eagan, Minn.) played a close match throughout against Team Brown, with the sides tied four times. “We leſt one point on the board, that draw that went a little bit deep.
But, they had the hammer in the first end and they had the hammer in the last. I think if we’d had the hammer in the last it would be a differ- ent story and we’d be here tomorrow. Both teams played really well,” said Pottinger, who along with McCormick, Joraanstad and Nicholson, represented the U.S. at the 2010 Olympic Games. In the first end, Brown came up short of the rings trying to draw
around a center guard and gave up the single steal. In the second end, Brown’s team benefitted when Pottinger rolled out with her final rock, setting up Team Brown for the deuce. Aſter making a double takeout to work toward a blank end in the third, Pottinger had an open takeout but ended up taking the single point when it was a nose hit. In the fourth end, Pottinger missed a takeout on a stone in the back of
the house, allowing Brown to draw in a second stone. Pottinger jammed on a double takeout attempt, giving Brown an open hit for two points and a 4-2 lead. A nice double takeout by Joraanstad set Team Pottinger up for a deuce
in the fiſth end. Pottinger had a chance for three but she missed her final shot and had to settle for two. Te teams both struggled a little bit in the sixth end with rock place-
Continued on next page *
Team USA (above, l-r) for the Olympic Qualification Event in December to earn the U.S. berth for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, includes John Shuster, Jeff Isaacson, Jared Zezel, and John Landsteiner.
By Terry L. Kolesar, Editor (FARGO, N.D.) – As quickly as the game began, it was over and Team
Shuster is on their way to try to earn the United States its berth for the upcoming Olympic Winter Games aſter defeating Pete Fenson, 11-1, in four ends in the final game of the 2014 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Curling on Nov. 17. “It was like a funeral in here. Believe me, I’d much rather win that way
than an extra end,” Shuster said about the stunned silence when Fenson’s team conceded the match aſter four ends. “It was pretty sweet. It hasn’t sunk in yet, but we have more work ahead of us.” Shuster (Duluth, Minn.) and teammates Jeff Isaacson (Gilbert, Minn.),
Jared Zezel (Duluth, Minn.), and John Landsteiner (Duluth, Minn.) will now represent the U.S. at the Olympic Qualification Event Dec. 10-15 in Fuessen, Germany, where they’ll compete with seven other countries for the final two berths for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, in February. “We won in Denver four years ago and to have the opportunity to play in
the Trials final once is incredible and to win it is even better,” said Isaacson, 30, who works as a science teacher. “To come back, there are so many teams
Continued on Page 13 * USA Curling (( 11
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