CONTINENTAL CUP
Team North America prevailed on the last rock to defeat Team World at the 2016 WFG Continental Cup in Las Vegas, which set an attendance record not just for the Cup but for any curling event held in the U.S.
Photo by Michael Burns Jr. for USA Curling
North America wins thriller in Las Vegas
2016 WFG Continental Cup at Orleans Arena sets event, U.S. curling attendance record
By Terry L. Davis, Editor
Arena. Te two sides came into the final session deadlocked. Troughout the
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night the points went back and forth. Finally, in the eighth end on all three sheets the fans got what they were waiting for – but it took a little longer than planned. With just one point to earn to surpass the needed 30.5 points to win the
event, the women’s skins game was coming to a close first. North America needed a miss by Team World’s Eve Muirhead. Nope, not yet. Muirhead’s team made the draw to earn the skin (Jones won overall with four skins to one). Next up was Canada’s Kevin Koe rink on Sheet B. Te Canadian four-
some had a raise takeout lined up but couldn’t sweep the second Team World stone out of the rings to score two. Tat meant the skin would carry over to a one-shot shootout (Edin would eventually earn it for a four to one
eam North America rolled the dice and came out with heavier pockets aſter clinching the 2016 WFG Continental Cup of Curl- ing presented by Boyd Gaming trophy on Jan. 17 at the Orleans
final in favor of Team World). Just as that end finished up, on Sheet C the fans – and the players – fi-
nally got that magic moment. Olympic gold medalist John Morris, skipping the North American mixed team which included USA’s Allison Pottinger (Eden Prairie, Minn.) and Natalie Nicholson (Bemidji, Minn.) as well as Nolan Tiessen of Canada, made a takeout to clinch the 2016 Continental Cup title by earning the final skin in the team’s matchup with Torger Ner- gard’s World team. “He had a tough shot for the win. It felt great to see him make it and
be a part of it,” said Nicholson, who has now won five Continental Cup titles. To watch the final shot, go to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_ FBA0y58cY&sns=em. Tis is the seventh win for Team North America at this event since it
began in 2002 (Team Canada won it last year sans American teams). Team World boasts four titles, most recently in 2012. “It was a great game all the way through. We got ahead of them on the
scoreboard early. It was a lot of fun to play with John and Nolan. Tey just know a lot about the angles and where to put the brooms down and plus they were really patient, which is nice with skins because it can be tricky,” said Pottinger, who earned her third Cup title. “Te last shot we just knew that we had to hit it thin enough so it came down hard to ours and John threw it really good. At first we thought it was going to go really hard so we
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