USA to play tiebreaker for shot at playoff berth in Latvia
Erika Brown and the American women defeated Russia, 6-5, tonight in an extra end at the Volvo Sports Center to secure a spot in tomorrow's tiebreaker to try to get to the Page playoff 3-4 game. The USA win, coupled with Switzerland's 8-5 victory over Denmark, created a three-way tie for fourth place between USA, Russia and Switzerland. All three teams have an equal win-loss record amongst one another so the next level to break the tie goes to the cumulative draw shot challenge. This went in USA's favor so the Americans will have the bye while Russia and Switzerland play at 9 a.m. The winner moves on to play Team USA at 2 p.m. tomorrow.
"Nothing like a little drama! We were having a hard time getting the deuce and were praying for one in some of those ends with the hammer," Brown said after the win.
Brown (Oakville, Ontario) and teammates Debbie McCormick (Rio, Wis.), Jessica Schultz (Richfield, Minn.) and Ann Swisshelm (Chicago) finished the round robin with a 6-5 record. Sweden, Scotland and Canada have earned the first three playoff spots. Russia's Anna Sidorova rink tied the game in the 10th, but the U.S. team made all of its shots when it mattered the most and won the game on Brown's final stone of the extra end.
"We were tight on time too so that always adds a little bit of stress as well. It was nice to get the clock refreshed and get nine minutes," Brown said about the 10th and subsequent extra end. "I think we all knew that even when the momentum was not in our favor out there, everyone stayed positive and believed we were going to win it. It just took a little longer that we'd hoped."
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