Team Peterson’s quest for the first U.S. women’s curling medal ended just short on Saturday as the Americans dropped the bronze medal game to Canada, 11-7, in Cortina D’Ampezza Italy.
A two-point hammer throw in the ninth by skip Tabitha Peterson kept U.S. hopes alive, but Canada put immediate pressure on the Americans in the 10th, curling through and around U.S. guards to put as many as five stones in the house.
Needing a perfect throw on her final shot — which she had done several times in these Milan Cortina Games — Peterson’s shot glanced off a blocker placed by Canada skip Rachel Homan and out of play.
It was a crushing end for Team Peterson, which had a successful round-robin, finishing 6-3 and advancing to the semifinals after beating Switzerland in their final pool play game.
The Swiss, however, won the rematch, and Team Canada — which lost to the U.S. for the first time in round-robin play — had the Americans chasing after the U.S. went up 3-2 in the fifth end.
Team Peterson, which finished sixth at the Beijing Games in 2022, advanced to the semifinals for the first time, and second time for a U.S. team since 2002. The Americans had to settle for fourth place, tying that team for Team USA’s best finish at the Olympics.
Canada took control with a three-point hammer throw to erase a 3-2 deficit to end the sixth end. Peterson, who was terrific in Cortina, threw a two-point hammer to tie the score 5-5 in the seventh.
But a terrific throw by third Tracy Fleury in the eighth knocked three U.S. stones cleanly out of the circle. Cory Thiesse knocked one out, but Homan used the final throw to put one back in the house for an 8-5 lead.
Again, Peterson made a perfect hammer throw to salvage two points in the ninth and make it 8-7 and give the U.S. a chance to win or send the game to an extra frame in the 10th. But Canada peeled off three U.S. guards and filled up the circle, putting the Americans on their back foot, and they never recovered.
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