Tabitha Peterson hopes Monday marked the beginning of many firsts in her curling season.
That’s when she skipped her rink to a title take of the Curlers Corner Autumn Gold Curling Classic — the first-ever in 43 years of the Calgary-hosted event by an American team.
“That’s pretty cool,” Peterson said. “It feels really good. We ground it out and came through the ‘C’ bracket and put some good games together.”
In two weeks, the Minnesota native is looking for more good games to become a first-time United States representative for the 2022 Winter Olympiad.
And then in February, she hopes to guide her St. Paul Curling Club side to become the first American females to win a curling medal at those Beijing Games.
“Big month ahead,” Peterson said. “Our goal is to win the U.S. trials, and we want to be on the podium at the Olympics. Yes, there’s some hurdles we have to jump over first to get there first.”
Here at the Calgary Curling Club, no hurdle was too big in winning Monday afternoon’s 6-5 final, avenging an earlier loss to Japan’s Satsuki Fujisawa in the 32-team World Curling Tour event.
Fujisawa and her 2018 Olympic bronze medallist team of third Chinami Yoshida, second Yumi Suzuki and lead Yurika Yoshida defeated Peterson 8-5 in one of Saturday two ‘A’-event finals, after both teams won three straight to start the tour stop.
But the Americans worked their way to the championship by earning one of four ‘C’ qualifiers and then defeating United Kingdom’s Eve Muirhead and Regina’s Chelsea Carey in Monday’s quarter- and semi-final rounds respectively.
The 5-2 record was enough to get them into the final.
Meanwhile, Fujisawa & Co. — after sweeping through the ‘A’ event and earning a bye to Monday’s playoffs — scored playoff wins over Manitoba’s Tracy Fleury and American Jamie Sinclair to set up the rematch with Peterson.
It was the Americans who took the early two-count advantage when Fujisawa wrecked on a guard with the hammer.
The Japanese were then forced to take one in the second end, which essentially spelled the difference in the game.
After a blank third, the fourth end set up right for the Americans to make the draw for another two and earn a 4-1 lead.
But the rink from Loco Solare Curling Club in Kitami, Japan, struck back with two of its own on a slick hit-and-stick by the 30-year-old skip to signify it was game for the second half of the championship.
Unfortunately for Fujisawa, a flash with her first rock in the sixth set up another draw for two for the Americans, giving them a commanding 6-3 lead through six ends.
Two more from the Japanese cut the deficit to one through seven, but Fujisawa was heavy with her last rock in the eighth, allowing the Peterson crew to hang on for the crown and the $12,000 champions’ share of the $44,000 purse.
The result also continued their strong curling in Calgary.
Just last spring, the Peterson team earned bronze in the ‘bubble’ worlds at WinSport.
“We’ve been here a lot,” said Peterson, whose team can gather with their coach here, Calgary’s Laine Peters. “It’s a beautiful city. We love it here. We’ll come again.”
It’s a busy time for the Americans, especially for 32-year-old Peterson. She’s playing in the U.S. mixed doubles Olympic trials with Olympic bronze medallist Joe Solo in two weeks time. The pair teamed up to become both 2020 U.S. champions and 2016 world bronze medallists.
Then comes the U.S. Olympic trials for Peterson and her rink — third Nina Roth, second Becca Hamilton and lead Tara Peterson — Nov. 13-21 in Omaha, Neb. Roth skipped the Americans in the 2018 Olympics.
“We’re a five-man unit (with fifth Aileen Geving staying at home this week), and we get along so well,” Peterson added. “We’ll take any chance we have to get to play some good games just for practice for the trials and for the Olympics. Just like here.”
EXTRA ENDS
The quarter-finals early Monday saw: Peterson edge Muirhead 7-6; Fujisawa stave off Fleury 5-4; Carey nudge past Winnipeg’s Jennifer Jones 6-5 in an extra end; and Sinclair top South Korea’s Unchi Gim 6-2. In semi-final action later Monday, it was: Peterson 6, Carey 2 in just three ends; and Fujisawa 6, Sinclair 3 thanks to a three-end sixth for the Japanese side … Edmonton’s Warren Cross took home the title from the Airdrie-hosted McKee Homes Fall Curling Classic after Monday’s 9-4 championship draw over Airdrie’s Colton Goller.
