Team Brown garners #2 seed with second straight win over Lank

(KALAMAZOO, Mich.) - For the second time in as many days, Erika Brown's team came out on top against the Patti Lank rink at the 2010 USA Curling National Championships at Wings Stadium. Today's 9-6 victory gave Brown and her teammates the #2 seed in the playoffs, securing at least two shots at getting to the final and no worse than a bronze medal finish.

Brown (Oakville, Ontario), Nina Spatola (McFarland, Wis.), Ann Swisshelm (Chicago) and Laura Hallisey (Medfield, Mass.) will meet the Amy Wright rink of Duluth, Minn., in the playoffs at 8 a.m. Friday. The winner will advance directly to Saturday's 10 a.m. championship game, while the loser will play in a semifinal at 4 p.m. Friday against the winner of the 8 a.m. game between Lank and the Becca Hamilton foursome from McFarland, Wis.

The ultimate prize at stake here is the privilege of playing for USA in the Ford World Curling Championship March 21-28 in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada.

"We're really happy to be in this position," said Brown, a five-time national champion and two-time Olympian. "We had a little bit of a rocky start, but we're getting better and better each game."

After Lank drew to an open house for two in the first end, Brown made a hit for two in the second. Brown's team raised the pressure in the third, and Lank had to draw for one against four opposing counters. Lank made a clutch draw to the button with her last shot in the fourth, and when Brown's attempt to chip it out slid harmlessly by, the score was 4-2 for Team Lank.

A missed takeout by Aileen Sormunen (Duluth, Minn.) in the fifth allowed Brown's team to set up a deuce and tie the game, 4-4. The sixth featured rocks clustered all around the house, and Lank wound up taking one, throwing the hammer into the boards rather than risking bumping the opposition in for a score.

The turning point came in the seventh end, set up by a great double takeout by Nina Spatola (McFarland, Wis.). A series of attempted freezes by Lank's team never quite solidified, and Brown wound up with an open hit for five to give her side a 9-5 lead.

"Nina made a huge double that really got them in trouble," said Brown. "Patti made a great shot to try to freeze, but luckily there was a little room between the rocks so I could knock it out."

Brown's team was efficient at keeping the ice clear of trouble thereafter, holding Lank to one in the ninth end and then running her team out of rocks in the 10th.

USA Curling is sponsored by AIT Worldwide Logistics, Nike, bitRail, Laphroaig Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky and is partnered with CurlingZone and Hilton Garden Inn Washington DC.

Tags: 2010 USA Curling National Championships, Erika Brown, Patti Lank