WALKER/STOPERA ADVANCE TO 2022 U.S. MIXED DOUBLES NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
On Saturday evening at Bob Suter’s Capitol Ice Arena in Middleton, Wisconsin, Teams Sinclair/Ruohonen and Walker/Stopera faced off in the National Championship semifinal.
It was Team Walker/Stopera that started the game with hammer, but Sinclair/Ruohonen was the first team on the board, stealing two points in the first end.
Walker/Stopera was quick to respond, answering with two points in the second end to even the game.
In the third end, Walker/Stopera scored an additional four points after surrounding the button before Sinclair/Ruohonen’s final stone.
Sinclair/Ruohonen utilized the powerplay to try to narrow the deficit but was only able to score a single point to trail 6-3.
In the fifth end, Sinclair/Ruohonen was forced to draw under a center guard as Walker/Stopera sat counting two. Sinclair/Ruohonen placed its final rock next to Walker/Stopera’s counter, fully under the guard, resulting in a stolen point and a 6-4 score.
Team Walker/Stopera elected to use its power play in the sixth end and scored two by executing a hack weight takeout on the last stone of the end to gain an 8-4 lead.
In the seventh end, Sinclair/Ruohonen played a runback on its own stone to score three and narrow the score to 8-7.
Sinclair/Ruohonen sat shot and corner frozen on top of Walker/Stopera’s stone at the back of the four foot, under a stone at the top of the 12-foot that served as a guard.
Walker/Stopera attempted a draw on the last stone of the eighth end to secure the victory, but just grazed Sinclair/Ruohonen’s guard and sent the game into extra ends.
In the extra end, Walker/Stopera peeled out Sinclair/Ruohonen’s counter, securing a 9-8 victory and a berth to the Championship final.
Team Walker/Stopera will face Hamilton/Hamilton in the 2022 U.S. Mixed Doubles National Championship final on Sunday at 11am.
FINAL 2 TEAMS:
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