Vegas Baby: Team NA looking to take Continental Cup in Sin City

The Continental Cup of Curling returns to Las Vegas this year as Team North America is set to battle Team World from Jan 14-17 with bragging rights and curling supremacy on the line in the Ryder Cup style event. 

Last year, Canada, with no American rinks on the team, routed Team World in Calgary by a score of 42-18. The Continental Cup is back in Vegas this time around after making its curling debut in the Nevada city in 2014.  

Canadian squads led by Ottawa's Rachel Homan, Winnipeg's Jennifer Jones, Calgary's Pat Simmons and Calgary's Kevin Koe welcome American rinks Team Erika Brown and Team John Shuster to the fold this year. They'll match up against the likes of Alina Patz of Switzerland, Eve Muirhead of Scotland and Niklas Edin of Sweden, among others.   

North America have won three straight Continental Cups. 

The two sides will compete in a series of team competitions, mixed doubles and skins games with a total of 60 points up for grabs. Reaching 30.5 points clinches the championship. 

Check out all the rules and scoring for each of the disciplines HERE. 

 

Team North America

 

Team Kevin Koe (Calgary, AB)

Events Won: 4
WCT Winnings: $99,500 (2nd)
CTRS Points: 452.488 (2nd) 

Notable: Team Koe beat Team Mike McEwen in the final of the Canada Cup and also took the inaugural Tour Challenge on the Grand Slam circuit this season. Second Brent Laing played with his wife Jennifer Jones at the Wall Grain Mixed Doubles Classic in November (finished with a 2-2 record) and the pair will likely work together again at the Continental Cup. Third Marc Kennedy and Jones's vice Kaitlyn Lawes could also be teammates for the mixed doubles competition. They finished with a strong 4-1 record at the same event, but lost to Mike and Dawn McEwen in the quarters.

 

Team Pat Simmons (Calgary, AB)

Events Won: 1
WCT Winnings: $28,912 (14th)
CTRS Points: 113.370 (15th)

Notable: The two-time defending Brier champions have played another limited schedule in 2015-16. Simmons and his crew won the Prestige Hotels & Resorts Curling Classic in Vernon, BC and made the final of the Karuizawa International. Third John Morris and Rachel Homan could be a mixed doubles pair as they teamed up at the Wall Grain Classic, finishing with a 1-3 record.   

 

Team Rachel Homan (Ottawa, ON)

Events Won: 7
WCT Winnings: $157,254 (1st)
CTRS Points: 583.708 (1st)

Notable: Team Homan have won three Grand Slams and the Canada Cup this season, securing substantial leads on the WCT money list and CTRS rankings. This is the third year in a row Homan's rink will play in the Continental Cup. Aside from Homan and Morris, vice Emma Miskew, second Joanne Courtney and lead Lisa Weagle have all played mixed doubles in the past, but their partners (Ryan Fry, Reid Carruthers and John Epping respectively) won't be in Vegas. They will have to play with different curlers in Vegas.

 

Team Jennifer Jones (Winnipeg, MB)

Events Won: 2
WCT Winnings: $70,438 (2nd)
CTRS Points: 359.989 (2nd)

Notable: The defending Olympic and Scotties champions have won two events in 2015-16 including the Pinty's All Star Curling Skins Game in Banff, AB where they took home $54,000 in cold hard cash. Lead Dawn McEwen won the Wall Grain Mixed Doubles Classic with husband Mike back in November. This is the fourth straight Continental Cup for Jones.

 

Team John Shuster (Duluth, Minnesota)

Events Won: 3
WCT Winnings: $32,261 (12th) 
CTRS Points: N/A

Notable: Team Shuster has had a very solid year taking the Huron ReproGraphics Oil Heritage Classic, Coors Light Cash Spiel and the Curl Mesabi Classic. The three-time Olympian will play in his third Continental Cup in Vegas.

 

Team Erika Brown (Madison, Wisconsin)

Events Won: 0
WCT Winnings: $17,550 (22nd)
CTRS Points: N/A

Notable: The 42-year-old Brown has played in three Olympic Games and will play in her fifth Continental Cup.

 

Team World

 

Team Niklas Edin (Sweden)

Events Won: 1
WCT Winnings: $50,239 (8th)

Notable: Niklas Edin has become a regular at the Continental Cup as he will make his eighth straight (sixth as a skip) appearance at the event. The 30-year-old will lead the same squad that won the world championships last year in Halifax. Team Edin won the second tournament of this season at the Baden Masters in late August and haven't finished first since.

 

Team Thomas Ulsrud (Norway)

Events Won: 0
WCT Winnings: $15,837 (26th)

Notable: Just like Edin, the 44-year-old Thomas Ulsrud is no stranger to this event as he will make his seventh appearance. Ulsrud has yet to win an event this season and lost to Edin at last year's world championship. The skip known for his flashy pants did win a world championship in 2014 and grabbed silver at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver.

 

Team Eve Muirhead (Scotland)

Events Won: 0
WCT Winnings: $31,704 (12th)

Notable: The young Stirling, Scotland rink led by Eve Muirhead was probably hoping for a better 2015-16. Muirhead's best finish came at the Stockholm Ladies Cup where she lost to Homan in the final. Despite no wins this season, Team Muirhead are one of the best women's rinks in the game and will be counted on to lead the charge for Team World. The 25-year-old will play in her fifth straight Continental Cup in Las Vegas.

 

Team Alina Pätz (Switzerland)

Events Won: 0
WCT Winnings: $27,127 (15th)

Notable: Alina Patz surprised some last season by winning the world championship in Japan, beating Winnipeg's Jones in the final. The Swiss foursome has made two finals this year, losing to Homan at the Stu Sells Oakville Tankard and Edmonton's Kelsey Rocque at the Red Deer Classic. This will be the 25-year-old's first Continental Cup.

 

Team Ayumi Ogasawara (Japan)

Events Won: 1
WCT Winnings: $21,719 (17th)

Notable: Team Ayumi Ogasawara is having a solid season with the highlight coming from their win at the Karuizawa International in their home country of Japan. The 37-year-old Ogasawara is a three-time Olympian and will be making her Continental Cup debut in Vegas.

 

Team Zang Jialiang (China)

Events Won: 0
WCT Winnings: $0

Notable: Zang Jialiang has played in seven world championships and two Olympic Games in his career. This will be his second Continental Cup.