World Financial Group

These are exciting times for the World Financial Group-sponsored curling team, the Ferbey 4.  Randy Ferbey, Scott Pfeifer, Marcel Rocque and David Nedohin played in the Grey Power Player’s Championship held in Grand Prairie, AB.  The “Kings of Canadian Curling” are hoping to throw their way to an automatic berth in the “Roar For The Rings”, which will determine who will represent Canada at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

Their first day of “round robin” action began on Wednesday, April 15.  Randy and the guys, who were placed in the “A Event”, faced fellow Edmonton resident Chris Schille early in the day.  The Ferbeys had the hammer and needed it all the way to the ninth end to win 6-5.  In fact, this match was so close no rocks were scored in the third end.

The WFG men in “the house” later faced the rink of Brad Gushue out of St. John’s, NL.  Once again, the Ferbey 4 had the hammer and took seven ends to throw a 6-3 victory.  Once again this match offered an end - the sixth - with no score.

Let’s cheer on the Ferbey 4 as they next look to take it to the Olympic “house”!

The NCAA basketball season has come to an end.  Associates and employees of World Financial Group, a proud sponsor of Pac-10 athletics, had a fantastic time watching these teams on the hardwood.  When the end came, two teams from the Pac-10 were left standing – Oregon State’s men’s basketball team played in the finals of the inaugural College Basketball Invitational and Stanford’s women’s basketball team made it to the “Final Four” of the Women’s NCAA tournament.

The Oregon State Beavers made it to the finals of the 2009 CBI.  Their opponent in the best-of-three championship series was the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Miners.  As recapped earlier, OSU won game one, while UTEP took game two.  A deciding game three was required.  And everyone knows that “deciding” games of any kind make for the best games around.

The Beavers were going to make sure that would happen.  Guard Rickey Claitt scored 28 points, including five baskets from beyond the 3 point arc.  His fellow guard Lathen Wallace scored 14 and center Roeland Schaftenaar had 12 points on their way to their 81-73 win.  This marks Oregon State’s first ever men’s basketball postseason title.  All of us WFG were excited about Oregon State’s win.

The Stanford Cardinals made it into the “Final Four” by a resounding victory over Iowa State.  However, their next opponent was top seed (and undefeated) Connecticut.  And, like the proverbial juggernaut, the Huskies could not be stopped.  Despite the efforts of Cardinal center Jayne Appel with 26 points, Stanford fell to Connecticut 83-64.  But there were two bright spots in addition to Jayne for the Cardinals - Forward Nnemkadi Ogwumike had Stanford’s only double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds and forward Kayla Pedersen scored 10 points.  

World Financial Group thanks the Pac-10 and its fine student athletes for an exciting season of college basketball.

March Madness is coming to an end.  As a proud sponsor of Pac-10 athletics, the employees and associates of World Financial Group have been cheering on all the Pac-10 teams in the various men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.  Of nine men’s teams that played in the post season, only one remains.  Among the women, one is in the Final Four and (as of this writing) another remains in the Elite Eight. 

Among the men’s teams, Arizona made it to the “Sweet Sixteen” portion of the NCAA tournament.  Being the lowest seed in the NCAA (12^th) to advance, their first opponent was top seed Louisville and, unfortunately, the Wildcats found it impossible to advance past the Cardinals.  Louisville dominated the hardwood in a 103-64 win.  Wildcat forward Chase Budinger led their scoring drive with 22 points.  Forward Jordan Hill had the Wildcats only double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.  Also scoring in double digits was guard Nic Wise with 14. 

In the inaugural College Basketball Invitational, the Oregon State Beavers won their first game in the best of three final against University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Monday night.  OSU center Roland Schaftenaar led the Beavers scoring drive with 19 points on their way to a 75-69 victory.  Three other OSU players scored in double digits: guard Lathen Wallace (18), forward Seth Tarver (17) and guard Rickey Claitt (13).   

Game two of the inaugural CBI saw a valiant but losing effort by the Beavers.  The UTEP Miners proved too powerful for OSU and handed them a 70-63 loss.  Leading scorers for OSU include Roland Schaftenaar (17) and Calvin Haynes (10).  The deciding game will air Friday on HDNet. 

The women’s NCAA tournament featured three teams from the WFG-sponsored Pac-10.  Stanford entered the “Sweet Sixteen” as the second seed in the Berkeley Regional.  And the Cardinals easily defeated Ohio State 84-66 in that game.  Senior center Jayne Appel had a double-double with 25 points and 11 rebounds.  Also joining Appel on the scoring parade were forward Jillian Harmon (16), forward Nnemkadi Ogwumike (15) and guard Rosalyn Gold-Onwude (10).  Guard Jeanette Pohlen contributed 10 rebounds in the win. 

The Cardinals moved on to the “Elite Eight” and faced Iowa State.  Once again, Jayne Appel dominated the hardwood with a 46 point(!) game, leading Stanford to a 74-53 win over the Cyclones.  Appel’s 46 points are a Stanford single game record and the third most points scored by a woman player in NCAA tournament history.  Jayne also led her team in rebounds with 16.  Also having a double digit day in rebounds was Jeanette Pohlen with 10.   

The Trenton Regional of the NCAA tourney featured two Pac-10 teams.  Arizona State first faced Texas A&M in the “Sweet Sixteen”.  The Sun Devils came into this game as the sixth seed facing the second seed Aggies.  But that didn’t matter as Arizona State played to an 84-69 win.  Leading the scoring for the red hot Sun Devils was guard Briann January with 22 points.  Her fellow guard Danielle Orsillo scored 15, while forward Lauren Lacey scored 14 off the bench.  

However, ASU’s “Elite Eight” opponent was top seed (and undefeated) Connecticut.   Connecticut first beat the California Golden Bears 77-53.  In the loss, Golden Bear forward Ashley Walker has 21 points.  Also scoring in double digits were guards Natasha Vital and Alexis Gray-Lawson with 10.  And Connecticut kept their undefeated momentum going.  The Huskies never trailed in their “Elite Eight” game on their way to an 83-64 win.  ASU guard Danielle Orsillo led all Sun Devil scoring with 18 points.  Fellow guard Briann January scored 12. 

So, among the WFG-sponsored Pac-10, only the Stanford team remains.  The Cardinals next game will be in the Final Four next Sunday (April 5) in St. Louis against Connecticut. 

The winner of that game will face the winner of Louisville/Oklahoma on April 7. In the Women’s NIT, Oregon State played New Mexico.  Senior guard Brittney Davis scored 19 points, but New Mexico won this game 61-56.  Also scoring in double digits was senior center Tiffany Ducker with 11. 

We at World Financial Group congratulate all our fine student athletes for a great season of basketball!

One week after the 2009 Canada Cup of Curling, the Ferbey 4 – a.k.a. “Kings of Canadian Curling” - traveled to Victoria, BC, for the Bear Mountain Canadian Classic.  The Ferbey team, the World Financial Group-sponsored curling team, hoped to build on their second place finish at the Canada Cup as they continue to seek the chance to represent Canada in the 2010 Winter Olympics. 

Their first draw was against the Korean national team on Thurs., March 26.  Only six ends were needed for Randy, David, Marcel and Scott to beat the Korean team 10-2.  The Ferbeys scored two rocks in three consecutive ends, and three rocks in their last end.  Later that day, Randy and the guys faced Steve Petryk out of Edmonton.  And again, the Ferbeys won 10-2 in six ends.  WFG’s finest in “the house” had three three-rock ends. 

The Ferbey 4 next played on Fri., March 27 after a morning bye.  Their first opponent of the day was against the rink of Chris Schille, also of Edmonton.  Randy and his team put in a valiant effort, but Schille’s team pulled out a 7-6 victory in eight ends. 

However, the tide turned for the team in their last draw in the round robin, when they took on Mike McEwen’s rink out of Winnipeg.  The game was close until the ninth end, when Randy, David, Marcel and Scott eked out a 7-6 win. 

With no ties to break, Randy and the guys headed into the quarter finals against the national team from Great Britain.  However, the rink from Lockerbie led by David Murdoch proved too powerful for our guys and the Ferbey 4 went down 9-2 in six ends. 

But there’s no need to fear.  The World Financial Group-sponsored Ferbey 4 will play next in the Players Championship in Grand Prairie, AB April 14-19.  Let’s wish our curling team all the best in this match, which you can read about here when it happens!