Five-time Olympian John Shuster will need to win two in a row – for the third time in 12 years – to keep his Olympic curling hopes alive
John Shuster, the man who has represented the United States at the past five Olympic Winter Games – the last four as skip – is on the ropes again.
Shuster’s Duluth, MN squad lost 7-6 on Friday night in Sioux Falls, SD in the first game of a best-of-three series to declare America’s men’s fours rep for the Olympic Qualifying Event next month in Kelowna, B.C.
Daniel Casper’s Chaska, MN team were the victors, and are now just one win away from a chance at the Olympic Winter Games, and the dawn of a new era in U.S. men’s Olympic Team Trials competition.
Daniel Casper (left) • Michael Woolheater-USA CurlingMeanwhile, Tabitha Peterson’s Chaska foursome are going for their third straight Trials women’s title, and they got off to a great start in their best-of-three final series with a 7-4 victory over Elizabeth Cousins (Nashua, NH).
Following Saturday morning’s Paralympic Mixed Doubles playoff between the Dwyer/Emt and Ricker Samsa pairs (Dwyer/Emt lead 1-0), women’s playoff Game 2 gets underway at 2:00 p.m. CT on NBC’s Peacock and USA Network.
Team Shuster started with hammer and scored two in the first end, but Team Casper replied with their own deuce in the third.
After a Shuster single in the sixth end, Casper exploded for a huge four-ender to take a 6-3 lead.
Casper third Luc Violette acknowledged a burned stone while he was brushing in the house, but Shuster displayed sportsmanship and allowed play to stand.
Shuster scored his second pair in the next end and scored a key steal in ninth to apply pressure, but Casper made a simple hit for a single winning point coming home for a 7-6 final scoreline.
Shuster now needs to defeat Casper twice, starting with playoff Game 2 on Saturday afternoon at 6:00 p.m. CT.
Shuster has faced these odds before – multiple times – and ended up winning.
His squad faced a similar battle four years ago at the Team Trials in Omaha, NE. Korey Dropkin’s clubmates won the first playoff 8-4 and led the second game 2-1, but “Shoostie” and Co. roared back to win 7-3 and then took the rubber match 5-4.
Eight years ago, also in Omaha, Shuster was down 4-1 in the second playoff match against Heath McCormick – with current Shuster third Chris Plys playing for McCormick – but, sure enough, came back to win by 5-3 and 9-4 counts.
Shuster’s uninterrupted run at the Olympic Winter Games has nearly reached 20 years. In 2006, he threw lead and called the game for skip Pete Fenson – that team won Olympic bronze at Pinerolo, Italy.