Norway 7, Team USA 6
John Shuster plays every curling game with a go-big-or-go-home.
Unfortunately for him and Team USA, that mentality led to a 7-6 loss to Norway in Session 5 of men’s curling action at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
In the tenth end of Saturday’s contest, Team USA needed two to tie the score and three to win with just the hammer throw remaining. The U.S. was sitting for one point and were inches away from a second. Instead of playing the draw for two to go into extras, Shuster went for an incredibly difficult takeout that would have netted his team the outright win.
The shot was on line, but came in a bit too hard, forcing the U.S. to settle for just one and the 1-point loss.
The U.S. falls to 2-2 in round robin play with the loss, while Norway improves to 2-2.
With the score tied at 2-2, the U.S. looked in danger of allowing a steal of two for Norway in the fourth after the Norwegian team sat two behind a host of guard stones.
But Shuster was able to get around the guards and take out one Norwegian stone while sitting his own to instead score one and help the U.S. retake the lead, 3-2.
In the sixth, Norway sat two stones in the 4-foot, forcing Shuster to shoot for a draw for one. Shuster’s hammer throw was too heavy and went into the 8-foot, allowing both Norwegian stones to score and giving Norway a 6-3 lead with four ends to play.
Shuster saved the U.S. from falling further behind with a huge takeout in the seventh that scored two and cut Norway’s lead to one.
Norway scored one more the eighth to go up two, and the U.S. purposefully blanked the ninth to retain hammer in the tenth.
Norway will return at 8:05 p.m. ET Saturday to take on top ranked Sweden. The U.S. will play at the same time against Canada.
