 Chaska's Daniel Casper (Photo: Michael Woolheater/USA Curling) defeated Dultuh's John Shuster 7-5 in the final of the USA Olympic Curling Trials in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. By Connor Simms, #8 World-Ranked Daniel Casper, with Luc Violette at third, Ben Richardson and Aidan Oldenburg on the front end, are on a roll this season. They have played in seven events so far this season, grabbing wins at the AMJ Masters Tier 2 event and the Henderson Metal Fall Classic presented by Kioti Tractors of Ontario. Climbing to a team high #8 in the world, earning themselves a spot in the next couple of slams. Casper came into the Trials as a bit of an underdog in this field of four teams, as they would have to take down 2018 Olympic Gold medalists John Shuster and 2025 USA National Champion Korey Dropkin. In the four-team double round robin, Casper went 4-2. In their opening game, Casper defeated Korey Dropkin (Duluth, MN) 9-7, then went on to lose 10-2 against John Shuster (Duluth, MN). Casper responded with a 14-6 win over Caden Hebert (Eau Claire, WI). Casper went on to lose 6-5 against Shuster. Casper responded with a 10-6 win over Dropkin. Casper won 7-5 against Hebert in their final qualifying round match. This set up a match with John Shuster in the best-of-three final, who went 6-0 through the double round robin. This meant Shuster started with the hammer in all three games. In the first game of the final, Casper defeated Shuster 7-6. Then in game 2, Shuster responded with a 7-6 win, setting up a win-or-go-home final. In the first end, Casper opened the scoring with a steal of one after Shuster attempted an inoff double for a possible two points. Shuster immediately responded with a deuce, making a light-weight takeout for two points. After a blank in the third end, Casper got their first deuce, making a hit and stick. In the fifth end, Shuster almost came up heavy on a draw for one but had just enough of the backing, getting their single point. Casper took the first two-point lead of the game, making the hit and stick to avoid the jam for their deuce in the sixth end. After a perfect double on Casper's last, Shuster was forced to their single point in the seventh end. Casper remained in control with two in the eighth, making the pick for two to take the 7-4 lead into nine. Shuster tried a hero shot for a possible four points in the ninth, but was only able to get one. Ultimately, Casper ran Shuster out of stones to take the 7-5 victory. Although they won the Olympic Trials, they will still have work to do in Kelowna, British Columbia, in a few weeks. They will have to play in the Olympic qualification event for two more spots at the Milano Cortina Olympic Games. The field will have China, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, Poland, South Korea and the United States. This is the first time any member of Casper will represent the USA at a Men's event in the core four positions. (A few members have represented as a fifth in the past.) |
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Manitoba's Kate Cameron (Photo: Curling Canada) announced on Monday that the team will look different for the new Olympic quadrennial.
