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USA clinches semifinal spot |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 17, 2010
USA clinches semifinal berth at 2010 Paralympic Winter Games
(VANCOUVER, British Columbia) - Four years ago in Torino when wheelchair curling debuted as a medal sport at the Paralympic Winter Games, the Americans were outplayed and finished 2-5. Lessons have been learned and hours and hours of practice have been put in by Team USA, led by Augusto Perez. Four years later, the Americans have clinched a semifinal berth with one game left in the round robin.
"It feels really, really nice. After Torino, people said we were a bad team. I told Jimmy Jam [Jim Joseph] that we had room for improvement. I'm an optimist," said Perez, who also is a two-time canoe world champion.
The U.S. earned the semifinal berth after an 8-3 win over Yoji Nakajima's Japanese team tonight at the Vancouver Olympic Centre. With the win, Perez (East Syracuse, N.Y.) and teammates Patrick McDonald (Orangevale, Calif.), James Pierce (North Syracuse, N.Y.), Jacqui Kapinowski (Point Pleasant, N.J.) and James Joseph (New Hartford, N.Y.) improve to 6-2, just a game back from first-place Canada.
"We worked so hard and it's all paid off. Wow. There are so many emotions running through me right now," said Kapinowski as tears streamed down her cheeks. Kapinowski, who suffers from stiff man syndrome and has been confined to a wheelchair since age 40, has completed 52 marathons and has crossed the finish line a few different ways - running, with a walker and in a push-rim wheelchair. "I have such a great sense of the gold right now. I can hear our national anthem."
All it takes is a few misses in curling and before you know it, a big end is a possibility. The U.S. was on the receiving end of a six-ender early in the game and held off Japan to earn the sixth win. Perez had a chance to draw for seven points, which would have been a Paralympic record, but came up just short of the rings.
"The score is deceiving. We hit 'em with a big end. I was about two millimeters out and got stuck in a slow spot. They told me I couldn't sweep," Perez said and laughed. "That end was a savior for us. I feel bad for Japan because they play much better than that."
Japan, which features 75-year-old Hidai Takashi at the second position, tried in earnest to get back in the game after spotting six to the U.S.
As expected with such a big deficit, a lot of rocks were in play in the third end with Japan finally getting a rock in scoring position with Katsuo Ichikawa's final rock but three U.S. stones were encircled around the four-foot to deter them from scoring any more.
A perfect hit and roll by Pierce in the fourth looked to set up a good end but it quickly went downhill after that as the Americans routinely missed a takeout of a Japan rock on the side of the house but their counterparts didn't play much better and the end was blanked.
The shaky play continued for the Americans as they'd give up a single in the fifth end when Perez missed a raise to allow Japan to sneak back into the game at 6-3. The sixth end shaped up nicely for the U.S. as they were able to protect two stones until Nakajima made a raise to touch part of the four foot for second count. Perez tried an angle raise to remove it but couldn't move enough of it back to earn two.
The Americans got a stone protected in the four-foot early in the seventh end and added two more when McDonald converted a takeout that sent one Japan stone out of the rings and tapped another back enough to benefit the U.S. Nakajima was able to raise one rock into the second position with his first toss, but couldn't remove the second one to give up the steal. The U.S. would use the takeouts to shut down Japan in the eighth and clinch the playoff spot.
Up next for the U.S. is Switzerland (2-5) at 12:30 PT tomorrow in the final game of the round robin. The top four teams at the conclusion of the round robin advance to the semifinals at 10 a.m. Saturday. The gold-medal and bronze-medal games are set for 3:30 p.m. Saturday (local time).
"It's a clean slate now," Kapinowski said about the playoffs. "We'll just get lots of rest and be ready."
The official site of the U.S. Paralympic Team, www.usparalympics.org, will also offer daily video and news highlights of the competition from Vancouver. Also check out www.paralympicsport.tv for on- demand feeds.
USA line score:
*USA 060 001 1x 8
Japan 101 010 0x 3
*last stone in first end
Game scores: Canada 6, Korea 4; USA 8, Japan 3; Italy 9, Norway 7
Standings:
*Canada 7-1
*USA 6-2
Korea 5-3
Sweden 4-3
Germany 3-4
Italy 3-4
Norway 3-5
Japan 2-5
Great Britain 2-5
Switzerland 2-5
*clinched semifinal berth
Live scoring from the event will be http://www.vancouver2010.com/paralympic-games/wheelchair-curling/schedule-and-results.
USA Curling is sponsored by AIT Worldwide Logistics, Nike, bitRail, Laphroaig Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky and is partnered with CurlingZone.
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For more information: Terry Kolesar, USA Curling,
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
, 608-338-9900 (cell), 715-344-1199, Ext. 202 (office)
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USA inches closer to semifinals |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 17, 2010
USA downs Norway to improve to 5-2 at 2010 Paralympic Winter Games
(VANCOUVER, British Columbia) - The luck o' the Irish was on Team USA's side as the green rings encircling the curling house at the Vancouver Olympic Centre brought good fortune for the Americans on St. Patrick's Day.
Augusto Perez and Team USA held off a late rally by Norway's Rune Lorensten rink to secure a 9-8 win and improve to 5-2. Canada clinched the first semifinal berth after picking up a sixth win. Korea is tied with the U.S. for second place after earning a 9-3 win against Switzerland. Sweden won its fourth straight match to move up to fourth place with just two games remaining in the round robin.
"Today we played an excellent game," Perez said. "We all made a couple of mistakes and had some amazing shots. We're going to have errors, but today I didn't make the strategy mistake like I did last night. That one was all on me."
With the win, Perez (East Syracuse, N.Y.) and teammates Patrick McDonald (Orangevale, Calif.), James Pierce (North Syracuse, N.Y.), Jacqui Kapinowski (Point Pleasant, N.J.) and James Joseph (New Hartford, N.Y.) clinched at the very least a tiebreaker game.
"Six and two will feel better. It's a step forward because Norway is as good as Sweden," Perez said in reference to the opponent they lost to last night.
The fifth win for the Americans was once again with drama in the final end as Norway had a chance to score three points to force an extra end but couldn't capitalize.
"Just one more good game and we will definitely be in the final four. When we get a win tonight the pressure to perform will be less," Pierce said.
After a 2-5 finish in 2006 at the Paralympics, the Americans are going for the first medal at this event for the U.S.
"The more wins you get, the less pressure there is," Perez said. "As the week goes along you get wings and get closer. Once you get a few wins you're going forward."
Today's game with Norway started off a bit better than past games as the U.S. got the deuce set up in the opening end when Perez used his first stone to freeze to a Norwegian rock in the back of the house. When Lorentsen missed the takeout, Perez drew just deep enough into the eight-foot for two.
In the second, the teams essentially exchanged hits on rocks in the rings until Lorentsten missed with his first stone. The Americans weren't able to get the guard across the hogline to protect it, giving Norway an opportunity to bail out on the end but Lorensten missed the takeout again and the U.S. stole a point.
The Americans had control of the third end until Pierce jammed the Norway stone he was removing in the top of the house into the American stone on the button thus leaving two Norway rocks and none for the U.S. A few more misses and Norway was drawing for three points to tie the game.
Opportunity came knocking for the Americans in the fourth end as Perez was able to draw in for three points to re-claim the lead, 6-3. Perez made a soft takeout through a port with his first stone of the fifth end to put the rock in place for a steal of two and extend the lead.
Norway took control of the sixth end halfway through and had three stones around the four-foot before the American skip threw his final rock. Perez tried to draw down to his stone in the back of the four-foot but had a bit too much weight on it giving Lorensten a chance at a tap-back for four but his stone over-curled and after a measure, Norway earned three.
Up two points playing the seventh end, the Americans wanted to keep things simple but ended up with a lot of granite just outside the top of the rings. The U.S. had a biter on the far side of the house so Perez tried to draw in for two points but wasn't able to convert, stopping well short of the house.
The ever-steady Kapinowski placed two stones in the house in the eighth end with one in the back four-foot and the other in the top 12 to guard it. But Norway quickly grabbed control and had two stones in the four-foot. Pierce missed the takeout allowing Norway to pile in one more stone. A few more misses by the American back-end players and things were not looking good. Perez made a takeout to earn third position with Lorensten following with a draw that came up just inches short of out-counting Perez's stone, giving the Americans the win.
"I definitely played better today," Pierce said. "I had a little trouble there in the last end but I was just too pumped up."
The top four teams at the conclusion of the round robin advance to the semifinals at 10 a.m. Saturday. The gold-medal and bronze-medal games are set for 3:30 p.m. Saturday (local time).
The official site of the U.S. Paralympic Team, www.usparalympics.org, will also offer daily video and news highlights of the competition from Vancouver. Also check out www.paralympicsport.tv for on- demand feeds.
USA line score:
Norway 003 003 02 8
*USA 210 320 10 9
*last stone in first end
Game scores: Korea 9, Switzerland 3; USA 9, Norway 8; Canada 8, Germany 6; Sweden 7, Great Britain 6 (extra end)
Standings:
*Canada 6-1
USA 5-2
Korea 5-2
Sweden 4-3
Germany 3-4
Norway 3-4
Italy 2-4
Japan 2-4
Switzerland 2-5
Great Britain 2-5
*clinched semifinal berth
Live scoring from the event will be http://www.vancouver2010.com/paralympic-games/wheelchair-curling/schedule-and-results.
USA Curling is sponsored by AIT Worldwide Logistics, Nike, bitRail, Laphroaig Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky and is partnered with CurlingZone.
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For more information: Terry Kolesar, USA Curling,
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
, 608-338-9900 (cell), 715-344-1199, Ext. 202 (office)
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Sweden halts USA win streak |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 16, 2010
Sweden halts USA's win streak at 2010 Paralympic Winter Games
(VANCOUVER, British Columbia) - Sweden put the brakes on USA's win streak at the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, as a strategy mistake by USA skip Augusto Perez gave way to a 6-4 loss tonight at the Vancouver Olympic Centre.
Sweden's Jalle Jungnell rink, with Glenn Ikonen throwing last rocks the past three games, handed the Americans their second loss of the nine-game round robin. USA will be back in action Wednesday with games against Norway (3-3) and Japan (2-4).
With the loss, Perez (East Syracuse, N.Y.) and teammates Patrick McDonald (Orangevale, Calif.), James Pierce (North Syracuse, N.Y.) and Jacqui Kapinowski (Point Pleasant, N.J.) drop to 4-2 in the standings - one game back from front-runner Canada (5-1).
"We played a really good game. I think it could have gone either way. They [Sweden] were making all their shots," said McDonald, a U.S. Army veteran who lost his legs while on U.S. military patrol in Korea in 1991.
Down two points with the last rock advantage, the U.S. still had a chance to tie the game with four rocks remaining in the game. The U.S. had one rock in the back of the house that was in first position but missed a takeout of a stone on the far side of the house that allowed Sweden to remove the other stone and earn the win.
"It was a strategy mistake. The right call was the draw. I know that now and hopefully won't make that mistake again," Perez said. Despite the error, the win wasn't guaranteed at that point.
"Sweden didn't miss a shot, but we had our chance still there at the end," Perez said. "If you can't play the game to the last rock, we shouldn't be here."
The U.S. started the game much like so many others here this week - a bit on the shaky side.
Tonight they gave up the opening-end steal when Perez came up short drawing into the house, spotting the Swedes two points.
The U.S. got an opening in the second end when Jungnell missed his last two shots, allowing Perez to draw in for two points and tie the game. In the third end, the last-rock throwers both had perfect first stones but followed up with not-so-perfect second stones, resulting in just a single for the Swedes.
The U.S. was in trouble in the fourth as the Swedes continued to have near-perfect draw weight. Misses by the U.S. - Pierce on the peel attempt and McDonald with the takeout - allowed Sweden to pile granite in the four-foot. With his final stone of the end, Perez converted a side-angle raise for one to tie the game once again.
McDonald drew around the center guard with his second toss of the fifth end to give U.S. the rock that would help the Americans pester the Swedes with for the rest of the end. Ikonen was able to convert a soft tap-back of his stone in the top of the house for a single.
"I'm happy with the way I played. It was so much better," McDonald said and noted that they added pressure to his tires because when he delivered the wheels were coming off the ice. They practiced this morning at a local curling club and the results paid off as he shot 64 percent compared to his 53 percent average coming into today.
Jungnell used his final rock of the sixth to draw behind the center guard to the four-foot to grab shot rock. McDonald followed him down and got enough of it to push it to the back of the eight-foot and switch spots with Sweden. Ikonen would wreck on the guard twice, but the Americans weren't able to turn it into two points.
Kapinowski, like she's done so many times this week, got a stone positioned behind the center guard in the seventh end but it didn't stay in play for long as the U.S. wasn't able to grab control of the end. Perez got past the guard but just slid to the back of the house as he tried to freeze to a Swedish rock. Ikonen had no problem with the come-around draw to put a second stone in scoring position. Perez's final stone didn't curl enough but they'd escape by only giving up two points to Sweden.
The steady Kapinowski faltered in the eighth, failing to get her first stone over the hogline and allowing her second to slip into the house. Pierce drew down to the back of the house but then couldn't get his second stone to stick around. Sweden kept the Americans in the game with misses. Back and forth takeouts but all it took was one miss from Perez and the deuce opportunity to go to an extra end dissipated.
The top four teams at the conclusion of the round robin advance to the semifinals at 10 a.m. Saturday. The gold-medal and bronze-medal games are set for 3:30 p.m. Saturday (local time).
The official site of the U.S. Paralympic Team, www.usparalympics.org, will also offer daily video and news highlights of the competition from Vancouver. Also check out www.paralympicsport.tv for on- demand feeds.
USA line score:
*USA 020 101 0x 4
Sweden 201 010 2x 6
*last stone in first end
Game scores: Great Britain 9, Germany 2; Korea 9, Italy 3; Sweden 6, USA 4; Japan 6, Switzerland 5 (extra end)
Standings:
Canada 5-1
USA 4-2
Korea 4-2
Germany 3-3
Norway 3-3
Italy 2-4
Switzerland 2-4
Sweden 3-3
Japan 2-4
Great Britain 2-4
Live scoring from the event will be http://www.vancouver2010.com/paralympic-games/wheelchair-curling/schedule-and-results.
USA Curling is sponsored by AIT Worldwide Logistics, Nike, bitRail, Laphroaig Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky and is partnered with CurlingZone.
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For more information: Terry Kolesar, USA Curling,
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
, 608-338-9900 (cell), 715-344-1199, Ext. 202 (office)
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USA finishes 5th at the 2010 Women's Worlds |
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Order of Merit: USA National Championships
