2022 U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS UNDERWAY
Photo: Bob Weder Photography
In exciting opening day fashion, fans packed the stands of Omaha’s Baxter Arena for the opening ceremony of the 2022 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Curling.
On Friday, Nov. 12th, six men’s and six women’s teams marched to center ice to officially open the competition that will determine Team USA’s representatives at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.
Following warm welcomes from USA Curling CEO Jeff Plush, City of Omaha Councilman Pete Festersen, and United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee Associate Director of Marketing Programs & Business Tammie Liddie, the men’s field took the ice for the opening draw of Trials.
In their Olympic Trials debut and the web stream feature game, Team Brundidge faced defending Olympic Champion Team Shuster, who picked up right where they left off.
"Getting back to this building, the first time I walked back in and looked up, I had definite memories of how the last one ended with my kids running down the sheet and jumping into my arms. It's good to be back here,” said John Shuster. “Honestly, our team has had great experiences every time we've been in this town, both the World Cup and everything that's ever been here, so we're happy to be back."
After Team Shuster opened the game with three points in the first end, Team Brundidge was unable to capitalize on an opportunity to generate a multiple score in the second end.
"If Jed makes his first one there in the second, we might be looking at a deficit and then it's a completely different game,” added Shuster. “Luckily we made my last one and controlled the house the rest of the game without giving them anything easy."
Team Shuster proceeded to steal five consecutive ends, leading 9-0, before Team Brundidge conceded after the sixth end.
On sheet B, Teams Dunnam and Dropkin kept the scoreboard even after three ends, before a jammed runback attempt on Dropkin’s last resulted in a steal of three and a three-point advantage for Team Dunnam.
Team Dropkin was quick to climb back from the mishap, scoring two with hammer in the fifth, followed by a steal of one in the sixth.
After forcing Team Dunnam to a single in the seventh end, Team Dropkin faced a soft-weight in-off takeout to potentially score two, but hitting their target just a hair too thing, Team Dunnam took the point and went ahead by two in the eighth frame.
Team Dunnam sat counting three when Team Dropkin delivered their final stone of the ninth end. Needing to make a runback on their own to score a single point, Team Dropkin didn’t hit a big enough piece of the stone they were running back, resulting in a steal of two and a 9-5 victory for Team Dunnam.
On sheet A, Teams Persinger and Ruohonen exchanged well-executed play to keep the game tied through the first five ends. In the sixth end, it was Team Persinger that took the first substantial lead of the game by scoring three, but Team Ruohonen was quick to return the favor and tied the game at 7-7 in the seventh end.
In the eighth, Team Ruohonen made a hit and roll to sit frozen aside Team Persinger’s counter on the button, but it was Team Persinger who held the hammer and made a perfect tap on Ruohonen’s stone to secure a deuce and a 9-7 lead.
Team Ruohonen elected to blank the ninth end to keep hammer in the final frame but was unable to remove Team Persinger’s two counters in the four-foot to make use of their own stones that sat in the eight-foot, resulting in an 11-7 victory for Team Persinger.
"Feels great. It's a new team for the most part,” said Greg Persinger after clinching a win in the opening draw. “Nice to start out the week with a win."
Despite being former teammates of the majority of Team Ruohonen, the “Spirit of Curling” holds true even at the highest levels.
“It's always nice playing against my old team,” added Persinger. “Win or lose, it's always nice being out on the ice with those guys.”
USA Curling is sponsored by Columbia Sportswear, Toyota, Twin Cities Orthopedics, Training HAUS, Brakebush, ISS (Ice, Sports & Solar), and Sitrin, and is partnered with IHG, Rock Solid Productions Inc., Laurie Artiss Ltd. – The Pin People, and United Airlines.
