2050 Tilden Avenue, New Hartford, NY 13413 | Phone 315 797-3114 | Toll-Free 1 888 578-8807
2050 Tilden Avenue, New Hartford, NY 13413 | Phone 315 797-3114 | Toll-Free 1 888 578-8807
(VANCOUVER, British Columbia) - Team USA made some valuable adjustments to their broom placement and shooting, and it paid off in a big way as the Americans earned their third curling win this afternoon at the Paralympic Winter Games.
One day removed from out-scoring their opponents 22-5, Andrea Tabanelli's Italian rink was on the opposite side of the spectrum today as Augusto Perez and Team USA started fast and finished strong in defeating Italy, 8-2.
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 3-1 in the round robin standings behind Canada (4-0).
"That was one of our best games of the week. We've had a couple bumps in the road at the start of games, but today was better," Joseph said. "We've proven over the years that we can battle back. The other teams know that about us and that we are a team to be reckoned with."
Unlike the three previous games, USA got off to a great start in the opening end with Perez making a takeout past the center guard to the four-foot for two points. They'd been struggling with shots like that in the prior three games.
"We've been working on the ice. It's really weird in spots. Goose and I have been practicing every night," McDonald said. "With the things we learned during those sessions and adjustments we made, it was like night and day for me. I feel really comfortable and back in the groove. This is the first time I've been playing vice for Goose and I feel like we're clicking right away." The improved play by McDonald was evident as he shot 69 percent today compared to his average of 53 coming into this afternoon's match-up with Italy.
After holding Italy to a single in the second end, the Americans got plenty of rocks in play in the third end, leading towards another deuce when Perez made a takeout of an Italian rock in the back of the house. They were hoping for three points but Perez's stone curled a bit too much at the end and rolled out of the house after making contact.
The U.S. would extend its lead to 6-1 when Tabanelli missed his takeout attempt in the fourth end, leaving only U.S. rocks in play. A rare blank end, in wheelchair curling that is, occurred in the fifth when Tabanelli's deuce attempt was thwarted by Perez. After stealing a single in the sixth, the Americans continued to pressure the Italians with three U.S. rocks in the front of the rings as Tabanelli threw his final stone of the end, forcing him to draw in for a single. The lead at that point was too big for Italy to overcome as the Americans didn't falter in the eighth end.
Five games remain in the round robin with the Americans taking on Great Britain (1-3) at 6 tonight.
"A couple more like that, and we'll be in the playoffs and not worrying about a tiebreaker. But if we have to go that route, we'll be ready," McDonald said.
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 202 201 01 8
Italy 010 000 10 2
*last stone in first end
Game scores: USA 8, Italy 2; Canada 13, Japan 2; Sweden 6, Norway 4; Korea 7, Great Britain 4
Standings:
Canada 4-0
USA 3-1
Korea 3-1
Germany 2-1
Italy 2-2
Switzerland 1-2
Great Britain 1-3
Japan 1-3
Norway 1-3
Sweden 1-3
Stay tuned to www.sitrin.com for updates. Live scoring from the event will be available at http://www.vancouver2010.com/paralympic-games/wheelchair-curling/schedule-and-results/ or visit www.usacurl.org.
