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(VANCOUVER, British Columbia) - Augusto Perez and Team USA will shoot for bronze after losing to Korea, 7-5, in the wheelchair curling semifinal this afternoon at the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.
Korea's Haksung Kim shot just a little bit better than the U.S. to earn a spot in the gold-medal game against Canada. The U.S. will face Jalle Jungnell's Swedish team in the bronze-medal game. Both games are set for 3:30 this afternoon (local time).
The Americans left several points off the scoreboard as they weren't able to take advantage of key scoring opportunities in several ends. An unfortunate pick in the sixth end didn't help matters any.
"We came out in full force. We were focused on our game today, we just got unlucky. We've got to let it go," Perez said.
Although the hue isn't the color they were aiming for, 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.) are hoping to bring home the first medal for the U.S. at the Paralympics.
"I think that game was really solid. A few missed draws here and there and we'd be playing for gold," McDonald said. "Now we are shooting for a different color. We're not worried. If we come out and play
solid again, we'll be fine."
It was McDonald's play in the first end that helped the U.S. score two and get out to a fast start. McDonald twice drew in around a center guard to the button to thwart a Korean steal. Perez froze a third American rock on the button but Kim sent a rocket down the center and loosened up the pile. Perez was still left with a draw for three but he was a bit heavy, settling for two.
In the second end, Perez made a takeout and rolled behind the corner guard to grab shot rock. Kim went after it but could only see about a quarter of it and wrecked on the guard. Perez stuck a second U.S. stone in the house, forcing Kim to draw because the takeout could potentially jam based on where Perez stuck it. Kim narrowly made the shot to escape with just a single.
In the third, Pierce used his second stone to raise a U.S. rock into the house behind the corner guard, and McDonald made a takeout and got a roll behind the center guard to lie two. Another miss by Korea and Perez was able to stick another rock in the house. Kim narrowly missed the takeout on the rock closest to the button but hit the other U.S. stone in the eight foot and rolled into second count. Perez followed his path to draw for another deuce and take a 4-1 lead.
The momentum would swing in the fourth end, though, as things didn't go according to plan for the Americans as several half-shots allowed Korea to place multiple stones into the house as Korea capitalized for a draw for three to tie the game 4-4.
Korea took its first lead after stealing a single in the fifth end but the U.S. looked poised to put the game away in the sixth. With no guards to cause trouble and three rocks in the house, Kim made a takeout and left his stone in the scoring position with backing with the U.S. rock behind it. Perez had a chance for three if he chipped it out but his rock picked up some debris from the ice and got off course and over-curled. Instead of making a hit for three and taking a two point lead, the U.S. gave Korea one more.
"The rock picked. Our only pick of the week and it has to happen now. You could see it. It was a three point swing. After that I think we played them as tough as we could," a visibly frustrated Perez said.
Not wanting to mess up the single they had ensured in the seventh, Perez opted to throw the final rock away and settle for one as 14 of 15 rocks thrown to that point were in play either above or in the rings.
"We had some really good pressure on them and the momentum was right there, and we just couldn't grab it," McDonald said.
With their backs against the wall, trailing by one without the last rock, the U.S. was unable to get a rock
into the house in the eighth end as Perez's final raise attempt sailed through the back of the house to hand Korea the win and a chance to play for gold in their rookie appearance at the Paralympics.
"They are a really good team. They deserve to be there," Perez said about his opponent.
"Everyone was nervous because it was the semifinal but then we settled down and calmed down. Now, I am looking forward to the final," Kim said.
In the other semifinal, Canada's Jim Armstrong got off to a strong start and held off Sweden's Jalle Jungnell, 10-5, to try to defend the gold Canada won in 2006 in Torino, Italy, when wheelchair curling debuted as a medal sport.
Sweden, playing without vice skip Glenn Ikonen, who was suspended for doping yesterday (for use of a beta blocker called metoprolol), fell behind 8-1 before generating some offense.
After grabbing three points in the opening end, Armstrong missed wrecked on a guard in the second guard, allowing Jungnelll to try to make a hit for two but he couldn't convert. He used his final stone in the third to try a soft tap but Canada would still earn two more to take a 5-1 lead. A steal of three by Canada in the fourth and it was an uphill battle for the Swedes. They'd close the gap to 8-5 after scoring three points in the fifth and a steal in the sixth but it wasn't enough as Canada sealed the win with a deuce.
"We thought we were back in it. Jalle made two incredible shots. From ourselves, we thought we were back and Canada would shiver a little, but they didn't and I was very impressed [with Canada]," Swedish vice skip Patrik Burman said.
"At the end of the day, the Armstrong of old came out. I got that [the hammer] in my hand and it was a good weapon," Armstrong said.
NBC will air a two-hour highlights program from the 2010 Paralympic Games on NBC Sports from 3-5 p.m. ET on April 10.
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.
Semifinal line scores:
*USA 202 000 10 5
Korea 010 311 01 7
Sweden 010 031 0x 5
*Canada 302 300 2x 10
*last stone in first end
Please stay tuned to www.sitrin.com for updates. Live scoring from the event will also be available at http://www.vancouver2010.com/paralympic-games/wheelchair-curling/schedule-and-results.
