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USA's Wheelchair Curling Team Defeats Norway and improves to 5-2

(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