U.S. men’s curlers stun Canada, will play for gold

GANGNEUNG, South Korea – Matt Hamilton is going to get a McFlurry.

It doesn’t matter which flavor is his favorite because the McDonald’s in the Olympic Village only has one. It’s Oreo. Hamilton already knows this, by the way.

Ordering one is how he’s going to celebrate the greatest win in U.S. curling history. On Thursday night, a few hours after the women’s hockey team dramatically defeated archrival Canada for its first Olympic gold medal in 20 years, the men’s curling team also beat Canada.

The curling rivalry between the neighboring countries may not be as hyped or intense as the hockey counterpart, but the Canadians are three-time defending Olympic gold medalists and the U.S. has beat them twice at these Games. The first during round-robin play, and the second in Thursday’s 5-3 semifinal victory.

Now the United States is going to play in its first-ever gold medal match, against Sweden on Saturday.

“I don’t think there’s any pressure, but I’ve never been in this situation before,” Hamilton said. “Any medal is a good medal. We’re just gonna go out there and play our best.

“Sweden is probably the best team in the world. They’re the favorite, but this is the Olympics and anything can happen.”

The Americans’ only medal in curling was bronze at the 2006 Turin Olympics. The team finished second-to-last four years ago in Sochi, and dead last four years prior in Vancouver.

After taking the lead at the fourth end, the U.S. made a key steal in the eighth to score two points to take a 4-2 lead into the final two ends. Canada made it 4-3 after nine, but then John Shuster finished it off in the 10th, delivering a perfect final stone that hit and stuck for one point.

He described the shot – during the most tense moment of the match – as “easy.”

“This was one of the first times where I think I’ve had that shot sitting in my hand,” Shuster said. “I was like, this looks like a practice shot that I throw in league, when I’m with my friends and there’s nobody around.

“Let’s enjoy this. I mean, every single skip here would do the same thing. That feeling inside me right there was just something of simplicity.”

Maybe the U.S. was relaxed because it was feeding off the confidence from friends on the women’s hockey team. Shuster said they were inspired after watching them win gold and that they knew “that was the mentality we had to have today.”

Shuster, who is competing in his fourth Games and was part of the bronze medal team 12 years ago, was actually ousted from the program after Sochi due to a poor finish. USA Curling started a high-performance program and he wasn’t allowed to participate.

In a form of retaliation, he formed Team Shuster – which Hamilton dubbed the “team of rejects” – and they had topfive finishes in the past three World Championships and won the Olympics trials last November to qualify for Pyeongchang.

All that’s behind him now as he and his team prepare for unchartered territory.

“Now we’re rolling,” Hamilton said. “Bring on Sweden.”