Changing of the guard in U.S. curling as John Shuster’s team falls short at Olympic trials

SIOUX FALLS - It was more than a half-hour after Danny Casper moved one step closer to realizing a dream while John Shuster’s dream of a sixth appearance in the Olympics had been crushed.

But there were Team Casper, based at Chaska Curling Club, and Team Shuster, out of Duluth Curling Club, hugging each other, again, after the awards ceremony. It was just over a half-hour earlier that Team Casper prevailed 7-5 over Team Shuster, the gold standard of curling in the United States.

The moment reflected the essence of the sport. It is one of friendships built and experiences enjoyed with one another. No one likes to lose. But in curling, it’s just as tough to watch a friend lose. Even if it moves you one step closer to the Winter Games in Italy in three months.

And it doesn’t matter that no one on Team Casper has turned 30 yet while Shuster is 43. Age didn’t matter on the sheet.

“At the same time, Team Shuster, they’re some of my best friends,” Casper said. “Someone has to win. Someone has to lose. And I just feel for them.

“That part makes it hard. A lot harder than I thought it would be.”

Team Casper now will travel to Kelowna, British Columbia, to take part in the final Olympic qualification event Dec. 6-20. Team Casper will compete against seven other nations for one of the two remaining spots in the Olympic field.

Shuster needed a miracle shot in the eighth end to clear two of Team Casper’s rocks and put up a crooked number. A shot similar to the double takeout he made against Sweden during the 2018 Olympics that gave his team five points and propelled it to the gold medal.

But Shuster had too tough of an angle to work with, and his sweepers couldn’t direct his shot where it needed to be to clear two. He settled for a point and went into the 10th end trailing 7-5. And Casper held the hammer.

Once the 10th got down to the two skips to shoot, Team Shuster had run out of chances.

Team Casper 7. Team Shuster 5.

“They showed a tiny crack there in the ninth end, as far as it went with nerves and stuff,” Shuster said. “But, I mean, these guys are very, very ready.”

Casper was born in Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., and moved to Minnesota to develop his curling. The rest of the team is composed of Luc Violette, from the Seattle Curling Club; Ben Richardson, out of the Chaska Curling Club; and Aidan Oldenburg, who attended Minnesota State Mankato and also is from the Chaska Curling Club.

“If we can get it done here,” Casper said, “we can get it done anywhere. And we have been lucky enough to beat a lot of the top teams in the world at different places, so we’re feeling pretty good about it.”

And the magnificent run of five consecutive Olympics, four as a skipper, ends for Shuster. Matt Hamilton won gold with Shuster at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. Chris Plys was with him for the 2022 Games in Beijing. So was Colin Hufman, but he was an alternate in Beijing.

Team Shuster was strong all week, going undefeated during pool play before Casper won the first game of the finals.