Goose Perez skips USA 1 to US Open title

Team USA skip Goose Perez skipped USA 1 to the US Open title at Utica, NY. Playing with national lead Jaqui Kapinowski at 3rd, and with newcomers Laura Schwanger and Penny Greely, the Perez team finished with a decisive 5 win and one tie record.

USA 2, Bradford and Quebec all finished on 7 points, the order decided on tie breaks.

Draw 6

USA #1: 11221001: 8
Toronto: 00000210: 3

USA #2:    20004021: 9
Cape Cod: 04110100: 7

Bradford: 01131010: 7
Quebec:  10000105: 7

Draw 7

USA #2: 3104010-: 9
Quebec: 0010102-: 4

USA #1:    4020330-: 12
Cape Cod: 0103001-: 5

Ottawa:  222030--: 9
Toronto: 000101--: 2

Final Standings

1. USA #1 (5-0-1, 11 points)
2. USA #2 (3-2-1, 7 points) *beat Bradford and Quebec head-to-head
3. Bradford (2-1-3, 7 points) *tied Quebec head-to-head but won more ends
4. Quebec (3-2-1, 7 points)
5. Ottawa (3-3-0, 6 points)
6. Toronto (1-3-2, 4 points)
7. Cape Cod (0-6-0, 0 points)

US Open - Day 2

USA 1 scored 8 points in victories over Ottawa (8-3) and Quebec (8-5) to go top of the table on the second day of the US Open in Utica, NY. Players on the current USA national team have been divided between two teams at this event, with 'Goose' Perez and Jaqui Kapinowski in USA 1, and Jim Pierce and Jimmy Joseph in USA 2.

USA 2 beat Ken Gregory's Bradford team 9-2, and tied 5-5 with Chris Rees' Toronto.

Quebec's Ben Lesard, with a win and a loss before their third gae of the day, fell behind Bruce Cameron 5-4 at the break after leading 4-1, but regrouped with a steal of 3 that held off Cameroon's Ottawa team's late rally for an 8-7 victory.

Bradford's game against Toronto showed how unpredictable wheelchair curling can be. Bradford began with three singles, then gave up a 6 to fall behind 3-6 at the break, only to tie the game 8-8 with a 4 in the final end.

Newcomers Cape Cod with David Palmer at skip, had never been asked to play three games in a day against experienced opposition, and gave up some very big ends. They could take some comfort from their third game where they kept the 5s and 6s off the scoreboard and held Bradford to 8 points over seven ends.

There will be a live webcast of Team USA 1's final games Sunday at 8.30am and 12.45pm local time.

Results Draw 3

USA #2:  3 1 1 0 3 1 X X - 9
Bradford: 0 0 0 2 0 0 X X - 2

Quebec:    1 5 0 3 5 1 X X - 15
Cape Cod: 0 0 1 0 0 0 X X -   1

USA #1: 2 2 2 0 0 2 X X - 8
Ottawa: 0 0 0 1 2 0 X X - 3

Draw 4

Ottawa:    6 2 0 3 0 5 X X - 16
Cape Cod: 0 0 1 0 1 0 X X -  2

Toronto:  0 0 0 6 1 0 1 0 - 8
Bradford: 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 4 - 8

USA #1:  2 0 1 3 2 0 0 0 - 8
Quebec:  0 2 0 0 0 1 1 1 - 5

Draw 5

USA #2:  1 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 - 5
Toronto:  0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 - 5

Bradford:   0 1 3 2 0 1 1 X - 8
Cape Cod: 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 X - 3

Quebec: 1 0 3 0 1 3 0 0  - 8
Ottawa: 0 1 0 4 0 0 1 1  - 7

Current Standings:

USA #1:    3-0-1
Quebec:    3-1-0
Bradford:   2-1-2
Ottawa:    2-3-0
Toronto:    1-1-2
USA #2:    1-2-1
Cape Cod: 0-4-0

US Open Day 1

The US Open in Utica, NY, features three US based teams and four visiting Canadian club teams.

Team USA are searching for a replacement for Patrick McDonald, and expect to experiemnt with line-ups over the weekend. For the two Friday draws Goose Perez skipped USA 1 and his regular vice-skip Jim Pierce skipped USA 2.

They faced each other in the opening draw, and USA 2 got off to a promising start when they stole a point in the opening end, but lost 10-4.

Toronto beat Cape Cod 9 - 2. It was Cape Cod's first competitive game away from home ice. Ken Gregory's Bradford saw off the challenge of their province's champions, Bruce Cameron's Ottawa.

USA 1  *  0 1 1 0 4 0 1 3   10
USA 2      1 0 0 1 0 2 0 0    4

Quebec had a bye. Here are the line scores from the other morning games.

Toronto  *  1 4 0 0 2 1 1 X   9
Cape Cod   0 0 1 1 0 0 0 X   2

Bradford *  1 2 1 0 1 0 1 0   6
Ottawa       0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1   3


In the afternoon  USA 1 only managed a 5-5 tie with Bradford, while Ottawa with a steal of 2 in the second, closed out a 7-4 win over USA 2 with another pair in the final end.

Quebec opened their account by hammering Toronto with a 4 in the 1st end. They added 8 points in the final two ends for a 15-6 win.

Bradford  *  1 0 2 0 0 1 0 1    5
USA 1         0 1 0 1 2 0 1 0    5

Ottawa   *   1 2 0 1 0 1 0 2   7
USA 2          0 0 1 0 2 0 1 0   4

Quebec    *   4 0 3 0 0 3 5 X   15
Toronto         0 3 0 2 1 0 0 X    6

Ice conditions are reportedly good, with 4 feet of curl on a t-line draw.

Technical problems interfered with the live webcast Friday, but organisers hope that future games featuring USA 1 will be available HERE.

Seven team field for 5th Annual US Open in Utica Nov. 12-14

Seven teams have signed on for this year's US Open, held for the 5th time in Utica NY from November 12-14. The format is a full 6 game round robin.

Team USA is fielding two teams and will be searching for a replacement for Patrick McDonald, out for the season after shoulder surgery. Cape Cod CC is sending a team, and four Canadian teams round out the field: Team Lessard (Quebec), Team Bradford skipped by Ken Gregory, Team Toronto and Team Cameron (Ottawa).

There will be a live webcast of all Team USA 1's games, who open against Team USA 2 at 9.30 Friday morning. The final draw is 12.45pm Sunday.

The draw schedule is HERE

5th Annual U.S. Open Wheelchair Bonspiel November 12-14

Utica CC in New York is once again hosting the US Open bonspiel. Entries are $300 per 4 person team, with transport to and from Syracuse Airport and to and from the hotel in New Hartford available for $500 a team.

Up to 8 teams will play in a round robin, starting 9.30am Friday Nov 12 and finishing 2.30 pm on Sunday Nov.14.

Full details are HERE. For more information contact Marc Deperno by email or call 315-737-2459