TEAM CASPER WINS TRIALS IN A THRILLING GAME THREE
Photo by World Curling
[EDEN PRAIRIE, MN, November 16, 2025] — After an exciting week of curling and a Best-of-Three final for the ages, it is Team Casper (Danny Casper, Luc Violette, Ben Richardson, Aidan Oldenburg, Rich Ruohonen, Coach Jordan Moulton) who will move forward in the quest to be Team USA at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics after besting Team Shuster (John Shuster, Chris Plys, Colin Hufman, Matt Hamilton, Coach Theran Michaelis) in the decisive Game Three at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, SD.
In Game One, Team Casper bested Shuster, a five-time Olympian, and his teammates by a score of 7-6. On Saturday, Game Two brought more drama, with the game broadcast on USA Network and streamed on Peacock. In an back-and-forth affair, Shuster responded to a Casper score of three in the ninth end with two points in the tenth. That was enough for a 7-6 victory, setting up the dramatic winner-take-all Game Three on Sunday night.
In front of an energetic crowd, Casper opened with a steal of one, before Shuster responded with two points in the second end. At the Fifth End break, the score was 3-3.
But it was deuces in the latter half that were the difference, with Casper making a delicate tap for two in the sixth and converting another two points in the eighth. When Shuster barely missed a tough shot for multiple points and had to settle for a single in the ninth, Casper and his teammates carried a two-point cushion and the hammer into the final end. A great tick shot by Oldenburg and a double peel from Richardson set the stage for the young skip from Briarcliff Manor, NY, and Casper made a routine takeout for the victory.
Emotions ran high as the game finished, as both teams spoke about the respect they have for each other and the friendships they share. While Shuster’s quest for a sixth Olympic Games ends here in Sioux Falls, he and his teammates offered to help the young Casper team however they can as they move on towards the Games.
Following the game, Shuster said, “This one is going to take a while to get over because I thought we did all the right things to get ready. And we showed it—we played great all week. But credit to Team Casper, they’re an incredible curling team and best of luck to them.”
Casper, who has battled the effects of Guillain-Barré Syndrome in recent years, “Winning this week is such an incredible feeling. We’ve worked so hard for so long and are extremely proud and honored to have won. Team Shuster is not only an amazing team, they’re amazing people. They had another incredible week and it’s a shame someone had to lose. We still have a lot of work to do to get to the Games, and as much as we enjoyed this win we want to make sure we put our best foot forward in representing the country in the OQE and onward.”
With the victory, Team Casper will move on to represent the United States at the Olympic Qualifying Event (OQE) in Kelowna, Canada, from December 5th through the 11th, where they will play for one of the final two berths in Men’s Curling at the Games in Cortina. The team heads into the OQE with plenty of momentum, as they are currently ranked #8 in the World and entered this event with victories in two major World Curling Tour events.
About USA Curling
Founded in 1958 and headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, USA Curling is the National Governing body for the Olympic sport of curling and the Paralympic sport of wheelchair curling in the United States. The mission of USA Curling is to grow, strengthen, and advocate for the Olympic and Paralympic sport of curling in the United States by prioritizing accessibility and programmatic development from grassroots to podium. USA Curling is sponsored by Columbia Sportswear, the Dale’s family of beers, Twin Cities Orthopedics, Training HAUS, Ice, Sports & Solar (ISS), Rock Solid Productions, Jet Ice, and Laurie Artiss. USA Curling is a proud member of World Curling and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. To learn more, visit usacurling.org.
