The United States men’s curling team used a dominant start and steady shot-making down the stretch to secure an 8–6 victory over Germany on Saturday in preliminary-round action at the Milan Cortina Winter Games.
Team USA, skipped by Danny Casper, seized immediate control of the match by scoring four points in the opening end. The early surge set the tone for the Americans’ second win of the tournament and forced Germany to spend the rest of the contest chasing the scoreboard.
After Germany settled in, the Americans extended their advantage in the fifth end, adding two more points to build a 6–3 lead at the halfway break.
Germany’s biggest moment came in the sixth end, when skip Marc Muskatewitz delivered a dramatic momentum-shifting shot. With the United States sitting four stones, Muskatewitz fired a powerful takeout that cleared the house entirely. Casper was unable to recover with the hammer, sliding his final stone out of scoring position and allowing Germany to steal one and cut the deficit to 6–4.
The Germans continued to chip away, scoring single points in multiple ends before producing a two-point eighth end to pull within one, 7–6.
The United States responded with composure in the ninth. After Germany briefly sat two in the house, Casper executed a clutch double takeout to remove both stones and score one, restoring a two-point cushion entering the final end.
Germany held the hammer in the 10th end and needed two points to force an extra end or three for the win. The American defense proved decisive, limiting German stones in the house. On the final U.S. shot, Casper removed Germany’s only scoring rock, prompting Muskatewitz to concede before his last delivery.
Statistically, the Americans held the edge in execution, outshooting Germany 91% to 83% on draws and 92% to 89% on takeouts.
The victory improves Team USA’s record to 2–1 in Cortina. The Americans return to the ice early Sunday morning to face defending Olympic champion Sweden, while Germany (1–2) will meet Great Britain in a crucial matchup at the same time.
