VIRGINIA — Team USA's first encounter with Japan ended up going just as well as the first, as a 9-3 semifinal victory booked John Shuster's rink a place in the Pan Continental Curling Championship on Saturday at Iron Trail Motors Event Center.

The teams met in the first draw of the weeklong tournament on Monday night, with Shuster and teammates Chris Plys (Duluth), Colin Hufman (St. Paul) and Matt Hamilton (McFarland, Wisconsin) winning 8-3.

This time out, the teams went through a conservative start, but a three put up in the fifth end gave the Americans a 4-1 lead at the halfway point. Team USA held Japan to a single point in the sixth end, then all but finished off the win with a five in the seventh. After scoring just another single in end eight, the Japanese resigned.

Team Shuster w

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