Casper, Dropkin into Sunday final
John Shuster’s perennial U.S. champions have been eliminated from the 2025 U.S. nationals.
Shuster was walloped by fellow Duluth, Minn. skip Korey Dropkin and his “Young Bucks” foursome 11-3 in Friday night’s semifinal at Duluth’s DECC Arena, located just hundreds of feet away from Shuster’s storied Duluth Curling Club.
Shuster had previously defeated Dropkin in last year’s Nats final in New Jersey, just as he did in the 2021 Olympic Curling Trials final at Omaha, Neb.
Shuster had eliminated Chase Sinnett’s Minneapolis crew 8-4 in Saturday’s Page 3 vs 4 playoff before facing Dropkin, who had dropped the Page 1 vs 2 match 7-4 to Daniel Casper’s squad from Chaska, Minn.
In the 2024 final, Dropkin held leads of 3-0 and 5-3 but dropped a massive five points in the seventh end.
On Saturday, Dropkin again scored big and early—four points in the second end—but this time added a three count in the fifth end after Shuster had stolen the fourth.
Shuster, backed by Chris Plys, Matt Hamilton, Colin Hufman and John Landsteiner, was held to just three singles in the match.
Dropkin, who has called Duluth home for the past decade, now faces Casper in Sunday’s men’s final.
Shuster’s loss is sure to reverberate through U.S. men’s curling.
The veteran has competed in five straight Olympic Winter Games, winning gold in 2018, and has competed in 11 world championships since 2003.
The last U.S. final Shuster lost was in 2016, but he was still selected to represent USA at the world championships.
In women’s final action, defending champion Tabitha Peterson of Chaska will face Elizabeth Cousins of Nashua, N.H. on Sunday.
Peterson defeated Christine McMakin of Fargo, N.D. 11-6 in Saturday’s first playoff to qualify for the final, and watched Cousins edge McMakin 6-5 in the semifinal.
Cousins had advanced to the semi by eliminating Duluth’s Courtney Benson, a Saturday tiebreaker winner, by a 10-4 count in the 3 vs 4 playoff.
Sunday’s finals can be viewed live for free (registration) on Stadium Sports Network, while past games are available via per-game or monthly charge.