For Openers, U.S. Men Split, U.S. Women Blow Early Lead

The U.S. men missed a great opportunity in the first round of the Olympic curling tournament Monday.

The U.S. women just missed.

Pete Fenson’s U.S. rink from Bemidji, Minn., routed defending champion Norway in the opening game, scoring a whopping five points in the eighth end, prompting Norway to concede with two frames to go.

Then later, with a chance to go 2-0 for the day, Fenson missed with the final rock of the night and Finland stole a 4-3 victory.

The women, frustrated by fast ice, squandered a 4-1 lead in their opener and lost to Norway, 11-6.

In the men’s opener, it was tied 3-3 in the fifth when Fenson knocked out a Norwegian stone and left three yellow U.S. stones closest to the middle, giving the U.S a 6-3 lead . Norway cut it to 6-5 in the sixth and was setting up for another three points in the seventh when Shawn Rojeski curled a perfect three-stone takeout.

With an open target, Fenson threw long with his first stone and then intentionally threw his second through the scoring house, giving up an easy point to retain the last-throw advantage and try for multiple points in the eighth.

It paid off.

The Americans continued to bunch their stones and Norway could do little to limit the damage. The United States had the six closest stones at one point and scored five, not unheard of but not common, either.

Down six with two ends left, Paal Trulsen walked over to shake hands and concede the match.

Things didn’t work out nearly so well in the evening match.

It was 3-3 after nine ends and the U.S. had the last rock -- the hammer that is expected to score at least one point by getting closest to the middle of the target.

The Finns, though, kept leaving stones in the target area, requiring theAmericans to play defense.

With three rocks left to play, Fenson then slid his stone into the top of the target area, protecting another U.S. rock but leaving a Finnish one closer to the button.

The Finns huddled, then Markku Uusipaavalniemi blocked the top of the house, and Fenson went back to throw the last rock of the night.

He slid the rock down the sheet, but it curled a few inches left and failed to knock a U.S. stone into the middle, leaving Finland with the winning point.

The U.S. women lost their touch after piling up their 4-1 lead.

The Norwegians picked up three points in the fifth, then three more in the seventh, and the rout was on.