Draw #3: USA vs Switzerland, Middle Ends

End #7: Oops. Some wonderful person came around with Swiss chocolates and I missed quite a bit of the opening of this end. The US has two touching the button, SU has one top 4' and one back 4'. More rocks in the rings, but there are two SU guards on the centre line, and SU is shot in the midst of the mess. Fenson tries to peel the guards, but removes only one and leaves his shooter there. Schwaller puts up another guard top 12'. Fenson tries a double tap, but over-curls. Steal of one for SU.
US 3, SU 5

End #6: Standard opening: SU has rocks top4' and centre guard, US has a corner guard. Then a bunch of hits and rolls/sticks on the rock in the rings. Repeat. End blanked.
US 3, SU 4

Intermission.

End #5: Standard opening for US ( but the first rock sails to the back 4' instead of the top 4', centre guard), corner guard for SU, but the second SU rock is in the rings on the opposite side from the guard. So the US hits and rolls frozen against their own rock. After more exchanges, there are tonnes of rocks in the rings at the far end of the ice, and it is difficult to tell for sure where they all are. But the US has two behind the t-line, and SU takes quite a bit of time to try to decide what to do. SU strips one out, and the US taps the SU rocks a bit to lie one but slightly exposed. SU taps it out

There's still a mess of granite in the rings, but a lot of it is back of the t-line. With his last rock, Fenson draws but to the back 4'. Things are jammed enough that all Schwaller can do is try to draw for one, but he's heavy and wide of the broom. Another measure. SU scores one.
US 3, SU 4.

Best guess: the crowd has grown to nearly a thousand or so. As Alan will develop more, the crowd may be small but there are lots of fun things going on.

End #4: Standard opening leads to one US rock as corner guard and one SU rock in the top 4'. But after a US shot rolls out, SU puts up a centre guard and then takes out a US rock in the top 8'. Fenson tries to double off the two SU counters, but removes only one. Schwaller draws around the guard but barely makes it to the top 12', leaving a hit and stick by Fenson for one.
US 3, SU 3