John Shuster's team in the National Final on Saturday

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – John Shuster’s team will have a chance to defend their national title after defeating Craig Brown, 7-1, in this afternoon’s semifinal game of the 2016 USA Curling National Championships.

Shuster (Duluth, Minn.) and teammates Tyler George (Duluth, Minn.), Matt Hamilton (McFarland, Wis.), and John Landsteiner (Duluth, Minn.) will now take on Brady Clark’s team in the men’s gold-medal game Saturday night at Veterans Memorial Arena.

“The whole team started out sharp. We exhibited a lot of patience in this one,” George said. “Obviously, it’s a little bit circumstances today. I think the teams were on a level playing field and we’re comfortable going out there and playing our game and knowing that’s what’s going to stand up at the end of the day. We’re going to have to bring everything we got in the next one.”

Shuster’s team has already earned enough points to represent the U.S. at the 2016 World Men’s Championship in April but being national champion and finishing out the week on a winning note is what’s most important, George said.

“The team talked about it all week – and all week last year when we were in a similar situation having already secured the berth to worlds – that’s our trophy and our names are on it until someone takes it away from us,” said George, who is seeking his third men’s national title. “We want to keep it in the club. Anything less than the gold this week will be disappointing for us.”

Shuster’s team got on the scoreboard in the second end to score the game’s first points with a deuce. Brown patiently waited for opportunities to score more than a point but had to settle for a single in the fifth end when the team’s takeout attempt kept the shooter stone in the rings instead of resulting in the intended blank end.

Shuster’s team countered in the sixth end with a very precise draw to the button with the final stone to score another deuce. The game slipped away for Team Brown in the seventh end when Shuster’s team got three rocks positioned around the button. Brown used his first stone to attempt a cross-house double takeout but the angle wasn’t there. In the end, Brown would miss his final shot as well and Shuster’s team stole three points to put the game away.

Brown (Madison, Wis.) and his team of Kroy Nernberger (Madison, Wis.), Jared Zezel (Hibbing, Minn.), and Sean Beighton (Seattle) will be awarded the bronze medals.

Erika Brown and Nina Roth will battle in the women’s gold-medal game at 7 tonight. The men’s championship final between Clark and Shuster will close out the event at 6 p.m. ET Saturday. A live webstream, scores and standings can be found at www.usacurl.org.