The Americans played without the last-rock advantage for seven ends but it didn't matter as the team stole four ends in a row to build a 5-0 lead after six.

"We've been playing well so it's nice to get this first win," Kevin Birr said. "We stayed in our game plan and it paid off."

Birr (Mankato, Minn.) and teammates Bill Todhunter (Menasha, Wis.), Greg Johnson (Appleton, Wis.) and Kevin Birr (St. Peter, Minn.) put the game's first point on the scoreboard with a steal of one in the third end when Ulsrud wrecked on his own stone in the eight foot after Birr had buried his final stone on the side of the four-foot.

Birr made a double takeout with his first stone to lie three U.S. rocks and foil Norway's shot at a deuce in the next end. Ulsrud drew down to the U.S. stone touching the button and tapped it forward but it still remained shot stone. After Birr put up a guard, Ulsrud tried to make a side angle raise to promote his stone but left the Americans with another steal.

The U.S. got a stone buried once again in the fifth end but Norweigian vice skip Torger Nergard tapped it back to lie one for his team. Birr came through a tight port to move the shot stone into the eight foot to lie three U.S. rocks. Ulsrud tried to remove all three but only got two and rolled too far giving the U.S. a steal of two.

"Todd made some great shots," Kevin Birr said of his older brother. "The team just feeds off of each other after that."

Team Norway (2-1) tried once again to get a deuce set up but the U.S. took control of the sixth end as well placing a stone in the four foot early. The U.S. eventually got another rock across the four-foot. Ulsrud made the hit on one with his last stone but rolled too far giving the U.S. another steal of one.

Norway finally got on the scoreboard in the seventh end but was forced to make a hit and stick for just one point.

Finally having the hammer for the first time, Birr's team got a rock buried early and Birr froze another one in for first and second count. Ulsrud moved one out leaving Birr with a draw for two but he came in just a little too deep.

Ulsrud finally got his long, sought-after deuce in the ninth end but it was too little, too late for Norway as Birr clinched his first world championship win with one in the final end.

"We're just taking it one game at a time, one rock at a time," Kevin Birr said. "This was a good win for us."

The U.S. men have the night off and return to the ice at 1 p.m. tomorrow against Denmark (1-1).

Game scores: USA 7, Norway; Germany 8, Scotland 5; France 6, Korea 5; Switzerland 9, Australia 7

USA line score:
USA 001 121 010 1 7
*NOR 000 000 102 0 3
*designates last-rock advantage in first end

Round robin standings
Canada 2-0
Germany 2-0
Norway 2-1
Switzerland 2-1
Scotland 1-1
Denmark 1-1
France 1-1
Sweden 1-1
Australia 1-2
USA 1-2
Korea 0-2
Finland 0-2

USA Curling is sponsored by AIT Worldwide Logistics, AmerAust Technologies and Nike as well as by AT&T, General Motors, The Home Depot, and Bank of America through a joint marketing program with the U.S. Olympic Committee.

For more information: Terry Luder, USA Curling, terry.luder@usacurl.org, 608-338-9900 (cell).