OGDEN, Utah -- Kari Erickson's reigning national champions kept their record unblemished and are close to clinching the women's title in the U.S. Olympic curling trials.

Team Erickson was 7-0 after beating Lori Mountford's team 9-3 Thursday night.

The Patti Lank team beat Cassie Johnson's rink 9-2 and at 5-2 is the only team that still could beat Erickson in the three games remaining in the women's competition.

In the other women's game Thursday night, Amy Wright's team beat the Nicole Joraanstad squad 9-4.

In the men's competition, frontrunner Tim Somerville, 6-2, had the night off but Scott Baird's team moved from third to second with an 8-5 victory over Craig Brown's rink.

Brown's team and the Paul Pustovar squad, which had been tied for second, are now tied for third at 5-4.

Pustovar's team lost an extra-end game to the Doug Pottinger rink 7-6.

In the other men's game, Jason Larway's team beat Andy Borland's squad 8-3.