Feb. 1, 2009
STATE COLLEGE, Pa.; February 1, 2009 - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 16 in the nation, dropped a 28-13 decision to No. 17 Wisconsin in a Big Ten dual meet on Sunday. Still injury depleted, Penn State used a line-up featuring five freshmen and a handful of reserves but could not match Wisconsin on the day.
Head coach Troy Sunderland's crew bolted out to an early 10-0 lead with a major from sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) at 125 and a pin from All-American Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) at 133. But Wisconsin got a technical fall from No. 1 Zach Tanelli at 141 and a major from No. 5 Kyle Ruschell at 149 to cut Penn State's lead to 10-9. Wisconsin's Ben Jordan then put UW up 13-10 with a major at 157 as Penn State continued to send a bevy of reserves to the mat during it's spate of injuries this year.
Wisconsin picked up the bout's critical win at 165, where No. 10 Andrew Howe notched a hard-fought 3-2 win over No. 8 (at 157) Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) to give UW a 16-10 lead. Penn State freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) kept Penn State close with a 4-2 decision at 174. But Wisconsin got an upset with at 184, a pin from No. 3 Dallas Herbst at 197 and a sudden victory decision at HWT from No. 9 Kyle Massey.
Penn State is now 7-8-2 on the year, 0-2-2 in conference duals. Wisconsin is now 6-7, 1-3. The Nittany Lions return to action on Friday, Feb. 6, when they host No. 5 Ohio State in a 7 p.m. dual in Rec Hall. Single event tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for youth. Penn State students get in FREE with a Penn State ID. All Penn State dual meets and post-season action can be heard live in the Centre Region on WRSC (1390 AM State College), WHUN (1150 AM Huntingdon) and live at www.GoPSUsports.com as part of the All-Access package.
#16 Penn State 13, #16 Wisconsin 28
Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009 - Rec Hall - State College, Pa.
125: #17 Brad Pataky PSU maj. dec. Drew Hammen WIS, 12-4, 4-0
133: #11 Jake Strayer PSU pinned Eric Senescu WIS, WBF (2:59) 10-0
141: #1 Zach Tanelli WIS tech. fall Frank Molinaro PSU, 22-7 (6:24) 10-5
149: #5 Kyle Ruschell WIS maj. dec. Colby Pisani PSU, 13-0 10-9
157: Ben Jordan WIS maj. dec. Shane Everett PSU, 13-4 10-13
165: #10 Andre Howe WIS dec. #8 (157) Dan Vallimont PSU, 3-2 10-16
174: #16 Quentin Wright PSU dec. Travis Rutt WIS, 4-2 13-16
184: Eric Bugenhagen WIS dec. Jack Decker PSU, 4-2 (sv) 13-19
197: #3 Dallas Herbst WIS pinned J.R. Brown PSU, WBF (1:06) 13-25
HWT: #9 Kyle Massey WIS dec. Stefan Tighe PSU, 3-1 (sv) 13-28
Final Score: #16 Penn State 13, #17 Wisconsin 28
Attendance: 1,688
Records: Penn State 7-8-2, 0-2-2 Big Ten; Wisconsin 7-6, 1-3 Big Ten)
Up next: Home vs. No. 5 Ohio State, Friday, Feb. 6, 7 p.m.
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
125: Sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), ranked No. 17 at 125, took on Wisconsin's Drew Hammen. Pataky quickly got on top, gaining control of Hammen's shoulders, pulling him down to the mat and working behind him for an early takedown and a 2-0 lead. The Clearfield native then put together a strong ride, working for a chance to tilt Hammen. After working up a 1:42 riding time edge, Pataky cut Hammen loose and began looking for a second takedown. Pataky pressured Hammen for the final minute-plus, but the Badger's defense kept the bout close early. Leading 2-1, Pataky chose bottom to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-1 lead. He then caught Hammen in a textbook mixer and moved out to an 8-1 lead with the takedown and three near fall points. Hammen gave up another point on a stall warning, allowing Pataky to lead 9-1 (with 3:24 in riding time) after two periods. Hammen chose down to start the third period and Pataky cut him loose in order to work towards bonus points. Hammen notched a takedown with 1:00 left, but Pataky quickly reversed the Badger to up his lead to 11-4 (with a secured riding time point). Pataky then rode Hammen out - finishing the bout with more than 4:00 in riding time -- to post the 12-4 major decision and give the Nittany Lions an early 4-0 lead.
133: All-American Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.), ranked No. 11 at 133, battled Wisconsin's Eric Senescu. Strayer got his first takedown at the 2:21 mark, moving out to an early 2-0 lead. The senior co-captain then worked to turn Senescu to his back, but the Badger managed an escape to 2-1 deficit. But Strayer moved out to a 4-1 lead with another takedown at the 1:00 mark. This time, Strayer began looking to turn the Badger for near fall points. With :15 left, Strayer titled Senescu and worked him to his shoulders. He continued to pull the Badger flat at with one second left in the period, got the pin. The fall (at the 2:59 mark) gave Penn State a 10-0 lead.
141: Red-shirt freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) faced his second straight stiff test when he met No. 1 Zach Tanelli of Wisconsin at 141. Tanelli got the bout's first takedown at the 2:25 mark to take an early 2-1. Molinaro's escape with 1:50 left was followed by an extended blood timeout for Tanelli. Action resumed in the center circle and Tanelli added a second quick takedown to lead 4-1 midway through the period. Molinaro escaped to a 4-2 deficit after a reset. But Tanelli was relentless, picking up a third takedown at the :10 mark to lead 6-2 after the opening period. Tanelli chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 7-2 lead. The top-ranked Badger added a fourth takedown at the 1:10 mark to up his lead to 9-2. He then turned the Penn State freshman for three near-fall points and a 12-2 lead. Molinaro could not break free of Tanelli's ride and the Badger led 12-2 with 2:37 in riding time after two periods. Molinaro chose down to start the third period, cut Molinaro loose and added a quick takedown to up his lead to 14-4. Another takedown on the edge of the mat gave Tanelli a 16-5 lead (after cutting Molinaro loose again). Tanelli poured on the offense and added three more takedowns to post a 22-7 technical fall at the 6:24 mark. The big win cut Penn State's lead to 10-5.
149: With All-American Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) once again sidelined, red-shirt freshman Colby Pisani (Ridgway, Pa.) continued his run at 149 where he met No. 5 Kyle Ruschell of Wisconsin. Pisani took the first solid shot of the match, but Ruschell answered by moving behind the Lion freshman and taking a 2-0 lead with a takedown of his own. He added two near-fall points with 1:15 left, added two more near-fall points and the 1:00 mark, and rode Pisani out to lead 6-0 with 2:32 in riding time after the opening stanza. Pisani chose neutral to star the second stanza and nearly got a takedown with 1:30- left, lifting Ruschell off the mat and setting him down for a score. But Ruschell managed to scramble out of trouble, step behind the Nittany Lion freshman, and get a takedown to lead 8-0. Pisani fought to stay parallel and not give up any more back points. The Lion gave up a point on stalling and, after two periods, trailed 9-0. Ruschell, with the riding point in hand, chose down to start the third period. The fifth-ranked badger escaped to take a 10-0 lead and then added another takedown to up his lead to 12-0 with :50 left. Ruschell worked tilt Pisani, with the hopes of notching a technical fall. But Pisani valiantly fought off the Badger's efforts and kept Ruschell to a 13-0 major decision. The win cut Penn State's lead to 10-9.
157: Red-shirt freshman Shane Everett (Saylorsburg, Pa.) continued on at 157 and faced Wisconsin's Ben Jordan. Jordan, also a freshman, got out to an early 2-0 lead with a takedown at the 2:00 mark. Everett looked to get to his feet and, with 1:36 left in the period, escaped to a 2-1 deficit. Everett then got in on a low single but Jordan was able to force a stalemate with 1:12 left and action returned to the center circle. Another Everett shot led to a Jordan counter and a 4-1 Badger lead with :50 left. Jordan then rode Everett out to lead 4-1 with 1:42 in riding time. Everett chose down to start the middle stanza but could not break free of a strong Jordan ride. Jordan was hit with a stall warning and the 1:26 mark, leading to a reset and an Everett escape. Everett looked to complete a high single and nearly hit the mark, but Jordan again scrambled out of trouble to keep his 4-2 lead with :40 left in the second stanza. With :15 left, Jordan notched a third takedown to push his lead to 6-2 with one period left. Jordan chose neutral to start the third session. He notched a takedown quickly and then cut Everett loose, looking to get a major. But Everett got in on a high single, looking for his own score. But Jordan was able to counter this shot and rolled around him for a 10-3 lead with another takedown. With the riding time point assured, Everett worked to escape and avoid a major. He escaped at the :40 mark to cut the lead to 10-4, but Jordan added a sixth takedown on the edge of the mat with :22 left to push out to a 12-4 lead. A rideout and the bonus point gave the Badger a 13-4 major decision and push Wisconsin out to a 13-10 lead.
165: All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 8 at 157 and now wrestling at 165, faced No. 10 Andrew Howe of Wisconsin in the dual's marquee match-ups. Howe gained control of Vallimont's shoulders early and looked for a quick score, but Vallimont fought to a stalemate and a restart with just :30 gone in the period. Vallimont got in on a high single, but it was Howe's turn to force a stalemate and keep the bout scoreless early on. With Vallimont taking all the shots and Howe looking to counter for his scoring chances, neither man managed a scoring chance until Howe nearly used a low single with :10 left to open up the scoring. But Vallimont forced a stalemate and action went to the second period tied 0-0. Vallimont chose down to start the session and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. The Nittany Lion co-captain then got in deep on another high single, gaining control of Howe's right thigh. But the Badger countered the move and looked to work around Vallimont for his own takedown. With 1:11 left, a stalemate was called and, off the reset, how gained control of Vallimont's left ankle. After a short struggle, Howe got the first takedown to take a 2-1 lead with :45 left. Howe got called for one stall warning but rode Vallimont out to carry that lead into the third period. Howe chose down and quickly escaped to a 3-1 lead. Needing a takedown, Vallimont pressured Howe for the entire period. With :30 left, Vallimont looked to complete another high single, but once again, Howe was able to force a reset and keep his lead. Howe gave up a stall point with :15 left, but the Badger had whittled the clock down enough to sneak away with a 3-2 win.
174: True-freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), ranked No. 16 at 174, took to the mat to face Wisconsin's Travis Rutt. Rutt punched Wright just :06 into the bout to give the Nittany Lion an early 1-0 lead. Wright fought off a solid Rutt shot and nearly turned it into his own. But action moved out of bounds with 1:40 left, setting up a reset. With Rutt holding on and Wright looking for offense, neither man managed a takedown in the opening session. Leading 1-0, Wright chose down to start the second and quickly escaped to a 2-0 lead. Wright once again looked to pressure the Badger into a mistake, but Rutt was able to block off any Wright offense and keep the Nittany Lion from scoring. Wright nearly tossed Rutt to his back at the :02 mark, but the Lion did not have enough time to finish the move and he led only 2-0 heading into the third period. Rutt chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 2-1 deficit. Wright, however, was able to break through Rutt's blocking for a takedown and a 4-1 lead at the 1:00 mark. He then put together a strong ride, keeping control of Rutt until just :10 remained. The late Badger escape was not enough as Wright posted a 4-2 decision, cutting Wisconsin's lead to 16-13.
184: Nittany Lion senior Jack Decker (Roseland, N.J.) entered today 2-1 in Big Ten duals after his win Friday night and he took on Wisconsin's Eric Bugenhagen at 184. Decker consistently worked for a shot in the opening period, but Bugenhagen continued UW's defensive style and kept the bout scoreless after the opening three minutes. Bugenhagen chose neutral to start the second stanza, looking to stay away from Decker's strong ride. Bugenhagen continued to tie Decker up high and keeping the Nittany Lion from finding any openings to score. With no score after two periods, Decker chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. The Lion senior continued to try and force the tempo, but Bugenhagen was able to continue to step away from trouble. With :30 left, the Badger managed to complete a high double and work his way to the bout's first takedown at the :18 mark, giving Bugenhagen a 2-1 lead. Needing an escape to tie the bout after a reset, Decker worked to get to his feet. Bugenhagen locked his hands during the ride-out and gave up the penalty point, sending the bout to overtime tied 2-2. Decker quickly got in on the Badger's right ankle and nearly posted a quick win, but Bugenhagen countered and got the 4-2 (sv) win with a takedown of his own. The victory put Wisconsin up 19-13.
197: Red-shirt freshman J.R. Brown (Bellefonte, Pa.) continued to fill in at 197, where he took on Dallas Herbst of Wisconsin, who entered the bout ranked No. 3 nationally. Herbst bolted out to a quick lead, getting a takedown and three near-fall points just :30 in to lead 5-0. Herbst then turned Brown for three more back points before pinning him at the 1:06 mark and icing the dual meet. UW led 25-13 with one bout remaining.
HWT: Junior Stefan Tighe (Erie, Pa.) took on No. 9 Kyle Massey in the heavyweight bout. Tighe nearly notched the bout's first points, almost following through on a low single. But Massey stepped out of trouble and kept things scoreless, which is how the first period would end. Massey chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Tighe continued to apply the pressure, shooting at Massey's right ankle. But the Badger big man was able to step back each time. Tighe had another solid chance with 1:00 left, pulling Massey's right ankle to his shoulder. But the Badger's defense was solid enough for him to step away and maintain his 1-0 lead. Trailing 1-0, Tighe chose down to start the final period and quickly escaped to a 1-1 tie. Each man took a flurry of shots midway through the third, but none were effective enough to lead to a real scoring option. With :20 left, Tighe once again gained control of Massey's right ankle, pulling it to his shoulder. But Massey managed to keep from giving up the points and send the bout to sudden victory tied 1-1. Massey gained control of Tighe's right ankle and with :18 left, got the 3-1 sudden victory win, giving Wisconsin a 28-13 win.