Nov. 20, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - In an early season Big Ten match-up between two of the nation's top teams, the Penn State Nittany Lion wrestlers dropped a 23-14 dual meet to visiting Minnesota in a packed Rec Hall. Penn State, ranked No. 2 nationally, lost seven of ten bouts to No. 4 Minnesota in front of over 6,200 fans.
Minnesota got off to a fast start in the dual, which began at 125. Fifth-year senior Zach Sanders, ranked No. 2 nationally, held off talented Penn State true freshman Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), ranked No. 18, for a 6-2 win. No. 7 David Thorn then majored Lion junior Derek Reber (Lewisburg, Pa.) 14-5 to give the Gophers an early 7-0 lead. No. 10 Nick Dardanes of Minnesota then notched an impressive 19-6 major over Penn State's Sam Sherlock (West Mifflin, Pa.) at 141 to give the Gophers an 11-0 lead.
Three-time All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), ranked No. 1 at 149, posted a resounding 16-10 win over No. 5 Dylan Ness of Minnesota to give Penn State its first win of the dual. Minnesota got a key win at 157, however, when No. 9 Jake Deitchler downed No. 11 Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.) 8-4 in a hotly contested bout. The decision gave Minnesota a 14-3 lead heading into the break.
Penn State came out of the locker room on fire thanks to two sophomore All-Americans. Sophomore David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio), ranked No. 1 at 165, crushed No. 8 Cody Yohn, posting a furious 16-1 technical fall at the 4:29 mark. Classmate Ed Ruth, ranked No. 2 at 174, followed that up with a quick pin of Minnesota's Eric Ortiz, getting the fall at the 2:28 mark to tie the dual at 14-14. But Minnesota got a key upset at 184 to silence the Lion crowd as No. 6 Kevin Steinhaus downed No. 1 Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) 6-1 to give Minnesota a 17-14 lead.
Lion true freshman Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.) nearly pulled off the upset of the day, taking No. 2 Cody Yohn down with under :20 left to take a 3-1 lead at 197. But Yohn, ranked No. 2 nationally, escaped notched a takedown as the bout ended to steal a thrilling 4-3 win and put Minnesota up 20-14. In the final match-up, No. 3 Tony Nelson of Minnesota downed Penn State's Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), ranked No. 4, 5-0 at heavyweight. The final decision gave the Gophers a 23-14 win.
Penn State fell to 1-1 with the loss, 0-1 in early Big Ten action. Minnesota improved its record to 1-1, 1-0 in the conference. Minnesota posted a dominant 26-12 edge in takedowns and had six riding time points in its seven wins.
Penn State will return to action on Sunday, Dec. 4 when it takes part in the Nittany Lion Open. The tournament, hosted by the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club, begins at 8:30 a.m. and is not part of the Lions' season ticket package. Tickets are available at the door the day of the event. Penn State's next home dual is on Saturday, Dec. 11, when West Virginia visits Rec Hall for a 2 p.m. match-up. A very limited number of ticket remains for the WVU dual, fans can purchase them by calling 814-865-5555. Tickets are priced at $8 for adults and $5 for youth (18 and under) and can be purchased from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day or in person at the Bryce Jordan Center box office. A maximum of four tickets may be purchased per person.
The full season slate of live dual meet and tournament action will air locally on WRSC AM (1390 AM) with Friday evening duals being simulcast on WRSC FM (103.1 FM). Lock Haven's WBPZ (1230 AM) will also carry the entire season live, WIEZ (690 AM) in Huntingdon/Lewistown carries all Sunday events and further affiliates may be added soon. The regular season schedule of radio broadcasts will be streamed live at www.GoPSUsports.com as part of Penn State's All-Access package, which will also feature live video streams of many home events. Ticket information is accessed easily online at www.GoPSUsports.com/tickets/m-wrestl-tickets.html . Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at www.twitter.com/pennstatepat and on Penn State Wrestling's facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling. The 2011-12 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline.
#2 Penn State 14, #4 Minnesota 23
November 20, 2011 - University Park, Pa. - Rec Hall
125: #2 Zach Sanders MINN dec. #18 Nico Megaludis PSU, 6-2 0-3
133: #7 David Thorn MINN maj. dec. Derek Reber PSU, 14-5 0-7
141: #10 Nick Dardanes MINN maj. dec. Sam Sherlock PSU, 19-6 0-11
149: #1 Frank Molinaro PSU dec. #5 Dylan Ness MINN, 16-10 3-11
157: #9 Jake Deitchler MINN dec. #11 Dylan Alton PSU, 9-4 3-14
165: #1 David Taylor PSU tech. fall #8 Cody Yohn MINN, 16-1 (TF; 4:29) 8-14
174: #2 Ed Ruth PSU pinned Eric Ortiz MINN, WBF (2:28) 14-14
184: #6 Kevin Steinhaus MINN dec. #1 Quentin Wright PSU, 6-1 14-17
197: #2 Sonny Yohn PSU dec. #10 Morgan McIntosh PSU, 4-3 14-20
285: #3 Tony Nelson MINN dec. #4 Cameron Wade PSU, 5-0 14-23
Attendance: 6,277
Records: #2 Penn State (1-1, 0-1 B1G); #4 Minnesota (0-1, 1-0 B1G)
Up Next for Penn State: Nittany Lion Open, Rec Hall, Sunday, Dec. 4, 8:30 a.m.
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
125: True freshman Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), ranked No. 18 nationally, took on Gopher senior Zach Sanders, who was ranked No. 2 at 125. The do traded early shots with Sanders trying to work a shoulder throw. Megaludis fought off the fifth-year senior's early attempts until Sanders scored the first takedown on a solid low single at the 1:42 mark. Megaludis quickly escaped and action resumed in the center circle with the second-ranked Gopher up 2-1. Megaludis trailed 2-1 after one period and chose down to start the second period but could not break free of a strong Sanders ride. Megaludis continued to battle, looking for a chance to escape and tie the bout up, but Sanders was able to ride the Lion out. Leading 2-1 with 2:19 in riding time, Sanders chose down to start the third period and Megaludis cut him loose to a 3-1 deficit. Megaludis worked for his shots, shooting low. But Sanders fought off numerous Megaludis shots until countering one and taking a 5-1 lead with a takedown at the 1:00 mark. Megaludis escaped to a 5-2 deficit. Megaludis continued shooting, but Sanders fought off every attempt to hold on for a 6-2 win.
133: Penn State junior Derek Reber (Lewisburg, Pa.) took to the mat against No. 7 David Thorn at 133. Thorn took a quick 2-0 lead with a high shot at the 2:45 mark. Reber worked his way to an escape to cut the lead to 2-1 and action resumed in the center circle. Thorn notched a second takedown to up his lead to 4-1 with 1:32 on the clock. Reber fought off an early turn attempt and then fought his way to an escaped and a 4-2 deficit. Thorn added a third takedown at the :31 mark but Reber escaped with :10 left to trail 6-3 heading into the second period. Thorn chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 7-3 lead. The ranked Gopher added a takedown and cut to lead 9-4 with 1:10 on the clock and then immediately got in on a high single, finishing it off for a takedown and an 11-4 lead. Thorn rode Reber out to lead 11-4 with 2:39 in time after two. Reber chose down to start the third and was cut loose to an 11-5 deficit. Reber scrambled for a shot and Thorn countered, forcing Reber down for a takedown as the Lion called for an injury timeout with 1:03. Thorn chose down after the injury time by Reber but Reber was able to maintain control for the rest of the period. Thorn got the riding time point and posted the 14-5 major.
141: Lion red-shirt freshman Sam Sherlock (West Mifflin, Pa.) got a stern early season test at 141 against Minnesota's Nick Dardanes, who entered the bout ranked No. 10. The duo battled evenly for the first minute until Sherlock nearly connected on a high single. Dardanes was able to fight off the shot and keep the bout scoreless. Sherlock was hit with a stall warning at the 1:30 mark. Sherlock shot again and this time Dardanes countered, moved around the Lion and got the first takedown at the 1:08 mark. Sherlock escaped to a 2-1 deficit with :40 left and action resumed in the center circle. Dardanes drove through a low double and took a 4-1 lead with :06 on the clock, a lead he took into the second period. Sherlock chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 4-2 deficit with 1:10 on the clock. Dardanes continued to find success with low doubles, getting a third takedown right after Sherlock escaped and, after cutting Sherlock loose, led 6-3 with 1:15 on the clock. Another Sherlock stall gave Dardanes a 7-3 lead. Dardanes added a fourth takedown, a stall point and a ride out to lead 10-3 with 1:53 in riding time after two periods. Dardanes chose neutral two start the third period, took Sherlock down and cut him loose to a 12-4 lead. Sherlock looked to connect on a single but Dardanes countered for another takedown to lead 14-4 with :36 and a clinched riding time point. Sherlock was cut loose to a 14-5 deficit but was taken down and cut loose twice more, giving Dardanes the 19-6 major.
149: In a bout featuring literally ten marquee match-ups, Nittany Lion senior Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) met Minnesota's Dylan Ness in a key battle at 149. Molinaro was ranked No. 1 while Ness carried a No. 5 ranking. Ness had an early chance to score, but Molinaro quickly skipped out of trouble and remained scoreless :30 into an up tempo bout. Molinaro used a high double to take a 2-0 lead and broke the Gopher down. Molinaro began looking for a chance to turn the fifth-ranked Gopher. Ness was able to fight off three different Molinaro turns and keep the bout close. After a reset with :26 left, Molinaro fought to ride Ness out and led 2-0 with 2:01 in riding time after one. The three time All-American chose down to start the second, quickly escaped and then bulled through a high double for another takedown and a 5-0 lead. Molinaro's strong ride forced Ness into a stall warning while the Lion continued to try and turn him. A full ride out gave Molinaro a 5-0 lead with 3:44 in riding time after two, clinching the extra point. Ness chose down to start the third and was cut loose. Molinaro quickly took the Gopher down to up his lead to 7-2 after another cut. Ness got his first takedown with 1:28 on the clock, cutting the lead to 8-4 after a Molinaro escape. Molinaro notched another takedown to up his lead to 10-4 with 1:00 but Ness reversed the Lion to cut the lead to 10-6. After a reset with :28 left, Molinaro escape to an 11-6 lead and but was taken down twice in the final :30. The Lion All-American finished on top, however, with a final takedown to win 16-10 with 4:01 in riding time.
157: Red-shirt freshman Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), ranked No. 11 at 157, took on No. 9 Jake Deitchler of Minnesota in a hotly contested battle at 157. Deitchler and Alton fought off each other's shots until the 2:05 mark when Alton used a low duck-under to finish off a single leg and lead 2-0. Deitchler quickly escaped and action resumed in the center circle. Alton nearly notched another takedown but Deitchler managed to fight off the move and keep the score at 2-1 with 1:00 left. Alton nearly thrilled the crowd with a quick throw for back points, but Deitchler rolled through the effort and Alton led 2-1 after the opening period. Alton chose down to start the middle stanza and quickly escaped to a 3-1 lead. He then got in on a single leg and forced a scramble that Deitchler turned into a takedown and a 3-3 tie with 1:15 on the clock. Alton worked for an escape as the period ended, but Deitchler was able to ride him out. Tied 3-3, Deitchler, who had 1:20 in riding time, chose down to start the third. The Gopher escaped to a 4-3 lead with 1:40 left and a 1:04 time edge. Alton looked to score on a high single, but Deitchler countered and used a low double to take a 6-3 lead with 1:18 left in the bout. Alton escaped to a 6-4 deficit and immediately got in on a low single. But Deitchler forced a scramble that ended in a stalemate with :34 on the clock. Alton scrambled for a late takedown, but Deitchler scrambled his way to a trip and a clinching takedown to lead 8-4. The riding time point gave the Gopher a 9-4 win and Minnesota a 14-3 lead at the break.
165: No. 1 David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) faced off against No. 8 Cody Yohn of Minnesota in a key bout at 165. Yohn got in on a single leg, but Taylor quickly countered, turned it into a cradle and had the Gopher seemingly pinned. But the Lion did not get the call, getting only two near fall points instead, and led 4-0 early. Yohn escaped to a 4-1 deficit, shot again, and once again Taylor scrambled around the Gopher for another takedown and a 6-1 lead at the 1:18 mark. Taylor began working to turn the Gopher junior, getting two more near fall points to lead 8-1 with :40 left. A three-point turn gave Taylor an 11-1 lead, another two-point turn a 13-1 lead, and a ride out gave the Lion a 13-1 lead with 2:20 in riding time after one period. Taylor chose down to start the second period. The Lion All-American escaped to a 14-1 lead and then quickly took the eighth-ranked Gopher down for the 16-1 technical fall at the 4:29 mark.
174: Sophomore Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 2 at 174, met Minnesota's Alec Ortiz. Ruth wasted no time in taking Ortiz down, scoring off the opening whistle to lead 2-0 just :06 into the bout. The Lion All-American then began looking for a chance to turn Ortiz by finishing off a cradle. Ortiz got hit with a stall warning at the 1:31 mark. Ruth cut Ortiz loose at the 1:06 mark and then tripped the Gopher to the mat for another takedown and a 4-1 lead. The second-ranked Lion then quickly finished off a cradle, getting the pin at the 2:28 mark, sending over 6,200 Rec Hall fans to their feet and tying the dual at 14-14.
184: Junior Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 184, met Gopher rival Kevin Steinhaus, who entered the bout ranked No. 6. Wright came out looking for an early throw, but Steinhaus fought off the first few attempts, keeping the bout scoreless at the midway point of the opening period. The duo continued to battle evenly, with Steinhaus fighting off another Ruth shot at the :40 mark. Tied 0-0, Wright chose down to start the second stanza. The Lion quickly escaped but a scramble allowed Steinhaus to work his way to a takedown and a 2-1 lead. Wright worked for an escape, but Steinhaus continued a strong ride, building up a minute-plus in riding time in the process. Steinhaus maintained control of the Lion All-American for the rest of the period and led 2-1 with 1:50 in riding time after two periods. Steinhaus chose down to start the final period and escaped to a 3-1 lead. Wright shot low, Steinhaus forced a scramble and the duo battled in the center circle with the Gopher coming out on top for a takedown and a 5-1 lead with :38 left in the bout. Steinhaus rode Wright out for the 6-1 win, giving Minnesota a 17-14 lead.
197: Lion true freshman Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), ranked No. 10 nationally at 197, faced off against No. 2 Sonny Yohn. The young Lion battled the second-ranked Gopher evenly, taking low shots and setting the tempo early. The top-ten duo traded high shots in the middle of the mat with neither man finding an opening to score until McIntosh nearly finished a takedown at the buzzer. But Yohn fought off the move and the bout headed to the second period tied 0-0. McIntosh chose down to start the second and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. McIntosh got in on another high single but Yohn was able to hold tight and force a stalemate with 1:00 left in the period. McIntosh continued to pressure the second-ranked Gopher, forcing Yohn into defense for the rest of the period. Trailing 1-0, the Gopher chose down to start the final stanza and escaped to a 1-1 tie. McIntosh shot low, Yohn countered and the Lion freshman countered himself, forcing a scramble with :50 left. Each man had a chance to notch the takedown with McIntosh working his way around for a takedown and a 3-1 lead with just :20 left. Yohn scrambled to an escape and quickly got in on a shot that ended with a takedown as the bout ended. The mad scramble gave the second-ranked Gopher a 4-3 win and put Minnesota up 20-14.
285: In perhaps the dual's most anticipated bout, Lion senior Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), ranked No. 4 at heavyweight, met No. 3 Tony Nelson of Minnesota. The evenly matched duo worked their way through the first half of the opening period with neither wrestler securing an opening to score. After a scoreless first period, Nelson chose down to start the second stanza and Wade went to work looking for a chance to turn the Gopher. But Nelson countered Wade's effort and reversed the Lion senior for a 2-0 lead at the 1:20 mark. Nelson then put together a strong ride and killed the clock. Wade, trailing 2-0, chose neutral to start the final period. Wade worked for an opening to score but could not break through Nelson's defense. The Lion shot low, looking to score, but Nelson countered and got a late takedown to, with the RT point, post a 5-0 win.