UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; January 20, 2019 – No. 1 Penn State (7-0, 3-0 B1G) took care of No. 7 Nebraska (8-3, 2-2 B1G) in a marquee Big Ten dual meet on Sunday. The Nittany Lions downed the visiting Cornhuskers 25-6 in sold out Rec Hall, winning eight of ten bouts in a dual that featured 16 ranked wrestlers.
Penn State won all six bouts pitting ranked opponents against each other, including Jason Nolf's (Yatesboro, Pa.) dominant win over No. 2 Tyler Berger at 157.
The dual began at 125 where Lion sophomore Devin Schnupp (Lititz, Pa.) took on No. 13 Zeke Moisey of Nebraska. Schnupp battled the former NCAA finalist tough before dropping a hard-fought 6-1 decision. True freshman Roman Bravo-Young (Tucson, Ariz.), ranked No. 13 at 133 dominated Husker Jevon Parrish, rolling to a 20-7 major decision with 3:33 in riding time, putting Penn State on top 4-3. Sophomore Nick Lee (Evansville, Ind.), ranked No. 6 at 141, increased Penn State's lead with a strong 5-4 win over No. 19 Chad Red Jr.
Redshirt freshman Brady Berge (Mantorville, Minn.), ranked No. 10 at 149, made it three straight for the Lions, downing Jordan Shearer 7-4 to give Penn State a 10-3 lead in the dual. Nolf, ranked No. 1 at 157, dominated No. 2 Tyler Berger in one of the dual's most anticipated match-ups. Nolf tallied the bout's only four takedowns to roll to a 10-4 win over the second-ranked Husker. Penn State led 13-3 heading into halftime.
Junior Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 165, returned to action for the first time in two weeks and posted a hard-fought 2-0 win over No. 2 Isaiah White in another marquee match-up. Joseph's win gave the Nittany Lions a 16-3 lead. Junior Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.), ranked No. 1 at 174, made it six straight wins for the Lions with a 5-3 victory over No. 9 Mikey Labriola, putting Penn State up 19-3.
Redshirt freshman Mason Manville (Lorton, Va.) moved up from 165 and stepped in for No. 3 Shakur Rasheed (Coram, N.Y.) at 184 to take on No. 5 Taylor Venz. Manville wrestled the fifth-ranked Husker tough but dropped a tough 7-1 decision. Senior Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), ranked No. 1 at 197, beat No. 11 Eric Schultz 8-6 at 197, upping the Lion lead to 22-6. Senior Anthony Cassar (Rocky Hill, N.J.), ranked No. 4 at 285, closed out the dual meet in stellar fashion, tallying four takedowns in a strong 10-4 win over no. 14 David Jensen. The final victory gave Penn State a 25-6 victory.
Penn State had a 24-7 edge in takedowns, winning eight of ten bouts. The Nittany Lions picked up one bonus point off Bravo-Young's major at 133.
The Nittany Lions have now won 52-straight dual meets dating back to the end of the 2014-15 season. Sanderson's Lions won their last dual of that campaign, went 16-0 in 2015-16, went 14-0 in 2016-17 and went 14-0 in 2017-18. Penn State is now 7-0, 3-0 in Big Ten duals, while Nebraska falls to 8-3, 2-2 B1G. Penn State hits the road for two Big Ten away duals next weekend. The Nittany Lions are at Purdue on Friday, Jan. 25, at 7 p.m. and at Indiana on Sunday, Jan. 27, at 2 p.m.
Penn State Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at @pennstateWREST, on Penn State Wrestling's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/pennstatewrest. This is PENN STATE. WRESTLING lives here.
#1 Penn State 25, #7 Nebraska 6
January 20, 2019 – Rec Hall – University Park, Pa.
125: #13 Zeke Moisey NEB dec. Devin Schnupp PSU, 6-1 0-3
133: #13 Roman Bravo-Young PSU maj. dec. Jevon Parrish NEB, 20-7 4-3
141: #6 Nick Lee PSU dec. #19 Chad Red Jr. NEB, 5-4 7-3
149: #10 Brady Berge PSU dec. Jordan Shearer NEB, 7-4 10-3
157: #1 Jason Nolf PSU dec. #2 Tyler Berger NEB, 10-4 13-3
165: #1 Vincenzo Joseph PSU dec. #6 Isaiah White NEB, 2-0 16-3
174: #1 Mark Hall PSU dec. #9 Mike Labriola NEB, 5-3 19-3
184: #5 Taylor Venz NEB dec. Mason Manville PSU, 7-1 19-6
197: #1 Bo Nickal PSU dec. #11 Eric Schultz NEB, 8-6 22-6
285: #4 Anthony Cassar PSU dec. #14 David Jensen NEB, 10-4 25-6
Attendance: 6,468 (46th straight Rec hall sellout; 50th of 52 including 4 of 6 in BJC)
Records: Penn State (7-0, 3-0 B1G); Nebraska (8-3, 2-2 B1G)
Up Next for Penn State: at Purdue, Friday, Jan. 25, 7 p.m.
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
125: Sophomore Devin Schnupp (Lititz, Pa.) took on No. 13 Zeke Moisey in the dual meet's first bout. Moisey got in on a quick low single and wrapped up a cradle right away. Schnupp fought off the turning effort and did not give up back points but trailed 2-0 at the 2:40 mark. Moisey controlled action from the top for nearly 2:00 before Schnupp was hit with a first stall warning. Leading 2-0 with 2:42 in time, chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. Moisey added a second takedown to up his lead to 5-0. Schnupp was unable to break free of another strong Moisey ride and trailed 5-0 with over 4:00 of riding time against after two periods. Schnupp chose down to start the third period and got the escape to trail 5-1. Schnupp began to up the tempo on offense, looking for a chance to take the former NCAA finalist down. Moisey was able to fight off Schnupp's efforts but the Lion's late offense kept the bout to a 6-1 decision.
133: True freshman Roman Bravo-Young (Tucson, Ariz.), ranked No. 13 at 133, battled Husker freshman Jevon Parrish. Bravo-Young scored quickly, turning a high single into a takedown and an early 2-0 lead. Parrish escaped at the 2:12 mark and got in on a high single but Bravo-Young deftly countered, turning the tables ono the Husker for a takedown and a 4-1 lead with 1:40 on the clock. Bravo-Young maintained control until he had 1:00 in riding time before he cut Parrish loose to a 4-2 score. The Lion freshman bulled through a high shot, knocking Parrish back and finishing off the takedown lead to 6-2 with under 1:00 to wrestle. The Lion finished off the period in control and led 6-2 with 1:52 in riding time after the first period. Bravo-Young chose neutral to start the second period. Bravo-Young continued to set the offensive pace as Parrish worked the outside circle. But the Lion freshman was relentless, getting his fourth takedown at the :45 mark to lead 8-3 after cutting Parrish loose. Bravo-Young added another takedown at the :25 mark and led 1-3 with 2:35 in riding time after two periods. Parrish chose down to start the third period and Bravo-Young cut him to a 10-4 score. The Lion, looking for bonus points, quickly added two more takedowns to up his lead to 14-5. Bravo-Young picked up a point on another Parrish stall and then cut the Husker loose to a 15-5 score with a riding time point clinched. The Lion countered a Parrish shot, took the Husker down and cut him once more to lead 17-7. He added a final takedown and, with 3:33 in time, rolled to a 20-7 major decision with 3:33 in riding time.
141: Sophomore Nick Lee (Evansville, Ind.), ranked No. 6 at 141, met No. 19 Chad Red, Jr. The ranked duo battled evenly for over two minutes. Lee got in on a high single at the :50 mark and, after a brief scramble, finished off the takedown to open up a 2-0 lead. The Lion was able to maintain control of Red for the final seconds and led 5-2 with :48 in time after the opening stanza. Lee chose down to start the second period and quickly worked his way into a position to notch a reversal. But Red was able to maintain the offensive position and forced a reset with 1:10 on the clock. Lee worked his way to his feet and forced Red into a second stall, taking a 3-0 lead. Red finished the period on top but Lee led 3-0 after two. Red chose down to start the final period and Lee was able to control the Husker long enough to erase Red's riding time edge. Lee led 3-1 with 1:35 on the clock but Red was able to counter a Lee shot, taking him down to tie the bout 3-3 and work his riding time point up over 1:00. Lee took a 4-3 lead on another Red Stall but the Husker maintained offensive control and had 1:27 in riding time with :39 to wrestle. Lee escaped to a 5-3 lead after a reset and fought off a late Red flurry to post a 5-4 win.
149: Redshirt freshman Brady Berge (Mantorville, Minn.), ranked No. 10 at 149, took on Husker Jordan Shearer. Berge worked the middle of the mat for a minute, nearly scoring on a quick shot at the 2:00 mark. But Shearer was able to step back from the effort and the bout continued scoreless through the midway point of the first period. Berge shot low on Shearer again, working right ankle control into a takedown and a 2-0 lead with :25 on the clock. Berge maintained control for the rest of the period but gave up a first stall warning in the process. Shearer chose down to start the second period and worked his way to an escape and a 2-1 score with 1:45 on the clock. Berge shot again but Shearer was able to force a stalemate with 1:00 on the clock. The Lion freshman continued to set the pace, shooting consistently and forcing Shearer into defense. Shearer took his first shot at the: 15 mark of the second period but Berge was able to fight off the effort and led 2-1 after two. Berge chose down to start the final period and quickly escaped to a 3-1 lead. Berge used his quickness to counter a slight Shearer shot to notch a takedown. Butt Berge gave up a stall point and a reversal in a quick flurry and led 6-4 after escaping with :30 on the clock. Berge picked up a final penalty point in the closing seconds and posted a hard-fought 7-4 win.
157: Senior Jason Nolf (Yatesboro, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 157, met No. 2 Tyler Berger in one of the dual's many marquee match-ups. Nolf wasted no time in taking a lead, using a single leg to lift Berger into the air, finishing off the takedown to lead 2-1 after cutting the second-ranked Husker loose. Nolf was steady in the middle of the mat, connecting on a low single at the 1:15 mark. Berger forced a scramble but Nolf was undeterred, moving around for another takedown and a 4-2 lead after another cut. Nolf led 4-2 after the first period and took down to start the second. The Lion senior quickly escaped to a 5-2 lead and immediately moved in on offense. Nolf's relentless pressure allowed the Lion to connect on another low shot but Berger was able to force a stalemate with a potentially dangerous hold. Nolf quickly connected on a reset, notching his third takedown with :40 on the clock to up his lead to 7-2. Trailing 7-2, Berger chose down to start the third period and Berger gave up a stall warning while Nolf cut him loose to a 7-3 score. Berge connected on a high single at the 1:30 mark, but Nolf easily forced a stalemate and a reset with 1:19 to wrestle. Nolf scrambled his way to a fourth takedown to lead 9-4 after cutting Berger loose again and then picked up another point on a Berger penalty. The Lion pressed the action for the final :15 and posted a dominating 10-4 win.
165: Senior Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 165, met No. 6 Isaiah White in another top-ten battle. The talented duo battled evenly for the first minute, with neither wrestler grabbing an early advantage. Joseph worked the center circle for the next minute, forcing White backwards towards the outside circle as the clock moved below the 1:00 mark. The Lion junior took multiple shots but White was able to play defense for the first 3:00 and keep the bout scoreless. With the bout tied 0-0 after one, White chose down to start the second stanza. Joseph was strong on top, however, breaking White down and controlling the action for over 1:00. Joseph's strong ride forced White into a first stall waring at the :40 mark and the Lion finished on top. Tied 0-0 but with 2:00 in time to his side, Joseph chose down to start the third period. The Lion worked his way to his feet and escaped to a 1-0 lead with 1:04 on the clock and 1:06 in riding time. Joseph worked for shoulder control in the middle of the mat but White was able to defend the efforts. Joseph's 1:06 in riding time gave the Lion a 2-0 win.
174: Junior Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.), ranked No. 1 nationally, took on No. 9 Mike Labriola in an anticipated match-up at 174. Hall stalked the middle of the mat, keeping Labriola moving backwards as the Lion junior looked for an opening to score. Hall's consistent pressure forced Labriola into a first stall at the :50 mark. He then worked his way in on a low single and then steadily fought through a scramble for a takedown and a 2-0 lead with :15 on the clock. Leading by two, Hall chose down to start the second period. He quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead and then went on offense again. Labriola countered a Hall shot and managed to trip the Lion to the mat for a takedown. But Hall quickly escaped and led 4-2 with :43 left in the second period. Trailing 4-2, Labriola chose down to start the third period. Hall controlled the action from the top position but was called for locked hands. Penn State challenged the call but the call stood and Hall led 4-3. Hall continued on top as the clock moved to the :40 mark and had over 1:00 in riding time. The Lion finished the match on top but Nebraska challenged the action, looking for a locked hands. The review did not show any locked hands and Hall, with 1:49 in riding time, posted a 5-3 win.
184: Redshirt freshman Mason Manville (Lorton, Va.) moved up from 165 and stepped in for No. 3 Shakur Rasheed (Coram, N.Y.) to face off against No. 5 Tyler Venz at 184. Venz worked his way to a takedown and an early 2-0 lead on the Lion freshman. Manville worked his way to an escape and a 2-1 deficit and then nearly scored on a low single but Venz was able to force a stalemate. Leading 2-1, Venz chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 3-1 lead. Manville took a high single, Venz countered, but Manville was able to stay neutral on his feet and action resumed in the center circle at the 1:00 mark. The Lion freshman fought off another late shot by Venz and trailed 3-1 after two periods. Trailing by two, Manville chose neutral to start the third period and once again got in on a low single before Venz forced a stalemate with a scramble. Manville shot again but this time Venz was able to counter for a takedown and a 5-1 lead. Manville fought off a Venz turn attempt as he worked to escape the Husker ride. He gave up one stall point. Venz finished on top and with 2:15 in time, posted the hard-fought 7-1 win over the Lion 165-pounder.
197: Senior Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), ranked No. 1 at 197, met No. 11 Eric Schultz. Nickal was steady to start the match. He worked the center circle and took a 2-1 lead with a solid takedown at the 2:20 mark. After cutting Schultz loose, Nickal continued to pressure the Husker and took a 4-1 lead with a second takedown at the 1:10 mark. Nickal maintained control until the :40 mark when he cut Schultz loose. Schultz defended two late Nickal shots and the Lion led 4-2 after one. Nickal chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 5-2 lead. Nickal's relentless pressure allowed the Lion to work his way to a third takedown and a 7-3 lead with 1:00 on the clock. Schultz was able to defend his way to the end of the second period with Nickal leading 7-3. Schultz chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 7-4 score at the 1:25 mark with Nickal owning 1:48 in time. Nickal gave up a late takedown but with 1:48 in time, posted the 8-6 victory.
285: Senior Anthony Cassar (Rocky Hill, N.J.), ranked No. 4 at 285, faced off against No. 14 David Jensen. The ranked duo battled evenly for the first three minutes with neither man finding an opening in which to score. With the bout scoreless after the opening stanza, Cassar chose down to 10-4 the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Cassar worked the middle of the mat, looking to turn shoulder control into an offensive opportunity. But Jensen was able to step back from every Cassar shot and keep the action neutral as the clock moved below the 1:00 mark. Jensen took a soft low shot at the :05 and Cassar took advantage, using his quickness to step behind the effort and score the takedown to lead 2-0 after two. Jensen chose down to start the third and escaped to a 2-1 score. Cassar quickly took him down to up his lead to 4-1 and then dominated the final seconds, tacking on two more takedowns to roll to a 10-4 win with 1:10 in time.
