Wrestling
Wrestling
Husky Wrestling: #3 MSU 24, #10 SCSU 15
WRESTLING: Roberts Scores Big Victory; #10 Huskies Fall to #3 Minnesota State 24-15
Thursday, February 19, 2009
St. Cloud, Minn. – The match-up between #10 St. Cloud State (8-5, 5-2 NSIC) and #3 Minnesota State (11-4, 7-0 NSIC) was just as good as the rankings advertised it could be. Brady Wilson of MSU pinned SCSU’s Bobby Ross (St. Peter) in the last match to clinch an NSIC title and 24-15 victory over SCSU Thursday evening at Halenbeck Hall.
“A couple different things go our way and it’s a whole different match,” said assistant coach Matt Lowers. “With that being said, our guys wrestled great against a top-notch opponent and it will only help come the North Regional in a March,” he added.
The biggest win for SCSU came at 149 lbs., courtesy of Jake Roberts (Jordan). Following a 6-1 first period for #2 Tommy Abbott, Roberts rallied to make it a 6-4 match after two. Roberts completed the comeback with an escape and takedown in the third to score the 7-6 win.
The Huskies had to wrestle from behind the entire match after a forfeit at 125 lbs. Josh Williams (Banks, Ore.) got the Huskies on the board with a wire-to-wire 6-1 victory at 133 lbs to cut the Maverick lead to 6-3.
Gabe Suarez (Las Vegas) put up a battle against #2 John Putman at 141 lbs., nearly scoring the first Husky upset of the evening. Putman took the early lead and held it throughout the match, but Suarez made it a one-point deficit early in the third. Putman turned away Suarez offensive advances for the last minute, including a near-reversal as time expired to take a 9-7 win.
A pair of nationally ranked opponents met at 157 lbs. in #7 John Sundgren (Blaine) and #6 Travis Elg of MSU. In a 2-2 match at the end of the first, Elg scored a reversal and three-point near fall with less than 10 seconds remaining to take a 7-2 lead. That score held until the 5:30 mark when Elg stuck Sundgren for the pin and 15-6 MSU lead heading into intermission.
#7 Tad Merritt (Canby) grabbed momentum back for SCSU, as he posted a 12-5 win over Tim Matheson at 165 lbs. Merritt nearly picked up the pin in the second period and as the horn sounded in the third, and had to settle for the three point decision.
Derek Skala (Owatonna) got the Huskies within a match at 15-12, with a 6-3 win at 174 lbs. Ben Becker took the early lead over Skala, but the Owatonna native took the lead in the third, holding on for the final minute for the Huskies.
Brad Padgett (Buckley, Wash.) tied the match at 15 for the Huskies after a 8-7 win over Aaron Norgren at 184 lbs. Norgren took a 4-1 lead after the first, but Padgett came back to make it 6-5 after two periods with two takedowns and an escape. With the score at sixes in the third, Padgett recorded a takedown with 38 seconds left to score the 8-7 win.
Yet another narrow victory for MSU could have easily swayed the match in SCSU’s favor at 197 lbs. Luke Munkelwitz (Forest Lake) took a 2-0 first period lead over #6 Pat Mahan, but Mahan came back to make it 5-2 after two. Munkelwitz pulled within one with an escape and a penalty point with 10 seconds left, but could not connect with the final takedown, falling 5-4.
SCSU also celebrated Senior Night, as Nick Wasche (Cedar), Matt Jackson (Oakdale), Padgett and Williams were honored during the intermission of the dual.
The win gave the Mavericks the outright NSIC title heading into the North Region Tournament in March. Both teams will be in action there, March 1 in Marshall, Minn.
#3 MSU Mankato 24, #10 St. Cloud State 15
125: Andy Fornster (MSU) wins by forfeit - 6-0 MSU
133: Josh Williams (SCSU) over Tim Haneberg (MSU), 6-3 – 6-3 MSU
141: #2 John Putman (MSU) over Gabe Suarez (SCSU), 9-7 – 9-3 MSU
149: Jake Roberts (SCSU) over #2 Tommy Abbott (MSU), 7-6 – 9-6 MSU
157: #6 Travis Elg (MSU) over #7 John Sundgren (SCSU), Fall-5:30 – 15-6 MSU
165: #7 Tad Merritt (SCSU) over Tim Matheson (MSU), 12-5 – 15-9 MSU
174: Derek Skala (SCSU) over Ben Becker (MSU), 6-3 – 15-12 MSU
184: #2 Brad Padgett (SCSU) over Aaron Norgren (MSU), 8-7 – 15-15
197: #6 Pat Mahan (MSU) over Luke Munkelwitz (SCSU), 5-4 – 18-15
285: #2 Brady Wilson (MSU) over Bobby Ross (SCSU), Fall-4:32 – 24-15 MSU
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