No. 1 Penn State battles back to beat No. 4 Michigan, 25-11, in sold out Bryce Jordan Center
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by Andy Elder, Special to TheMat.com
Vincenzo Joseph of Penn State celebrates his sudden victory win over Logan Massa of Michigan. Photo by Mark Sellers, Penn State Athletics.
UNIVERSITY PARK — Three takedowns, two late in matches. That was the difference first-year head coach Sean Bormet saw in No. 4 Michigan’s 25-11 loss to No. 1 Penn State on Friday night.
“It was a razor-thin dual meet. At the end, that scoreboard didn’t really reflect it but that dual meet was decided on one takedown in three separate bouts,” he said.
“I thought our guys competed really well. I thought at the majority of the weights we had more offense. They ended up capitalizing on some nice counter-offense but overall, it was a razor-thin dual meet.”
Nittany Lion coach Cael Sanderson saw the same thing. His Nittany Lions faced team and individual deficits and found a way to win, as they always seem to do.
“They’re just tough kids. They come from backgrounds where they have a history of pulling those tough matches out,” he said.
“We hope we can advance that in their careers, in their mindset and their training. Ultimately it’s the decisions they make. You get up on that stage in an environment like that, you’ve got to stay focused. I think they have a history of doing that.”
No. 1 Penn State found a way once again, winning seven of 10 bouts, including the final six, in a 25-11 win in front of sellout crowd of 15,703 fans in the Bryce Jordan Center. The Nittany Lions (10-0, 6-0 Big Ten) handed the Wolverines (9-1, 5-1) their first loss of the season. In the process, Penn State ran its dual meet winning streak to 55.
Even when his team trailed 8-0 and 11-3 early in the dual meet, there was no panic in Sanderson.
Instead, he said, there was more a sense of anticipation to see how his team would deal with the deficits.
“I’m more excited to see how our team is going to respond. This same group of guys responded. They’re tough. They can win tough matches, close matches,” he said.
“We would rather score a few more points, but when you’re wrestling an opponent that is as good as we saw tonight, sometimes you’ve got to find a way to win those matches. It’s exciting.”
The Nittany Lions came out after the break and swept the final five bouts to turn an 11-6 deficit into the 14-point win. Two of them weren’t easy; In fact, they were decided in the closing seconds.
At 165, top-ranked Vincenzo Joseph needed a sudden victory takedown at the buzzer to clip seventh-ranked Wolverine Logan Massa, 4-2.
“It’s kind of fun. I’m not saying wrestling close matches is fun, but it’s exciting,” Joseph said. “It’s a moment you’re going to remember. You want to win it and you’re going to do whatever you can to win it. It’s exciting for me.”
Top-ranked 174-pounder Mark Hall also needed a late takedown to pull out a win. With the match tied 1-1 with under 30 seconds to go in the third, Hall hit a shrug and snuck around third-ranked Myles Amine for a takedown. Amine escaped but couldn’t get a winning takedown as Hall hung on for a 3-2 decision.
“I thought he wrestled well,” Sanderson said. “His opponent is someone he could very well see in the national tournament. He’s very good. You have to be ready to wrestle. He fended off some good attacks. He stayed solid.”
Second-ranked 184-pounder Shakur Rasheed, back in the lineup with a wrap on his right knee after missing the last three duals, hit two quick takedowns in the first.period and made them stand up. He added an escape in the third for a 5-3 decision over Jelani Embree.
Penn State then sent the crowd home happy with a pair of decisive wins at 197 and 285. Bo Nickal built a 14-4 lead on Jackson Striggow before locking up a near cradle and decking Striggow in 5:50. Then, at 285, second-ranked Anthony Cassar used six takedowns, including a double that took No. 8 Mason Parris to his back early in the first period, for a 19-8 major decision to close out the win.
Cassar said he fed off the BJC crowd.
“I love it. I felt at peace before the match. I trust my training. I feel like I work harder and I’m more committed than most. I trust that. I had a lot of fun tonight,” he said.
Michigan grabbed wins in the first two weights to jump out to an 8-0 lead.
No. 15 Drew Mattin staked the Wolverines to a 3-0 lead as he blanked Devin Schnupp, 6-0. It was a win of sorts for Schnupp, who was blanked 8-0 last year by Mattin.
Then, at 133, with Roman Bravo-Young still sidelined by a right knee injury, Michigan’s top-ranked Stevan Micic rolled to a 20-5 technicall fall over Penn State senior Scott Stossel, who was making his dual meet debut. Micic rolled up seven takedowns in the win.
The Nittany Lions finally broke through at 141. No. 7 Nick Lee scored two decisive takedowns in the first period and tacked on one each in the second and third in a 10-4 upset of No. 5 Kanen Storr.
At 149, Jared Verkeeren subbed in for Brady Berge, who didn’t weigh in. Verkleeren built a 5-3 lead on Malik Amine through two periods. The Wolverine escaped and scored a takedown in the third, added a riding time point for a 7-5 final.
Sanderson said that Brady Berge was supposed to wrestle but couldn’t, not offering an explanation why. Verkleeren was told earlier Friday that he was needed and, even though he was over the weight, he shed the weight and wrestled well. Sanderson said that weight loss may have contributed to Verkleeren fading in the third.
Penn State cut the lead to 11-6 at the break after No. 1 Jason Nolf dominated No. 5 Alec Pantaleo, 9-2. Nolf mounted a 6-0 lead in the first period. He opened with a takedown and then hooked up a bow and arrow on top and turned Pantaleo for four nearfall points.
“Outside of that first 1:30 of that first period, Alec wrestled a really smart match, was real disciplined with his ties and I liked the fact that he was aggressive and went to that knee-pull single early but a single is probably not the best shot selection early in the bout with Nolf,” Bormet said.
“I thought he adjusted really well after that. The turn took him out of the match but I really liked what I saw in the second and third period, the adjustments he made.”
Bormet said he was pleased with his team’s offense and, with a few adjustments, they would better next time.
“They came here to win matches and I thought they had good offense,” he said. “Just some little technical things that we’ve got to continue to improve on from ties to shot selection, improve a little bit on top.”
No. 1 Penn State 25
No. 4 Michigan 11
(Friday at University Park)
125: No. 15 Drew Mattin, UM, dec. Devin Schnupp, 6-0.
133: No. 1 Stevan Micic, UM, won by tech. fall over Scott Stossel, 20-5 (7:00).
141: No. 7 Nick Lee, PSU, dec. No. 5 Kanen Storr, 10-4.
149: Malik Amine, UM, dec. Jarod Verkleeren, 7-5.
157: No. 1 Jason Nolf, PSU, dec. No. 5 Alec Pantaleo, 9-2.
165: No. 1 Vincenzo Joseph, PSU, dec. No. 7 Logan Massa, 4-2 SV.
174: No. 1 Mark Hall, PSU, dec. No. 3 Myles Amine, 3-2.
184: No. 2 Shakur Rasheed, PSU, dec. Jelani Embree, 5-3.
197: No. 1 Bo Nickal, PSU, pinned Jackson Striggow, 5:50.
285: No. 4 Anthony Cassar, PSU, maj. Dec. No. 8 Mason Parris, 19-8.
Referees: Michael Chase, Matt Sorochinsky.
Attendance: 15,703.
Ridge Riley Award winner: Mark Hall, 174 pounds
Takedowns: Michigan 13; Penn State 22.
Records: Michigan 9-1, 5-1 Big Ten; Penn State 10-0, 6-0.
Next match: Northwestern at Michigan, noon Feb. 10; Penn State at Ohio State, 8:30 p.m. Friday
UNIVERSITY PARK — Three takedowns, two late in matches. That was the difference first-year head coach Sean Bormet saw in No. 4 Michigan’s 25-11 loss to No. 1 Penn State on Friday night.
“It was a razor-thin dual meet. At the end, that scoreboard didn’t really reflect it but that dual meet was decided on one takedown in three separate bouts,” he said.
“I thought our guys competed really well. I thought at the majority of the weights we had more offense. They ended up capitalizing on some nice counter-offense but overall, it was a razor-thin dual meet.”
Nittany Lion coach Cael Sanderson saw the same thing. His Nittany Lions faced team and individual deficits and found a way to win, as they always seem to do.
“They’re just tough kids. They come from backgrounds where they have a history of pulling those tough matches out,” he said.
“We hope we can advance that in their careers, in their mindset and their training. Ultimately it’s the decisions they make. You get up on that stage in an environment like that, you’ve got to stay focused. I think they have a history of doing that.”
No. 1 Penn State found a way once again, winning seven of 10 bouts, including the final six, in a 25-11 win in front of sellout crowd of 15,703 fans in the Bryce Jordan Center. The Nittany Lions (10-0, 6-0 Big Ten) handed the Wolverines (9-1, 5-1) their first loss of the season. In the process, Penn State ran its dual meet winning streak to 55.
Even when his team trailed 8-0 and 11-3 early in the dual meet, there was no panic in Sanderson.
Instead, he said, there was more a sense of anticipation to see how his team would deal with the deficits.
“I’m more excited to see how our team is going to respond. This same group of guys responded. They’re tough. They can win tough matches, close matches,” he said.
“We would rather score a few more points, but when you’re wrestling an opponent that is as good as we saw tonight, sometimes you’ve got to find a way to win those matches. It’s exciting.”
The Nittany Lions came out after the break and swept the final five bouts to turn an 11-6 deficit into the 14-point win. Two of them weren’t easy; In fact, they were decided in the closing seconds.
At 165, top-ranked Vincenzo Joseph needed a sudden victory takedown at the buzzer to clip seventh-ranked Wolverine Logan Massa, 4-2.
“It’s kind of fun. I’m not saying wrestling close matches is fun, but it’s exciting,” Joseph said. “It’s a moment you’re going to remember. You want to win it and you’re going to do whatever you can to win it. It’s exciting for me.”
Top-ranked 174-pounder Mark Hall also needed a late takedown to pull out a win. With the match tied 1-1 with under 30 seconds to go in the third, Hall hit a shrug and snuck around third-ranked Myles Amine for a takedown. Amine escaped but couldn’t get a winning takedown as Hall hung on for a 3-2 decision.
“I thought he wrestled well,” Sanderson said. “His opponent is someone he could very well see in the national tournament. He’s very good. You have to be ready to wrestle. He fended off some good attacks. He stayed solid.”
Second-ranked 184-pounder Shakur Rasheed, back in the lineup with a wrap on his right knee after missing the last three duals, hit two quick takedowns in the first.period and made them stand up. He added an escape in the third for a 5-3 decision over Jelani Embree.
Penn State then sent the crowd home happy with a pair of decisive wins at 197 and 285. Bo Nickal built a 14-4 lead on Jackson Striggow before locking up a near cradle and decking Striggow in 5:50. Then, at 285, second-ranked Anthony Cassar used six takedowns, including a double that took No. 8 Mason Parris to his back early in the first period, for a 19-8 major decision to close out the win.
Cassar said he fed off the BJC crowd.
“I love it. I felt at peace before the match. I trust my training. I feel like I work harder and I’m more committed than most. I trust that. I had a lot of fun tonight,” he said.
Michigan grabbed wins in the first two weights to jump out to an 8-0 lead.
No. 15 Drew Mattin staked the Wolverines to a 3-0 lead as he blanked Devin Schnupp, 6-0. It was a win of sorts for Schnupp, who was blanked 8-0 last year by Mattin.
Then, at 133, with Roman Bravo-Young still sidelined by a right knee injury, Michigan’s top-ranked Stevan Micic rolled to a 20-5 technicall fall over Penn State senior Scott Stossel, who was making his dual meet debut. Micic rolled up seven takedowns in the win.
The Nittany Lions finally broke through at 141. No. 7 Nick Lee scored two decisive takedowns in the first period and tacked on one each in the second and third in a 10-4 upset of No. 5 Kanen Storr.
At 149, Jared Verkeeren subbed in for Brady Berge, who didn’t weigh in. Verkleeren built a 5-3 lead on Malik Amine through two periods. The Wolverine escaped and scored a takedown in the third, added a riding time point for a 7-5 final.
Sanderson said that Brady Berge was supposed to wrestle but couldn’t, not offering an explanation why. Verkleeren was told earlier Friday that he was needed and, even though he was over the weight, he shed the weight and wrestled well. Sanderson said that weight loss may have contributed to Verkleeren fading in the third.
Penn State cut the lead to 11-6 at the break after No. 1 Jason Nolf dominated No. 5 Alec Pantaleo, 9-2. Nolf mounted a 6-0 lead in the first period. He opened with a takedown and then hooked up a bow and arrow on top and turned Pantaleo for four nearfall points.
“Outside of that first 1:30 of that first period, Alec wrestled a really smart match, was real disciplined with his ties and I liked the fact that he was aggressive and went to that knee-pull single early but a single is probably not the best shot selection early in the bout with Nolf,” Bormet said.
“I thought he adjusted really well after that. The turn took him out of the match but I really liked what I saw in the second and third period, the adjustments he made.”
Bormet said he was pleased with his team’s offense and, with a few adjustments, they would better next time.
“They came here to win matches and I thought they had good offense,” he said. “Just some little technical things that we’ve got to continue to improve on from ties to shot selection, improve a little bit on top.”
No. 1 Penn State 25
No. 4 Michigan 11
(Friday at University Park)
125: No. 15 Drew Mattin, UM, dec. Devin Schnupp, 6-0.
133: No. 1 Stevan Micic, UM, won by tech. fall over Scott Stossel, 20-5 (7:00).
141: No. 7 Nick Lee, PSU, dec. No. 5 Kanen Storr, 10-4.
149: Malik Amine, UM, dec. Jarod Verkleeren, 7-5.
157: No. 1 Jason Nolf, PSU, dec. No. 5 Alec Pantaleo, 9-2.
165: No. 1 Vincenzo Joseph, PSU, dec. No. 7 Logan Massa, 4-2 SV.
174: No. 1 Mark Hall, PSU, dec. No. 3 Myles Amine, 3-2.
184: No. 2 Shakur Rasheed, PSU, dec. Jelani Embree, 5-3.
197: No. 1 Bo Nickal, PSU, pinned Jackson Striggow, 5:50.
285: No. 4 Anthony Cassar, PSU, maj. Dec. No. 8 Mason Parris, 19-8.
Referees: Michael Chase, Matt Sorochinsky.
Attendance: 15,703.
Ridge Riley Award winner: Mark Hall, 174 pounds
Takedowns: Michigan 13; Penn State 22.
Records: Michigan 9-1, 5-1 Big Ten; Penn State 10-0, 6-0.
Next match: Northwestern at Michigan, noon Feb. 10; Penn State at Ohio State, 8:30 p.m. Friday
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