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PSU wrestling clinches Big Ten title by shredding Illinois
ByMARK BRENNAN 58 minutes ago
(Photo: Harvey Levine-FOS/247)
No. 1 Penn State closed the Big Ten portion of its regular season with another dominating performance, this time thumping No. 19 Illinois 39-9 at Huff Hall in Champaign Sunday. The Nittany Lions improved to 12-0 overall and 9-0 in the Big Ten while extending their NCAA record winning streak to 58 matches.
PSU also clinched a share of the Big Ten regular season title. No. 3 Iowa, which beat No. 17 Wisconsin on the road Sunday, is also 9-0 in the conference. The Lions and Hawkeyes did not meet in dual meet action this year.
But there is no question which team is the best dual meet outfit in the Big Ten — and the nation, for that matter. In recent weeks, Cael Sanderson’s Nittany Lions whipped No. 5 Michigan and No. 2 Ohio State — Iowa missed both of those opponents this season, too — and then closed B1G action with blowouts of Michigan State (Friday) and the Illini.
Illinois (2-9, 1-8) entered the match ranked in the top 20. How does that happen for a team with so many defeats? Well, the Illini have faced a brutal schedule, with seven of the losses coming to top 10 teams.
Illinois got an early pin for a win Sunday and it was pretty much all Penn State the rest of the way. The Nittany Lions’ seven ranked wrestlers all earned bonus points, with Mark Hall (174) and Anthony Cassar (285) both registering pins. At 197, Bo Nickal nearly got another fall — and some would argue he should have gotten it — but instead settled for a technical fall.
Penn State closes the regular season vs. Buffalo at Rec Hall next Sunday (Feb. 24) at 2 p.m.It will be Senior Day for the Nittany Lions.
Here is how the Illinois match played out.
125 POUNDS
Unranked Devin Schnupp vs. No. 12 Travis Piotrowski
Piotrowski opened the scoring in the first 15 seconds with an outside trip for a takedown. He later caught Schnupp in a cradle and — after Schnupp attempted to fight his way out — dropped the hammer. Piotrowski got the pin 1:04 into the match for his first bonus-point win of the season.
TEAM SCORE:Illinois 6, Penn State 0
133 POUNDS
Unranked Scott Stossel vs. Unranked Josh Contreras
With No. 11 Roman Bravo-Young still out for personal reasons, the senior Stossel got the call again. Stossel took a shot toward the end of the first period but missed, and Contreras countered for the first takedown of the match. He finished the period in control for a 2-0 lead.
Contreras began the second down and worked his way out for a 3-0 lead.Contreras took a shot, but this time Stossel countered and got the takedown before beginning a strong ride. The period ended with Stossel trying to get Contreras to his back, but he could not do it. So the score was 3-2.
Stossel began the third down and tied it with a quick escape. He then got another takedown on a counter — it was the theme of the match — to go up 5-3. He pushed the riding time well over a minute before Contreras got out to make it 5-4. But the riding time point had already been assured. There was no further scoring and Stossel won 6-4, the first dual meet victory of his career.
TEAM SCORE:Illinois 6, Penn State 3
141 POUNDS
No. 2 Nick Lee vs. Unranked Abdullah Assaf
Unfortunately, No. 5 Michael Carr was out with an injury for the Illini. Lee had an early takedown before letting the backup Assaf go. After a second takedown, Lee worked to try to tilt Assaf and finally got it, but Assaf rolled through and Lee only got a pair of back points. He got two more near-fall points for an 8-1 lead after one.
Lee took bottom to start the second and got out quickly. After another takedown, it was only a matter of time until Lee ended it with a pin or tech fall. After another takedown — which resulted in four back points — the match was over via a 17-2 tech fall.
TEAM SCORE
enn State 8, Illinois 6
149 POUNDS
No. 11 Brady Berge vs. Unranked Christian Kanzler
Berge was back in action after missing the Michigan State match and began the scoring with a takedown. He then worked a strong ride before Kanzler got out. Berge was pushing the action as the period wound down and was rewarded for the effort with a late takedown and 4-1 lead.
Kanzler took down to start the second and Berge had another solid ride. Berge got Kanzler to his back for four near-fall points and an 8-1 lead. Kanzler eventually escaped to make it 8-2.
With nearly three minutes of riding time, Berge took down to start the third. But this time Kanzler had a nice ride before being hit with his second stall, which gave Berge another point. Berge escaped and logged another takedown to take firm control. With a riding time point, Berge won a 15-4 major.
TEAM SCOREenn State 12, Illinois 6
157 POUNDS
No. 1 Jason Nolf vs. No. 9 Eric Barone
Nolf opened the scoring by getting in on a single and — eventually — taking Barone down. Barone escaped. Nolf hit another takedown just before the period ended for a 4-1 lead.
Nolf took down to start the second and — after Barone had a nice ride — finally escaped for a 5-1 lead. Nolf got in low on Barone and took him straight to his back for a takedown and two near-fall points. Barone appeared to injure his left leg on the move and the match was delayed as he was attended to.
Nolf took down after the injury timeout and Barone looked fine with another solid ride. Nolf eventually got out for a 10-1 lead. Another takedown made it 12-1 at the end of two.
Barone took down to start the third and as Nolf was working to tilt him Barone was injured again. This time, he could not keep going. Nolf won by injury default while leading 12-1.
TEAM SCOREenn State 18, Illinois 6
165 POUNDS
No. 1 Vincenzo Joseph vs. Unranked Nick Gasbarro
Joseph opened the scoring by getting in on a single and turning it into a takedown. After cutting Gasbarro loose, Joseph quickly slipped behind him for another takedown. Another release, another takedown, this one off a double-leg shot. Joseph closed the period with a 6-2 lead and nearly two minutes of riding time.
Gasbarro started the second down and again Joseph let him go. After yet another takedown, Joseph worked to tilt Gasbarro. But the Illinois wrestler flattened out and was called for a stall.
Up 8-3 to start the third, Joseph took bottom. He scored a quick reversal to go up 10-3. Again, Gasbarro showed little effort on the bottom. He was hit with another stall to give Joseph an 11-3 lead. Gasbarro finally got out and Joseph dropped him again. As Joseph worked for the pin, Gasbarro was hit with stalling again as the match came to an end. Joseph had 4:37 of riding time and a 15-4 major.
TEAM SCOREenn State 22, Illinois 6
174 POUNDS
No. 1 Mark Hall vs. Unranked Carver James
Hall had an early takedown and then began working to tilt James. He earned a pair of near-fall points. Hall continued to ride James looking for scoring chances. It paid off when Hall caught James and went chest to chest for the pin with 40 seconds left in the first period.
Hall’s pin clinched the team victory.
TEAM SCOREenn State 28, Illinois 6
184 POUNDS
Unranked Mason Manville vs. No. 5 Emery Parker
The undersized Manville (he is usually a 165-pounder) was once again filling in for No. 2 Rasheed Shakur (knee injury). And once again, Manville gave a great effort against a ranked, larger man but came up short.
After a scoreless first period, Parker took down and blasted out. He then got a quick takedown to go up 3-0. Manville escaped and Parker got another takedown. Another Manville escape made it 5-2 after two.
Manville took down to start the third and escaped before Parker’s riding time could reach one minute. Down 5-3, Manville needed a takedown to tie it. As he was working for it, Parker countered with a late takedown for the 7-3 victory.
TEAM SCOREenn State 28, Illinois 9
197 POUNDS
No. 1 Bo Nickal vs. Unranked Matt Wroblewski
Once again, the Penn State wrestler opened the scoring with a quick takedown. Nickal then let Wroblewski go and took him down again for a 4-1 lead. PSU fans accustomed to seeing Nickal hit fast pins did not get one in this match, but he did earn a pair of near-fall points to lead 6-1 heading to the second.
Wroblewski chose neutral to start the second and Nickal got in on a double for the takedown. A Wroblewski escape made it 8-2 before Nickal ended the period with a takedown and 10-2 lead.
Nickal took down to start the third and escaped within seconds. He hit another takedown then cut his man loose. Wroblewski shot and Nickal countered with a cradle. As the match was winding down, Nickal worked for the pin. But it was never called. The match ended on a tech fall, with Nickal winning 19-3.
TEAM SCORE: Penn State 33, Illinois 9
285 POUNDS
No. 3 Anthony Cassar vs. Unranked Deuce Rachal
Penn State was looking at a rare dual meet with only one win by pin. But Cassar was having none of that. After a relatively slow opening two minutes of this match, the super quick Nittany Lion hit a double-leg shot and took Rachal straight to his back.
Cassar earned the fall with 54 seconds left in the first period.
TEAM SCOREenn State 39, Illinois 9
THE RUNDOWN
125: Travis Piotrowski (ILL) over Devin Schnupp (PSU) (Fall 1:06)
133: Scott Stossel (PSU) over Joshua Contreras (ILL) (Dec 5-4)
141: Nick Lee (PSU) over Abdullah Assaf (ILL) (TF 18-2 3:51)
149: Brady Berge (PSU) over Christian Kanzler (ILL) (MD 15-4)
4COMMENTS
157: Jason Nolf (PSU) over Eric Barone (ILL) (Inj. 5:25)
165: Vincenzo Joseph (PSU) over Nick Gasbarro (ILL) (MD 15-4)
174: Mark Hall (PSU) over Carver James (ILL) (Fall 2:20)
184: Emory Parker (ILL) over Mason Manville (PSU) (Dec 7-3)
197: Bo Nickal (PSU) over Matt Wroblewski (ILL) (TF 19-3 6:34)
285: Anthony Cassar (PSU) over Duece Rachal (ILL) (Fall 2:06)
PSU wrestling clinches Big Ten title by shredding Illinois
ByMARK BRENNAN 58 minutes ago
(Photo: Harvey Levine-FOS/247)
No. 1 Penn State closed the Big Ten portion of its regular season with another dominating performance, this time thumping No. 19 Illinois 39-9 at Huff Hall in Champaign Sunday. The Nittany Lions improved to 12-0 overall and 9-0 in the Big Ten while extending their NCAA record winning streak to 58 matches.
PSU also clinched a share of the Big Ten regular season title. No. 3 Iowa, which beat No. 17 Wisconsin on the road Sunday, is also 9-0 in the conference. The Lions and Hawkeyes did not meet in dual meet action this year.
But there is no question which team is the best dual meet outfit in the Big Ten — and the nation, for that matter. In recent weeks, Cael Sanderson’s Nittany Lions whipped No. 5 Michigan and No. 2 Ohio State — Iowa missed both of those opponents this season, too — and then closed B1G action with blowouts of Michigan State (Friday) and the Illini.
Illinois (2-9, 1-8) entered the match ranked in the top 20. How does that happen for a team with so many defeats? Well, the Illini have faced a brutal schedule, with seven of the losses coming to top 10 teams.
Illinois got an early pin for a win Sunday and it was pretty much all Penn State the rest of the way. The Nittany Lions’ seven ranked wrestlers all earned bonus points, with Mark Hall (174) and Anthony Cassar (285) both registering pins. At 197, Bo Nickal nearly got another fall — and some would argue he should have gotten it — but instead settled for a technical fall.
Penn State closes the regular season vs. Buffalo at Rec Hall next Sunday (Feb. 24) at 2 p.m.It will be Senior Day for the Nittany Lions.
Here is how the Illinois match played out.
125 POUNDS
Unranked Devin Schnupp vs. No. 12 Travis Piotrowski
Piotrowski opened the scoring in the first 15 seconds with an outside trip for a takedown. He later caught Schnupp in a cradle and — after Schnupp attempted to fight his way out — dropped the hammer. Piotrowski got the pin 1:04 into the match for his first bonus-point win of the season.
TEAM SCORE:Illinois 6, Penn State 0
133 POUNDS
Unranked Scott Stossel vs. Unranked Josh Contreras
With No. 11 Roman Bravo-Young still out for personal reasons, the senior Stossel got the call again. Stossel took a shot toward the end of the first period but missed, and Contreras countered for the first takedown of the match. He finished the period in control for a 2-0 lead.
Contreras began the second down and worked his way out for a 3-0 lead.Contreras took a shot, but this time Stossel countered and got the takedown before beginning a strong ride. The period ended with Stossel trying to get Contreras to his back, but he could not do it. So the score was 3-2.
Stossel began the third down and tied it with a quick escape. He then got another takedown on a counter — it was the theme of the match — to go up 5-3. He pushed the riding time well over a minute before Contreras got out to make it 5-4. But the riding time point had already been assured. There was no further scoring and Stossel won 6-4, the first dual meet victory of his career.
TEAM SCORE:Illinois 6, Penn State 3
141 POUNDS
No. 2 Nick Lee vs. Unranked Abdullah Assaf
Unfortunately, No. 5 Michael Carr was out with an injury for the Illini. Lee had an early takedown before letting the backup Assaf go. After a second takedown, Lee worked to try to tilt Assaf and finally got it, but Assaf rolled through and Lee only got a pair of back points. He got two more near-fall points for an 8-1 lead after one.
Lee took bottom to start the second and got out quickly. After another takedown, it was only a matter of time until Lee ended it with a pin or tech fall. After another takedown — which resulted in four back points — the match was over via a 17-2 tech fall.
TEAM SCORE
enn State 8, Illinois 6149 POUNDS
No. 11 Brady Berge vs. Unranked Christian Kanzler
Berge was back in action after missing the Michigan State match and began the scoring with a takedown. He then worked a strong ride before Kanzler got out. Berge was pushing the action as the period wound down and was rewarded for the effort with a late takedown and 4-1 lead.
Kanzler took down to start the second and Berge had another solid ride. Berge got Kanzler to his back for four near-fall points and an 8-1 lead. Kanzler eventually escaped to make it 8-2.
With nearly three minutes of riding time, Berge took down to start the third. But this time Kanzler had a nice ride before being hit with his second stall, which gave Berge another point. Berge escaped and logged another takedown to take firm control. With a riding time point, Berge won a 15-4 major.
TEAM SCORE
enn State 12, Illinois 6157 POUNDS
No. 1 Jason Nolf vs. No. 9 Eric Barone
Nolf opened the scoring by getting in on a single and — eventually — taking Barone down. Barone escaped. Nolf hit another takedown just before the period ended for a 4-1 lead.
Nolf took down to start the second and — after Barone had a nice ride — finally escaped for a 5-1 lead. Nolf got in low on Barone and took him straight to his back for a takedown and two near-fall points. Barone appeared to injure his left leg on the move and the match was delayed as he was attended to.
Nolf took down after the injury timeout and Barone looked fine with another solid ride. Nolf eventually got out for a 10-1 lead. Another takedown made it 12-1 at the end of two.
Barone took down to start the third and as Nolf was working to tilt him Barone was injured again. This time, he could not keep going. Nolf won by injury default while leading 12-1.
TEAM SCORE
enn State 18, Illinois 6165 POUNDS
No. 1 Vincenzo Joseph vs. Unranked Nick Gasbarro
Joseph opened the scoring by getting in on a single and turning it into a takedown. After cutting Gasbarro loose, Joseph quickly slipped behind him for another takedown. Another release, another takedown, this one off a double-leg shot. Joseph closed the period with a 6-2 lead and nearly two minutes of riding time.
Gasbarro started the second down and again Joseph let him go. After yet another takedown, Joseph worked to tilt Gasbarro. But the Illinois wrestler flattened out and was called for a stall.
Up 8-3 to start the third, Joseph took bottom. He scored a quick reversal to go up 10-3. Again, Gasbarro showed little effort on the bottom. He was hit with another stall to give Joseph an 11-3 lead. Gasbarro finally got out and Joseph dropped him again. As Joseph worked for the pin, Gasbarro was hit with stalling again as the match came to an end. Joseph had 4:37 of riding time and a 15-4 major.
TEAM SCORE
enn State 22, Illinois 6174 POUNDS
No. 1 Mark Hall vs. Unranked Carver James
Hall had an early takedown and then began working to tilt James. He earned a pair of near-fall points. Hall continued to ride James looking for scoring chances. It paid off when Hall caught James and went chest to chest for the pin with 40 seconds left in the first period.
Hall’s pin clinched the team victory.
TEAM SCORE
enn State 28, Illinois 6184 POUNDS
Unranked Mason Manville vs. No. 5 Emery Parker
The undersized Manville (he is usually a 165-pounder) was once again filling in for No. 2 Rasheed Shakur (knee injury). And once again, Manville gave a great effort against a ranked, larger man but came up short.
After a scoreless first period, Parker took down and blasted out. He then got a quick takedown to go up 3-0. Manville escaped and Parker got another takedown. Another Manville escape made it 5-2 after two.
Manville took down to start the third and escaped before Parker’s riding time could reach one minute. Down 5-3, Manville needed a takedown to tie it. As he was working for it, Parker countered with a late takedown for the 7-3 victory.
TEAM SCORE
enn State 28, Illinois 9197 POUNDS
No. 1 Bo Nickal vs. Unranked Matt Wroblewski
Once again, the Penn State wrestler opened the scoring with a quick takedown. Nickal then let Wroblewski go and took him down again for a 4-1 lead. PSU fans accustomed to seeing Nickal hit fast pins did not get one in this match, but he did earn a pair of near-fall points to lead 6-1 heading to the second.
Wroblewski chose neutral to start the second and Nickal got in on a double for the takedown. A Wroblewski escape made it 8-2 before Nickal ended the period with a takedown and 10-2 lead.
Nickal took down to start the third and escaped within seconds. He hit another takedown then cut his man loose. Wroblewski shot and Nickal countered with a cradle. As the match was winding down, Nickal worked for the pin. But it was never called. The match ended on a tech fall, with Nickal winning 19-3.
TEAM SCORE: Penn State 33, Illinois 9
285 POUNDS
No. 3 Anthony Cassar vs. Unranked Deuce Rachal
Penn State was looking at a rare dual meet with only one win by pin. But Cassar was having none of that. After a relatively slow opening two minutes of this match, the super quick Nittany Lion hit a double-leg shot and took Rachal straight to his back.
Cassar earned the fall with 54 seconds left in the first period.
TEAM SCORE
enn State 39, Illinois 9THE RUNDOWN
125: Travis Piotrowski (ILL) over Devin Schnupp (PSU) (Fall 1:06)
133: Scott Stossel (PSU) over Joshua Contreras (ILL) (Dec 5-4)
141: Nick Lee (PSU) over Abdullah Assaf (ILL) (TF 18-2 3:51)
149: Brady Berge (PSU) over Christian Kanzler (ILL) (MD 15-4)
4COMMENTS
157: Jason Nolf (PSU) over Eric Barone (ILL) (Inj. 5:25)
165: Vincenzo Joseph (PSU) over Nick Gasbarro (ILL) (MD 15-4)
174: Mark Hall (PSU) over Carver James (ILL) (Fall 2:20)
184: Emory Parker (ILL) over Mason Manville (PSU) (Dec 7-3)
197: Bo Nickal (PSU) over Matt Wroblewski (ILL) (TF 19-3 6:34)
285: Anthony Cassar (PSU) over Duece Rachal (ILL) (Fall 2:06)
