No. 1 Penn State Wrestling rolls over No. 2 Iowa, 23-14
Penn State Nittany Lions (11-0, 4-0 B1G) fended off a tough Iowa Hawkeye team (12-1, 5-1 B1G) to remain undefeated, 23-14. The dual was won by clutch performances by #1 Roman Bravo-Young at 133, #1 Aaron Brooks at 184, #4 Max Dean at 197, and #2 Greg Kerkvliet at 285.
Check out our match recaps below:
125: Marco Vespa starts for the Lions over Steena and nearly cradles Lee. The loudest I've ever heard the BJC. Lee gets a reversal and starts a cross-wrist tilt and is working for backs and takes a 6-2 lead with a minute and a half left in the first.
Lee continues his top clinic and begins working an armbar before it is stopped for PD. More tilts from Lee and he gets the quick 18-2 tech fall in 2:14
Iowa 5 - 0 PSU
133: Roman Bravo-Young has former teammate and Lion transfer Brody Teske. Lots of handfighting early and RBY finally gets a takedown nearly 2:30 in after Teske is hit with a stalling call. He'll ride Teske out in the first and take a 2-0 lead into the second period.
Teske takes down and RBY gets to work on top, and is working for a cradle on the near-side. He relinquishes it and cuts Teske with 1:17 left in the 2nd. More handfighting from these two and the BJC crowd is calling for another stalling warning on Teske. RBY gets a quick take down with just 7 seconds left and takes a 4-1 lead into the third with 1:26 riding time.
RBY goes neutral to start the third, so he's probably looking to push the pace and bait Teske into a shot so he isn't hit with another stall call. RBY with another slick takedown to go up 6-1 and immediately cuts Teske, making it 6-2. More stalling calls from the passionate crowd. They get it and RBY goes up 7-2. Riding time point is now locked, and Teske finally gets in on a shot before RBY cradles and pins him with just 11.8 left in the third! HUGE for the Lions in terms of the dual. IT IS DEAFENING IN HERE.
Iowa 5 - 6 PSU
141: Beau Bartlett has a real test here against #2 Real Woods, a transfer from Stanford. The opening period begins with a quick shot from Woods that Bartlett counters. The two go upper body and Beau throws him with a headlock to his back, It's still neutral, and they go out of bounds. Incredible first :30. Another deep shot from Woods but Beau is fighting it off before he gives up the TD. Woods goes up 2-0. Woods continues to ride and has established 1:40 RT at the end of the first.
Beau takes down and gets out in :06. 2-1. Woods looks visibly less quick on his feet. Beau and Woods continue to handfight and with less than :30 in the period he works a Russian against Woods, but nothing comes of it and a stalemate is called. No change in score, 2-1 as we head to the third. Woods takes down.
Beau rides for a few seconds and cuts Woods, who has a front headlock on Beau but they're both standing and nothing is really going on. The two continue to handfight and Woods offers plenty of feints at Beau. Beau takes a shot and is quickly stopped, lots of handfighting still, but no shots from Beau. Stalemate with 26.4 left. Beau can't get in and the bout ends 4-1 after Woods' riding time.
Iowa 8 - 6 PSU
149: Shayne Van Ness has Max Murin who will evidently have to deal with some heavy hands from SVN. Murin is holding onto the collar tie, SVN attempts a duck and nothing comes from it. Halfway thru the first and no change. Tiring watching the heavy handfighting. Murin shoots, SVN counters, still nothing. Beautiful slide-by attempt by SVN, and Murin is able to fight it off. Two very reactive wrestlers here in the first. Murin gets in deep, beautiful roll-through from SVN who gets the whizzer in and takes it out of bounds. Still 0-0, the first ends with no score.
SVN goes under, attempts a switch, and is working to get up. Murin has a minute of RT but most of it has been spent combating SVN's attempts to get perpendicular and break free, which he finally does with :30 left in the period to go up 1-0. That's how it goes into the third.
Murin goes under, SVN is working to erase the RT and take it to the feet, but he isn't able to do so and Murin has 1:14 left. 1-1. Murin gets a sweep single and SVN is doing a good job of countering, the attack ends up in a stalemate. Still 1-1 and SVN will need a takedown. Murin gets a double leg to go up 3-1 and the RT is now locked, effectively making it 4-1 Murin gets a stall call and the bout will end 4-1 on RT.
Iowa 11 - 6 PSU
157: Levi Haines gets the nod against Cobe Siebrecht. Siebrecht works double underhooks, no change and lots of good handfighting here. Haines gets in deep, Siebrecht works a waterfall and gets to Haines ankle, initiating a scramble that ends up in a stalemate. Haines gets to another leg, another scramble tarts, and PD is called and the crowd rains the referee with boos. The first period ends 0-0. More boos.
Haines goes down, and is working hard to get out, another scramble before Levi finally gets out. Only :23 RT there. Haines continues to take shots and still no stall call to the crowd's very evident dismay. Siebrecht is working upper body, but hasn't taken an interest in Haines legs quite yet, and we go into the third 1-0, Haines.
Siebrecht goes down, and gets out. It's 1-1. Haines is in deep on a high crotch and finishes, going up 3-1 with a 1:15 left. Haines nearly puts Siebrech on his back after another great back and forth before cutting him with :52 left in the third. It's 3-2. Haines fends off a shot from Siebrecht, transitions to another upper body lock, but Haines gets in deep right at the end of the third but time runs out. He wins 3-2.
Iowa 11 - 9 PSU
165: Alex Facundo has a familiar foe in Patrick Kennedy whom he wrestled in the Michigan state finals in high school, and at WNO. The first period had a few attacks, but nothing substantial and they go into the 2nd 0-0.
Kennedy goes under and takes a 1-0 lead. It's evident that these two have wrestled one another several times. Kennedy has a front headlock and is working for points here, but there is no change currently and they work back up to neutral.
Facundo goes under and gets out, and it's tied 1-1. This match will be won on the feet. 45 seconds left in the third and the crowd is getting behind Facundo. No change, we're headed to OT.
Kennedy in deep on a shot, Facundo has him locked in the crotch and works to a stalemate. We're back to neutral. Facundo ducks under on a counter and gets to a leg, but Kennedy gets his hips back and now is working for a cradle, and he has it close to locked, Facundo is in a split and somehow gets to a leg, they will stalemate once again. 8.1 left in this period before we head to SV.
Kennedy is under for the first :30, and Facundo rides him for only :04. They're on their feet for the remainder, and after one shot from Facundo, he'll go under, needing a quick escape.
Facundo chooses to start neutral down 2-1, he's working hard for a way to Kennedy's legs, and gets there with a duck but he will be stopped and Kennedy is going to win the match 2-1.
Iowa 14 - 9 PSU
174: Carter Starocci has Nelson Brands (wonder why he chose Iowa), and Penn State finally gets to its Murderers' Row. Starocci is really heavy with the hands and is forcing Brands to wrestle, pulling him back to the center of the mat. There is no change, but it seems Iowa is content to force only a decision. 0-0 going into the 2nd.
Starocci goes under and gets mat returned by Brands before finally getting out in :19. Going to need some offense here, but Brands has yet to take a shot and is defending every one Starocci takes. Finally, the ref gives Brands a stall warning as the 2nd ends.
Brands goes under, Starocci rides and gets a minute of RT. Brands explodes up but Starocci follows him out of bounds. He's out with 28 seconds left and Starocci is now defending as Brands tries to get some kind of offense going. He can't and Starocci will win 2-1 with the RT point.
Iowa 14 - 12 PSU
184: Aaron Brooks will take on Drake Rhodes, and he's up 2-0 in just :15. Brooks seems like he knows the dual could be won or lost with this bout, and he's already in on another attack and up 4-1. 4-2 after he cuts Rhodes again, but another quick TD makes it 6-2. Brooks really turning up the heat on Rhodes. Brooks has a beautiful ode to Eddie Ruth and takes a cross-wrist tilt for four NF and is up 10-2. The first ends with Brooks up 10-2 and he has 2:19 RT.
Rhodes goes under and gets out to make it 10-3, but Brooks immediately counters a shot into two more for the Lions. 12-4. Another cut and TD makes it 14-4. Stalling warning on bottom, gets up, 14-5. Another shot, but Brooks goes behind for a quick two, 16-5. 16-6 after another cut, but surprise, surprise, Brooks gets another and goes up 18-6. 3:27 of RT after two periods.
A couple quick TDs for Brooks makes it 22-7, and a tech fall will give the Lions the team lead heading into the last two.
IOWA 14 - 17 PSU
197: Max Dean will take on Jacob Warner in a rematch of last year's NCAA finals. A quick stoppage for what looks like a contact lens that fell out of Warner's eye after some handfighting. Dean gets in for a split second but Warner fends it off, we're still neutral halfway thru the first. It stays that way through the reminder of the first period, and Dean will go under to start the 2nd. Quick break for what appears to be a blood timeout.
Dean is able to get a fresh start after :19, and gets out for a 1-0 lead with 1:13 left in the 2nd. It stays neutral, 1-0 Dean going into the third. No RT advantage for Warner.
Warner goes under and gets up, but Dean maintains control and takes him down with a double leg, no points awarded either way because the escape was never granted. Max has Warner flat and is working a turk, and now a bow and arrow on Warner, which invokes a stalling call from the ref. Warner looks completely helpless under dean right now, and the ref says PD and they will start with Dean on top with 48.6 left. Warner is up again but Dean is able to continue the ride. They go out of bounds with 37.5 left. Dean continues to ride and once again has Warner with his head on the mat, Dean has earned the RT point and has a 2-0 lead effectively. He will ride Warner out and win the match 2-0, giving Penn State the 20-14 lead.
IOWA 14 - 20 PSU
285: Greg Kerkvliet takes on Tony Cassioppi. Kerk gets a TD halfway thru the first to go up 2-0, and rides Cassioppi out into the 2nd.
Cassioppi takes down and Kerk puts on a clinic, consistently breaking him down and riding him out, getting over two minutes of riding time heading into the third.
Kerk goes under and gets out, and with the riding point wins 4-1, giving PSU the dual 23-14.
IOWA 14 - 23 PSU
FULL RESULTS...
125 - Marco Vespa (0-0) -- #1 Spencer Lee (10-0) IOWA 6 - 0 PSU
133 - #1 Roman Bravo-Young (9-0) -- #17 Brody Teske (4-0) IOWA 6 - 5 PSU
141 - #4 Beau Bartlett (14-0) -- #2 Real Woods (9-0) Iowa 8 - 6 PSU
149 - #13 Shayne Van Ness (11-2) -- #7 Max Murin (13-3) Iowa 11 - 6 PSU
157 - #9 Levi Haines (12-1) -- #14 Cobe Siebrecht (8-2) Iowa 11 - 9 PSU
165 - #5 Alex Facundo (11-1) -- #13 Patrick Kennedy (12-2) Iowa 14 - 9 PSU
174 - #1 Carter Starocci (10-0) -- #16 Nelson Brands (4-3) Iowa 14 - 12 PSU
184 - #1 Aaron Brooks (6-1) -- Drake Rhodes IOWA 14 - 17 PSU
197 - #4 Max Dean (12-2) -- #7 Jacob Warner (11-2) IOWA 14 - 20 PSU
285 - #2 Greg Kerkvliet (8-1) -- #3 Tony Cassioppi (16-0) IOWA 14 - 23 PSU
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