Jan. 10, 2009
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Competing at the NWCA National Duals for the fourth straight year, No. 20 Northwestern had No. 4 Nebraska on the ropes Saturday, leading by an 18-12 margin after a critical pin by Jake Herbert at 184. But the Huskers rallied in the final two bouts to eke out a 19-18 victory in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Herbert pinned again against No. 5 Missouri, but the Tigers ousted NU with a 25-12 team victory in the consolation bracket.
Herbert moves to 18-0 this year with a pair of falls, first in 4:47 against the Huskers' 14th-ranked Vince Jones and again in 2:15 vs. Dorian Henderson of Missouri. Third-ranked Brandon Precin (18-1) also contributed two victories at the Duals for Northwestern, first with a pin of Nebraska's Andy Pokorny in 2:01, followed by a 9-2 decision over MU's Troy Dolan.
Eric Metzler (133) went 2-0 in his first day of competition this season for Northwestern, providing a boost after returning from an injury. Facing Matt Vacanti of Nebraska, Metzler essentially led the match wire-to-wire and used a third-period escape and takedown to build a four-point cushion, eventually winning 9-4. Against Missouri, he again followed a win by Precin with a 7-1 decision of Taylor Crane to put NU up 6-0 early.
Northwestern had an upset brewing in the early going against Nebraska. After the early wins by Precin and Sulzer, No. 16 Keith Sulzer kept things rolling for Northwestern at 141, outlasting Jon Burns for an 11-9 decision. Sulzer racked up a reversal and two near-falls in the opening period and claimed a 7-2 advantage. Burns would close the gap to 9-8, but an escape and a riding time advantage for Sulzer gave the 'Cats a 12-0 lead after three bouts.
Robert Sanders put Nebraska on the board with a 6-3 decision against Northwestern's Andrew Nadhir before NU freshman Jason Welch squared off with second-ranked Jordan Burroughs at 157. Burroughs scored two early takedowns to grab a lead that he would not relinquish, winning 7-2.
Nebraska's highly touted upper weights began to seize the momentum, but Northwestern battled valiantly throughout. Kyle Bertin (165) and Robert Kellogg (174) kept it close against No. 7 Stephen Dwyer and No. 2 Brandon Browne, respectively, but Nebraska managed to tie the 'Cats with a pair of wins.
Knowing he needed to earn the full six points for a pin, top-ranked Herbert did just that against No. 14 Vince Jones. He built an 8-0 lead before notching the fall at 4:47 mark to remain unbeaten this season.
The nation's top-ranked 197-pounder, Craig Brester, picked up four points for the Huskers with a major decision against John Schoen, making it a two-point match entering the final bout. Northwestern's Ben Kuhar took a 4-3 lead in the third period with a takedown before No. 17 Tucker Lane regained the lead with a reversal. Kuhar tied the score at five with an escape with 45 seconds remaining, but Lane notched a takedown in the waning seconds of the match and used a riding time advantage to win, 8-5, and send Nebraska into the next round.
In the consolation bracket, NU was again faced with a top-5 opponent in Missouri, who was upset by in the opening round by Penn State. It marked the third straight season the two teams met at the National Duals. Missouri was able to grab control of the match after the wins by Precin and Metzler when No. 10 Marcus Hoehn recorded a 2-0 win at 141 in a tightly contested bout with NU's Sulzer.
A major decision at 149 put the Tigers ahead in the team scoring before Welch squared off against No. 7 Michael Chandler. After building a 4-0 lead, Chandler saw Welch cut his lead in half with a reversal in the second period. Chandler opted to start down in the third and escaped to pick up what would be the winning point.
Following Herbert's pin at 184, Missouri's fifth-ranked Max Askren picked up a 14-5 major decision to put the match out of reach for the 'Cats. At heavyweight, Kuhar battled hard against Missouri's talented freshman, Dom Bradley, and overcame an injury suffered after knocking into a broadcast table midway through the match to continue wrestling. Kuhar cut Bradley's lead to 3-2 after one period, but takedowns in the second and third period sealed the match, which ended 8-3.
Next on the horizon for Northwestern is the start of Big Ten competition, beginning with a home match on Jan. 23 against Michigan State.
No. 4 Nebraska 19, No. 20 Northwestern 18
125: No. 3 B. Precin (NU) FALL A. Pokony (NEB), 2:01
133: E. Metzler (NU) dec. M. Vacanti (NEB), 9-4
141: No. 16 K. Sulzer (NU) dec. J. Burns (NEB), 11-9
149: R. Sanders (NEB) dec. A. Nadhir (NU), 6-3
157: No. 2 J. Burroughs (NEB) dec. No. 17 J. Welch (NU), 7-2
165: No. 7 S. Dwyer (NEB) dec. K. Bertin (NU), 8-3
174: No. 2 B. Browne (NEB) dec. R. Kellogg (NU), 14-7
184: No. 1 J. Herbert (NU) FALL No. 14 V. Jones (NU), 4:47
197: No. 1 C. Brester (NEB) MD J. Schoen (NU), 13-2
285: No. 17 T. Lane (NEB) dec. B. Kuhar (NU), 8-5
No. 5 Missouri 25, No. 20 Northwestern 12
125: No. 3 B. Precin (NU) dec. T. Dolan (MU), 9-2
133: E. Metzler (NU) dec. T. Crane (MU), 7-1
141: No. 10 M. Hoehn (MU) dec. No. 16 K. Sulzer (NU), 2-0
149: A. Sherry (MU) MD A. Nadhir (NU), 15-6
157: No. 7 M. Chandler (MU) dec. No. 17 J. Welch, 5-4
165: No. 8 N. Marable (MU) dec. D. Marella (NU), 8-4
174: No. 6 R. Jordan (MU) TF R. Kellogg (NU), 22-6 (6:42)
184: No. 1 J. Herbert (NU) FALL D. Henderson (MU), 2:15
197: No. 5 M. Askren (MU) MD J. Schoen (NU), 14-5
285: D. Bradley (MU) dec. B. Kuhar (NU), 8-3