Jan. 20, 2010
NU Match Notes vs. SIU-E and Indiana 
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern (4-6-1) scrapped and clawed its way to a pair of wins last Saturday and is now aiming to score two more victories this weekend at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The 'Cats host SIU-Edwardsville at 7 p.m. Friday before resuming their Big Ten dual season against undefeated Indiana at 2 p.m. Sunday. Both events are part of NU's Alumni Weekend.
Tickets are general admission and are $7 for adults and $4 for senior 65 & older, faculty/staff, children 17 and under or students from other Universities with a valid student ID. Northwestern students will be admitted free with a valid WILDCARD ID.
For fans unable make it to Welsh-Ryan Arena, a live webcast of both matches will be provided in the All-Access video department of NUsports.com. Live online scoring for the matches is also available by clicking on the following links:
Live Scoring vs. SIU-E
Live Scoring vs. Indiana
SHREWSBURY LIFTS 'CATS PAST BEARS
Despite wrestling shorthanded for much of the day, NU managed to defeat both Air Force and Brown at the Lone Star Duals on Saturday. The 'Cats were forced to spot the Bears 12 points but came out on top 23-18 thanks in part to a 2-1 overtime decision in the heavyweight bout by true freshman Marcus Shrewsbury (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point). Northwestern held a 20-12 lead before two Brown decisions at 184 and 197 cut the lead to 20-18. But Shrewsbury, who before Saturday had never wrestled at heavyweight, defeated Larry Otsuka 2-1 to secure NU's victory and improve to 4-6 on the season.
Shrewsbury potentially faces a very difficult test against Indiana on Sunday when he will meet senior and second-ranked Nathan Everhart. Everhart is a perfect 24-0 this season.
Along with Kevin Bialka (157) and Levi Mele (125), Shrewsbury is one of three true freshman with regular starting roles in the Northwestern lineup.
A SUDDEN IMPACT
Junior Andrew Nadhir (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Detroit Catholic Central) has proven himself to be the most consistent performer in the Wildcat lineup in 2009-10, going 16-3 and coming out on top in 10 of his 11 dual matches thus far. His 16 victories and 10 dual wins each surpass his totals for all of last season. Nadhir has since risen to No. 14 in the polls with wins in four of his last five bouts and his only loss coming to No. 5 Kyle Terry of Oklahoma. Nadhir leads the Wildcats in dual points scored this year with 38.
Nadhir undoubtedly has been a primary beneficiary from the addition of first-year NU assistant coach Matt Storniolo to the Wildcat wrestling room. Storniolo, a former All-American at Oklahoma, guided Old Dominion 141-pounder Ryan Williams to the NCAA finals during his stint as a volunteer assistant with the Monarchs and has had a similar influence on Nadhir's rise to a national ranking.
SCOUTING THE COUGARS
At 0-10, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville remains in search of its first dual win and comes to Evanston to face a Big Ten team for the fifth time this season. The Cougars already have squared off with Iowa, Indiana, Purdue and Illinois but were shut out from the team points column each time. They have a chance to earn their first win on Wednesday when they host South Dakota State. An extremely young team from top to bottom, SIU-E has received several strong performances from freshman Brendan Murphy at 133 pounds, most recently in the form of a second-place showing at the UCM Denker Open.
SCOUTING THE HOOSIERS
Indiana enters its first weekend of Big Ten dual competition with an unblemished 11-0 record following a doubleheader in which it thumped Cleveland State, 44-4, and edged a solid American team 23-22. The Hoosiers and Eagles each won five bouts, but Indiana was able to find one extra bonus point to claim the dual win. Once again headlining the Hoosiers' lineup has been senior Angel Escobedo, a 2008 NCAA champion and the current No. 1 125-pounder in the nation. At the other end of the spectrum has been heavyweight Nate Everhart, who has remained unbeaten at 24-0 on his way to a No. 2 national ranking. It was Everhart's five-point technical fall in the final bout of Indiana's match with American that allowed the Hoosiers to surge ahead for the one-point victory.
NU's last win over Indiana came on Feb. 17, 2006, in a 19-15 victory at Welsh-Ryan Arena.