The sixth-ranked <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Nebraska wrestling team capped its regular season on a high note Saturday evening, posting a 16-15 victory over No. 2 Iowa State, before a crowd of 1,708 at the NU Coliseum. The victory allowed the Huskers to complete their dual season with a 19-2-1 record, tying the 2004 team for the second-most dual victories in school history.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>
“This is a great win for us,” said head coach Mark Manning. “We’re starting to build a great following and the fans helped pull us through.”
The teams split the 10 matches in the dual, but the Huskers scored the night’s only bonus-point win in the form of a 19-6 major decision by Jacob Klein at 165 pounds. The one-point victory marked Nebraska’s third dual in the past 10 days decided by a single point. Nebraska lost a 19-18 decision to top-ranked OklahomaState, then scored a 16-15 victory over Oklahoma last Saturday in Norman.
The key victory of the night for Nebraska came at 133 pounds, where NU’s Dominick Moyer posted a 13-10 decision over ISU’s Jesse Sundell. The most action-packed match of the night began with a first-period flurry that left Sundell with a 6-5 advantage. Moyer took a 7-6 lead into the third period, then took control in another action-packed period scoring a pair of takedowns, the last with 33 seconds left to clinch the victory. Moyer’s win improved him to 14-12 on the season, and gave Nebraska a 16-12 lead.
The four-point lead allowed the Huskers to post the victory despite a 5-2 win by ISU’s top-ranked Nate Gallick at 141 pounds. The undefeated Gallick posted a 5-2 decision over NU’s fourth-ranked Matt Murray, but the victory only pulled ISU within 16-15.
The two teams traded blows at the start of the dual, which began with the 149-pound match. Nebraska took a 3-0 lead in the opening , match on the strength of a 4-2 victory by sophomore David Ingalls over ISU’s Jason Knipp. Ingalls rallied from a 2-0 deficit and scored a takedown late in the second period to take a 4-2 advantage, then controlled a scoreless third period to secure the win.
Fifth-ranked ISU 157-pounder Trent Paulson controlled his match with Nebraska’s B.J. Wright. Paulson jumped to an early 4-0 advantage in the first period and went on to post a 9-4 victory over the 13th-ranked Wright. Nebraska quickly struck back as junior Jacob Klein dominated Mike Somsky at 165 pounds, posting a 19-6 major decision. Klein jumped to a 4-1 lead after one period, a 9-3 edge after two, then scored 10 third-period points for the major decision and a 7-6 Nebraska lead.
Iowa State pulled within one point at 174 pounds when 15th-ranked Nick Passalono defeated Nebraska freshman Marc Harwood 9-2. The victory pulled IowaState within one point.
Possibly the best match of the night occurred at 184 pounds, as Nebraska’s second-ranked Travis Pascoe scored a 9-6 decision over No. 3 Kurt Backes. The wrestlers were tied at 2-2 after two periods, but Pascoe energized the crowd with three takedowns in the final period. The Husker senior scored his final takedown with six seconds remaining in the match to break a 6-6 tie and his 1:00 of riding time led to the 9-6 victory. Pascoe improved to 24-2 on the season with the victory, while Backes suffered just his third loss in 26 matches. The win gave Nebraska 10-6 lead at the halfway point.
Iowa State turned the tide in the dual with unranked Trevor Smith’s 4-1 decision over Nebraska’s B.J. Padden at 197 pounds. After a scoreless first period, Smith rode Padden the entire second period, then posted an escape and key third-period takedown for a 4-1 victory over the 15th-ranked Padden.
The Cyclones continued the momentum with a 3-1 victory at heavyweight by Scott Coleman over Nebraska’s Jon May. The wrestlers traded escapes before Coleman scored a takedown with five seconds remaining for a 3-1 victory and ISU”s first lead of the night at 12-10.
Nebraska went back in front with a victory at 125 pounds, as NU’s eighth-ranked Matt Keller scratched out a hard-fought 4-3 victory over 12th-ranked Grant Nakamura. The wrestlers each scored one takedown and an escape, with Keller capturing the victory on the strength of 1:23 of riding time, putting NU in front 13-12, and setting the stage for Moyer’s crucial victory at 133 pounds.
Notes:
* Nebraska finished the dual season with a 19-2-1 record, giving NU 38 dual victories in the past two seasons, the most in any two-year period in school history. Nebraska’s 19 wins the past two seasons ties for the second-most in school history, behind only the 21 wins by the 1989-90.
* The Huskers will host the Big 12 Wrestling Championships at Omaha’s QwestCenter on Saturday, March 5. Action begins with first-round matches at 11 a.m. The championship finals are set for 7 p.m.
#6 Nebraska 16, #2 Iowa State 15
NU Coliseum, Lincoln, Neb.
Feb. 19, 2005
Attendance: 1708
Official: Fred Ambrose
149-David Ingalls (NU) by dec. over Jason Knipp (ISU), 4-2
157-#5 Trent Paulson (ISU) by dec. over #13 B.J. Wright (NU), 9-4
165-#8 Jacob Klein (NU) by major dec. over Mike Somsky (ISU), 19-6
174-#15 Nick Passalano (ISU) by dec. over Marc Harwood (NU), 8-2
184-#2 Travis Pascoe (NU) by dec. over #3 Kurt Backes (ISU), 9-6
197-Trevor Smith (ISU) by dec. over #16 B.J. Padden (NU), 4-1
HWT-#11 Scott Coleman (ISU) by dec. over Jon May (NU), 3-1
125-#8 Matt Keller (NU) by dec. over #12 Grant Nakamura (ISU), 4-3
133-Dominick Moyer (NU) by dec. over Jesse Sundell (ISU), 13-10
141-#1 Nate Gallick (ISU) by dec. over #4 Matt Murray (NU), 5-2