The Gophers (15-3-0 overall, 6-0-0 Big Ten) jumped out to a 9-0 lead after the night's first two matches and never relinquished the lead to their conference foe. No. 5 Zach Sanders opened the event with a pin at 4:46 of the 125 lbs. match over the Wolverines' Sean Boyles. The win brought Sanders' 2010-11 record to 24-2 while the two-time All-American has recorded bonus points in 17 of his wins. David Thorn gave Minnesota its second-straight win when he upset No. 20 Zac Stevens 11-7 in the 133 lbs. match.
The back-to-back wins proved beneficial for the Gophers as the two Big Ten teams would trade wins over the next eight matches with only one wrestler earning bonus points the rest of the way - Minnesota's Kevin Steinhaus. No. 2 Mike Thorn suffered just his second loss of the season when he dropped a close 3-1 decision to No. 1 Kellen Russell in the 141 lbs. match's first sudden victory period. Russell previously earned a 6-2 win over Thorn on Dec. 29 in the Southern Scuffle finals - Thorn's only other loss this season.
Michigan (10-4-0, 5-2-0) would give up a 4-3 decision in the 149 lbs. match when Danny Zilverberg topped Eric Grajales, but the Wolverines would cut Minnesota's lead to 12-6 when Brandon Zeerip handed Matt Mincey his first dual loss of the season - a 13-10 decision in the 157 lbs. match. At 165, No. 11 Cody Yohn earned a 10-4 decision over No. 19 Dan Yates before Justin Zeerip snuck past No. 12 Scott Glasser with a 4-1 decision to make the team score 15-9.
But Steinhaus, the ninth ranked 184-pounder, would put an end to the streak of six-straight decisions when he scored a 13-2 major decision over Michigan's Hunter Collins. No. 11 Anthony Biondo would once again cut into the Gophers' lead with an 11-4 decision over Joe Nord in the 197 lbs. match, but by then the dual was out of reach. No. 8 Tony Nelson handed No. 10 Ben Apland his second-straight loss in a highly anticipated matchup of heavyweights that went 6-3 in Nelson's favor, and the Gophers secured a 22-12 win to remain perfect in the Big Ten.
Minnesota returns to action on Sunday with another nationally ranked opponent in No. 3 Penn State. The Gophers host the Nittany Lions at 2 p.m. in the Sports Pavilion in Minneapolis. The Big Ten Network will broadcast the dual at 8:30 p.m. CST on Sunday night.
Results:
125 -- #5 Zach Sanders (Minn) pinned Sean Boyle, 4:49 Minn, 6-0
133 -- David Thorn (Minn) dec. #19 Zac Stevens, 11-7 Minn, 9-0
141 -- #1 Kellen Russell (U-M) dec. #2 Mike Thorn, 3-1 SV Minn, 9-3
149 -- Danny Zilverberg (Minn) dec. Eric Grajales, 4-3 Minn, 12-3
157 - #20 Brandon Zeerip (U-M) dec. Matt Mincey, 13-10 Minn, 12-6
165 --#11 Cody Yohn (Minn) dec. #19 Dan Yates, 10-6 Minn, 15-6
174 -- Justin Zeerip (U-M) dec. #12 Scott Glasser, 4-1 Minn, 15-9
184 -- #9 Kevin Steinhaus (Minn) major dec. Hunter Collins, 13-2 Minn, 19-9
197 -- #11 Anthony Biondo (U-M) dec. Joe Nord, 11-4 Minn, 19-12
Hwt -- #8 Tony Nelson (Minn) dec. #10 Ben Apland, 6-3 Minn, 22-12
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