"Those two pins were huge for us today," Illinois head coach Jim Heffernan. "Tony Dallago is really dangerous and Walker's win was gigantic. We've been trying to get Pat to focus on going full speed all the time, and you saw today what can happen when he goes full speed."
With the dual starting at 149 pounds, No. 13 Eric Terrazas got off to a fast start against Sam Patacsil, shooting shortly after the opening whistle and landing a takedown 12 seconds into the match. Terrazas dominated the first period, adding two more takedowns for a 6-2 lead and 2:12 of riding time after the first stanza. Patacsil started down and escaped quickly, but Terrazas added a takedown late in the second period and rode out Patacsil for an 8-3 lead. The pair started neutral in the third and Terrazas was awarded a stalling point as Patacsil backed off when he shot. Terrazas finished the takedown and cut Patacsil loose, but the Boiler hit a cement mixer with 30 seconds left to avoid a major decision. Terrazas fought off Patacsil's efforts for the turn and won, 12-6, to put the Illini up 3-0.
At 157, Purdue's No. 14 Colton Salazar hit a takedown on the edge early in the period but Kyle Dooley escaped. Salazar hooked him for a takedown and two near-fall points, but Dooley wrestled to his stomach to avoid the fall. Salazar cut him loose and the pair finished the period on their feet with Salazar leading 6-2. Dooley started down in the second period and Salazar cut him loose and hit a takedown with 48 seconds left, then cut him loose and scored another takedown for the 10-4 lead after two periods. Salazar started down in the third and escaped quickly, then Dooley got a leg and wrestled through for a takedown after a lengthy scramble. Dooley held on for as long as he could but Salazar rolled through for the reversal just before time expired. After the riding-time point was added, Salazar took the 14-6 major decision to put Purdue up 4-3.
Conrad Polz hit a quick double-leg against Kyle Mosier at 165 for an early 2-0 lead. After Mosier escaped, Polz eventually got a leg and finished for a takedown with 30 seconds left. Polz rode him out, then Mosier started down in the second period and escaped in 35 seconds. Polz picked Mosier's ankle with 20 seconds left and scored the takedown before riding him out for the 6-2 lead after two periods. The pair started neutral in the third and there was no scoring in the period as Polz won, 7-2, to take a 6-4 lead in the team score.
At 174, Purdue's No. 14 Luke Manuel had one of No. 8 Jordan Blanton's legs two different times early in the first period, but Blanton scrambled out both times. Blanton countered a Manuel shot but the Boiler fended off the attack for a stalemate. The pair wrestled a scoreless first period and Blanton started down in the second period. He escaped in eight seconds and turned his back to Manuel after an elbow pass, giving Manuel the opening for a re-shot and a takedown on the edge for a 2-1 lead after two periods. Manuel started down in the third and Blanton cut him loose, but the two finished on their feet as the Boiler took the 3-1 win to put his squad up 7-6.
A couple of early scrambles ended with Purdue's No. 8 A.J. Kissel scoring a takedown with 40 seconds left in the period. He tried to run an arm bar on No. 15 Tony Dallago but Dallago flipped over him, locked in a headlock and pinned Kissel with one second left in the first period, giving the Illini a 12-7 lead.
Purdue's No. 9 Logan Brown scored a pair of takedowns against Joe Barczak at 197 for a 4-1 lead after the first period. Barczak started down in the second period and Brown cut him loose, then Barczak was hit with a stalling point as Brown took him down to make the score 7-2 after two periods. Brown started down in the third and escaped, then got a leg, lifted it and scored a takedown. After adding the riding-time point, Brown took the 11-2 major decision to cut Illinois' lead to 12-11.
After a scoreless first period at heavyweight, Pat Walker started down in the second and escaped for a 1-0 lead. Purdue's Roger Vukobratovich started down in the third and escaped quickly to tie the match 1-1. Off a tie-up, Walker secured a bodylock, slammed Vukobratovich and pinned him in 5:33 for an 18-11 Illini lead.
At 125, Logan Arlis and Camden Eppert had some early scrambles and Arlis looked to block a shot but Eppert knocked his hand away and finished the takedown with 2:12 left in the period. Eppert cut him loose after 1:27 of riding him, then got a leg, lifted it and finally finished the takedown with two seconds left for the 4-1 lead after the first period. Arlis started down in the second and escaped with 40 seconds left but gave up a takedown with four seconds left to give Eppert the 6-2 lead after two periods. Eppert started down in the third, scored a reversal, cut Arlis loose and scored a takedown to go up 10-4 after cutting Arlis loose again. He scored another takedown and added the riding-time point for the 13-4 major decision, cutting Illinois' lead to 18-15.
No. 5 B.J. Futrell scored early and often against Purdue's Jake Fleckenstein at 133, notching three first-period takedowns and a two-point near-fall as the horn sounded for an 8-2 lead after a period. He started down in the second and escaped quickly, then hit two takedowns for a 13-3 lead after two periods. Fleckenstein started down in the third and escaped quickly. After no further scoring in the period, Futrell added the riding-time point for the 14-4 major decision to lock up the team victory at 22-15.
No. 3 Jimmy Kennedy hit a double-leg 35 seconds into his match against Akif Eren at 141 and Kennedy cut him loose after riding him for 1:14. Kennedy notched another takedown with 56 seconds left before cutting Eren loose and scoring again on the edge of the mat. He cut Eren loose off the restart and scored again for an 8-3 lead after a period. Kennedy started down and escaped off the whistle in the second period. Eren looked to score but Kennedy blocked it and threw Eren to the edge of the mat while keeping a toe inbounds for the takedown. He cut Eren loose and scored again, then cut him loose again before notching a takedown with 50 seconds left in the second period. He released Eren and took a 15-6 lead into the third period. Eren started down in the third and Kennedy released him after trying to turn the Boiler. After no further scoring in the period, Kennedy added the riding-time point for the 16-7 major decision to cap Illinois' 26-15 victory.
The Illini return to action in 10 days at the 48th annual Midlands Championships at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill. The tournament runs Dec. 29-30.
Results:
149: #13 Eric Terrazas (ILL) dec. Sam Patacsil (PUR), 12-6 (3-0)
157: #14 Colton Salazar (PUR) maj. dec. Kyle Dooley (ILL), 14-6 (3-4)
165: Conrad Polz (ILL) dec. Kyle Mosier (PUR), 7-2 (6-4)
174: #14 Luke Manuel (PUR) dec. #8 Jordan Blanton (ILL), 3-1 (6-7)
184: #15 Tony Dallago (ILL) pinned #8 A.J. Kissel (PUR), 2:59 (12-7)
197: #9 Logan Brown (PUR) maj. dec. Joe Barczak (ILL), 11-2 (12-11)
HWT: Pat Walker (ILL) pinned Roger Vukobratovich (PUR), 5:33 (18-11)
125: Camden Eppert (PUR) maj. dec. Logan Arlis (ILL), 13-4 (18-15)
133: #5 B.J. Futrell (ILL) maj. dec. Jake Fleckenstein (PUR), 14-4 (22-15)
141: #3 Jimmy Kennedy (ILL) maj. dec. Akif Eren (PUR), 16-7 (26-15)
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