With a couple key figures missing from the starting lineup, the Wolverines could not recover from an early nine-point deficit as Nebraska earned wins in three of the opening four weight classes, including two with extra points. The Huskers' Paul Donahoe and Patrick Aleksanyan earned a technical fall and major decision at 125 and 133 pounds, respectively, to put NU ahead for good in the match.
Junior/sophomores Josh Churella (Northville, Mich./Novi HS) and Eric Tannenbaum (Naperville, Ill./North HS) cut the Husker advantage to just two points at the midway point of the dual with back-to-back victories at 141 and 149 pounds, respectively. Churella controlled the early two frames of his match against the Huskers' Dominick Moyer, tallying a first-period takedown and quick second-period reversal to build a 4-1 advantage with substanial riding time. Starting the third frame in the down postion, the Wolverine could not get away for the escape, giving him the final 5-1 advantage with the point for riding time.
Tannenbaum put on a takedown clinic against Robert Sanders at 149 pounds, scoring seven times from his feet, including four in the opening period. Tannenbaum added 3:16 in riding time to earn the 16-6 major decision, narrowing Nebraska's advantage to 12-10.
Tannenbaum's major decision would be the only bonus points for the Wolverines in the contest as fifth-year senior captain Ryan Churella (Northville, Mich./Novi HS) and sophomore/freshman Tyrel Todd (Bozeman, Mont./Bozeman HS) tallied decisions at 165 and 184 pounds, respectively. Churella scored three takedowns and a third-period reversal en route to a 9-4 decision against the Huskers' Marc Harwood. The Wolverine captain nearly collected a fall in the closing seconds of the first period, locking in a near-side cradle and rolling Harwood to his back just as time expired.
Squaring off against Brandon Browne in the evening's closing match, Todd battled back from an early first-period deficit to score three takedowns in the final two and half minutes and earn the 9-7 victory.
Fifth-year senior captain Greg Wagner (Fort Wayne, Ind./Snider HS) was the lone Wolverine to win in the opening four matches, defeating 18th-ranked Jon May 8-2. Wagner scored a pair of takedowns and a second-period reversal and accumulated 2:18 in riding time while allowing May only a pair of escapes.
Senior/junior Nick Roy (Wall, N.J./Wall HS) went to the wire against fourth-ranked Jacob Klein in the 174-pound bout but lost on riding time in a 2-1 final. With no score after two periods, Klein took the first lead after a quick escape in the third but stalled through much of the frame to elicit a pair of calls, awarding Roy a point late in the frame. The Husker's 1:53 in riding time advantage, which he earned by riding out Roy in the second period, proved the tiebreaker at match's end, all but locking up Nebraska's team win with just one bout remaining.
The Wolverines will wrestle their final dual meet of the calendar year on Sunday (Dec. 11) when they travel north to Mount Pleasant, Mich., to square off against No. 9-ranked Central Michigan. The contest is slated for a 2 p.m. start at the Chippewas' Rose Arena.
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