The dual began at 125, where Nittany Lion junior Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa.) took on Northwestern's Brandon Precin. McKnight, ranked No. 7 nationally, was all offense early on, getting off shot after shot in the period's first half. But Precin's defense kept the Lion junior from scoring. Precin did get hit with his first stall warning at the 1:10 mark. McKnight then locked onto Precin's left arm, threw him to the ground and got his takedown at the :45 mark to lead 2-1 after a Precin escape. McKnight chose down to begin the second period and escaped to a 3-1 lead :25 seconds into the period. McKnight had another solid scoring opportunity, countering a Precin shot and nearly throwing the Wildcat freshman to the mat for a second takedown, but Precin fought off the move to keep the bout close heading into the third period. Precin chose down to start the final period and quickly escaped to cut the McKnight lead to 3-2. Precin began to dictate the tempo and had a takedown of his own waved off at the 1:00 mark. But fresh off the reset, the Wildcat freshmen got the takedown to lead 4-3 with :45 left. He added two back points to up his lead to 6-3 and, with a riding time point, went on to post a stunning 7-3 upset win. The victory gave NU an early 3-0 lead and dropped McKnight to 17-4 overall. Precin improved his mark to 13-4.
Sophomore Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.), ranked No. 11 at 133, met Northwestern's Eric Metzler in the next bout. Strayer got on the board first, getting a takedown near the edge of the mat at the 1:36 mark to take an early 2-0 lead. The Nittany Lion sophomore put together a strong ride, throwing Metzler to the mat once and building up 1:34 in riding time and riding Metzler out. Up 2-0 with a big time advantage, Strayer chose down to begin the second period and escaped to a 3-0 lead just :13 in. Metzler got in on Strayer's left leg and finished the move to get a takedown at the 1:10 mark, cutting the lead to 4-2 after a Strayer escape. Quick off the reset, Metzler nabbed Strayer's right ankle and had another scoring opportunity. But this time, Strayer fought the move off, forcing a stalemate and a reset with :30 left. Trailing 4-2 after two, Metzler chose neutral to begin the final period. Strayer quickly got in on Metzler's left ankle. After a bit of a scramble, Strayer completed the takedown on the edge of the mat to up his lead to 6-2. He continued to dominate the match from the top position and once again rode Metzler out, posting a 7-2 win that featured a 2:30 edge in riding time. The decision tied the dual meet at 3-3 and upped Strayer's record to 18-4. Metzler fell to 6-8.
Senior Bryan Heller (Fair Haven, N.J.) took to the mat against NU's James Kohlberg at 141. Each wrestler started quickly, with Heller nearly completing a takedown only to be countered by Kohlberg who almost threw Heller to his back. But no points were earned and a reset ensued. Heller got on the board shortly thereafter with a takedown at the 1:30 mark. Heller broke Kohlberg down and began looking for an opportunity to turn the Wildcat sophomore. While not getting any back points, Heller did ride Kohlberg out to lead 2-0 after one period with a 1:31 edge in riding time. Heller chose down to begin the second period and escaped to a 3-0 lead. Snapping into Kohlberg's lower legs off a reset, Heller posted a quick takedown at the :30 mark to move up 5-0. Heller once again rode Kohlberg out to lead 5-0 with 2:03 in time after two periods. Kohlberg chose down to begin the third and was allowed up by Heller to cut the lead to 5-1. Heller, who needed multiple takedowns for a major, got the first of the period at the 1:35 mark. He cut Kohlberg quickly and once again got in on the Wildcat's legs on the edge of the mat, getting another takedown to lead 9-3 with 1:15 left. With a riding time point guaranteed, Heller got his third takedown of the period at the :41 mark to move out to an 11-3 lead. This time, Heller tried to hold Kohlberg down to secure the major. But Kohlberg managed a reversal with just :01 left and stole the major. Still, Heller's 12-5 win gave Penn State a 6-3 lead. Heller improved to 15-7 and Kohlberg fell to 6-13.
Red-shirt freshman Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), coming off being named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week, met Vince Colletti of Northwestern at 149. Vallimont, newly ranked at No. 15 nationally, put together a dominating first period. Two takedowns in the first minute had Vallimont up 4-1 early. After the second takedown, Vallimont began looking for a pinning opportunity. Colletti did escape, but not before Vallimont built up a 1:05 time advantage. The Nittany Lion freshman continued to dominate the Wildcat sophomore, getting one more takedown and riding Colletti out to carry a 6-2 lead (with 1:44 in riding time) into the second period. Colletti chose down to begin the second period and escaped to a 6-3 deficit. Vallimont's quickness once again paid off as he countered a Colletti shot off a reset, quickly moved around the Wildcat wrestler, and scored another takedown at the 1:00 mark. Cutting him loose and looking for bonus points, Vallimont added a fifth takedown with :40 left. He rode Colletti out and led 10-4 with 2:53 in time heading into the final period. Vallimont chose down to begin the final stanza and quickly escaped to an 11-4 lead. He added a sixth takedown with 1:35 left to lead 13-5 after cutting Colletti loose. Colletti tried a quick throw of Vallimont off a reset, but Vallimont easily countered to get a takedown of his own and lead 15-5 with under a minute to wrestle. Colletti gave up a stall point with his second warning and, with a major decision in hand, Vallimont spent the final seconds of the bout trying to turn Colletti. Another Colletti stall point, plus a riding time point, gave Vallimont a convincing 18-5 major decision. The win put Penn State up 10-3 and improved Vallimont to 15-7. Colletti fell to 7-11.
At 157, true freshman Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) battled Wildcat Dominic Marella. Marella had the first solid scoring opportunity early but Jenkins fought off the move to keep things scoreless a minute into the bout. Jenkins then used his quickness to get in on Marella's thighs and complete a strong takedown at the 1:48 mark to lead 2-1 after a Marella escape. Jenkins added another takedown at the 1:00 mark to up his lead to 4-1. Working hard on top, Jenkins looked for an opening to get back points. But Marella managed to fight off the attempts and keep the dual close after one period. Leading 4-1 with over a minute's worth of riding time, Jenkins chose down to begin the middle stanza. The Lion true freshman quickly escaped to a 5-1 lead. Marella shot at a crouching Jenkins, only to be countered and nearly thrown to his back by the Nittany Lion rookie. Jenkins got the takedown and built his lead up to 7-1. Marella escaped, but in the process got hit with an illegal hold and trailed 8-2. Marella was placed into down position after the illegal hold and escaped to cut the lead to 8-3. The Wildcat got his first takedown to cut the lead to 9-5 after a Jenkins escape. The bout entered the third period with Jenkins hold that lead and nearly two minutes worth of riding time. Marella chose down to begin the third and escaped to cut the lead to 9-6. But Jenkins would ice the bout with another takedown at the 1:02 mark, upping his lead to 11-6. This time, Jenkins would not allow Marella up and went on to post a convincing 12-6 (with riding time) decision. The win put Penn State up 13-3 and improved Jenkins' record to 17-7. Marella fell to 4-9.
Another Nittany Lion true freshman, Dave Rella (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) met Northwestern's Greg Hagel at 165. Rella wrapped Hagel at the shoulders and finished the move to lead 2-0 at the 1:00 mark. But Rella would lock his hands in trying to fight off a Hagel reversal attempt and then give up the reversal to trail 3-2. Rella escaped quickly after righting himself and the match went to the second period tied 3-3. Hagel chose down to start the second and quickly escaped to a 4-3 lead. Hagel began to dictate the bout's tempo, getting two solid scoring opportunities in the second period. But the Nittany Lion freshman fought off the Wildcat juniors attempts each time and countered with his own scoring attempt at the :30 mark. But Hagel fought off the shot and forced a reset. Rella thrilled the Rec Hall crowd with a diving takedown with just :05 left to carry a 5-4 lead into the third period. Rella, now up by one, chose down to begin the final period and quickly escaped to a 6-4 lead. An energized Rella was now the aggressor. With 1:10 to wrestle, the true freshman countered a low Hagel shot and worked behind him to lead 8-5 after cutting the Wildcat loose. Countering another Hagel shot, Rella worked around behind him and got yet another takedown. One more takedown and Rella would post a convincing 12-7 decision. The win put Penn State up 16-3 and improved Rella's record to 19-8. Hagel fell to 4-8.
Senior All-American James Yonushonis (Philipsburg, Pa.) met Northwestern's Nick Hayes at 174 in one of three bouts featuring ranked wrestlers. Yonushonis entered ranked No. 7 while Hayes came in ranked No. 15. Yonushonis pressured Hayes to the edge of the mat throughout the first period, but found no openings in which to score. With :20 left, Hayes got in on Yonushonis' right leg and nearly got a go-ahead takedown, but the Nittany Lion senior did a nice job of tying Hayes up and running out the clock. Tied 0-0 after the first three minutes, Hayes chose down to start the second and escaped to a 1-0 lead after :20. Yonushonis had two solid scoring attempts early in the second, but the edge of the mat and a dangerous hold forced resets each time. Trailing by one, Yonushonis chose down to begin the final period and deftly escaped to tie the score at 1-1 with 1:50 left to wrestle. Yonushonis could not break through Hayes' outstanding defense until completing a single-leg with :20 left. With Hayes trying to work off the mat, Yonushonis pulled the ranked NU wrestler back into play and, with a quick trip, completed the takedown at the :12 mark. The 3-1 win thrilled the Penn State crowd and put the Nittany Lions up 19-3. Yonushonis moved to 25-3 with the win while Hagel fell to 10-6.
At 184, Penn State senior Brian Cantalupi (Carlisle, Pa.) met the nation's top-ranked 184-pounder, Northwestern's Jake Herbert. Herbert put together an impressive first period. The undefeated NU grappler notched two takedowns in the first minute to build up a 4-2 lead and nearly a minute in riding time. Herbert added another takedown to lead 6-2 with 2:09 in riding time after three minutes of wrestling. Herbert chose down to begin the second period and reversed Cantalupi to up his lead to 8-2. The NU junior turned Cantalupi for two near fall points and cut him loose to lead 10-3 with 1:00 to wrestle in the second. Herbert added another takedown and carried a 12-3 lead into the final period with a riding time point clinched. Cantalupi chose down to start the final stanza and was allowed out. Herbert continued his strong offense, notching another takedown to up his lead to 14-5. The NU wrestler began working for technical fall, Herbert added two more takedowns (and picked up a penalty point to lead 19-7 with :45 left. Herbert then picked up another two points with a takedown at the :25 mark. A second Cantalupi stall put Herbert up 22-7 and gave him the TF at the 6:52 mark. The win cut Penn State's lead to 19-8 and improved Herbert to 15-0. Cantalupi fell to 7-7.
One of the evening most anticipated bouts featured two of the nation's top three ranked wrestlers at 197. Penn State's Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 3, met Wildcat Mike Tamillow, ranked No. 2. Tamillow drew first blood with a strong takedown at the 2:05 mark. But Davis used the move to his advantage, reversing Tamillow to tie the score at 2-2 and nearly taking him to his back for near fall points. Davis dominated the Wildcat grapple on top, building up over a minute's worth of riding time while nearly completing two different cradles. Tamillow managed to fight off Davis' pinning efforts to send the hotly contested bout to the second period tied 2-2. Davis owned 1:33 in riding time. Tamillow chose neutral to begin the second period. Neither wrestler managed any real scoring chances until Davis countered a Tamillow shot to get his first takedown with :48 left in the second and lead 4-2. The two-time Penn State All-American put together another dominating ride, maintaining control until the period ended to lead 4-2 with 2:22 in riding time after two periods. Davis chose down to start the final period and quickly escaped to a 5-2 lead. Tamillow got in on Davis' left ankle but Davis deftly fought off the move with a split, forcing a reset with 1:15 to wrestle. Tamillow once again got Davis' left leg and once again, Davis worked his way around the Wildcat wrestler. With :08 left, Davis completed the counter move and, with 2:16 in riding time, posted an outstanding 8-2 win over the second-ranked Tamillow. The win clinched the dual victory, putting Penn State up 22-8, and moved Davis to 19-1 on the year. Tamillow fell to 14-2.
At heavyweight, two more ranked grapplers met as Penn State senior Aaron Anspach (Columbia, Pa.) put his No. 13 ranking to the test against No. 4 Dustin Fox of Northwestern. Anspach, giving up nearly 30 pounds to Fox, was aggressive throughout the first period. Fox worked into Anspach's upper body and nearly took the Lion senior down. Action moved off the mat, where Anspach's head made serious contact with the wood floor of Rec Hall. After a short injury break, Anspach dove at Fox's feet and completed a thrilling takedown. With action moving off the mat, Fox was given an escape and Anspach led 2-1 with 1:10 left in the first period. Fox got in on Anspach's leg and looked for a go-ahead takedown on the edge of the mat. But Anspach countered the move, worked around Fox from behind and got his second takedown. A short ride-out later and Anspach led 4-1 after one. The Nittany Lion co-captain chose down to start the second and quickly escaped to a 5-1 lead. Fox again nearly completed a takedown, but Anspach continued to frustrate the bigger wrestler with his quickness and athleticism, fighting off the move at the edge of the mat. Each wrestler had chances to score on the edge of the mat in the second period's final minute, but no scoring occurred. The fourth-ranked Fox, down 5-1, chose down to start the final period and quickly escaped to cut Anspach's lead to 5-2. With 1:10 left, Fox once again go in on Anspach's legs, but the agile Lion heavyweight deftly kept himself from giving up a takedown and forced a reset with :45 left to wrestle. Anspach would go on to post a convincing 5-2 win over Fox and give Penn State a 25-8 win over NU. Anspach improved to 13-2 with the win while Fox fell to 9-2.
Penn State won eight of the dual's ten bouts. Only two bouts featured bonus points, Vallimont's major at 149 and Herbert's tech fall at 184. Penn State won the battle of takedowns 29-13 as well. The Lions move to 11-5, 2-3 in the Big Ten. Northwestern fell to 10-6, 1-3.
Penn State will close out its home slate on Sunday, Feb. 4, with a 12 p.m. dual against No. 6 Iowa. Single-match tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by calling the Penn State ticket office at 814-863-1000 or 800-833-5533 for more information. Fans can also get tickets at GoPSUsports.com. Single dual prices are $5 per event for adults and $3 per event for youth. The bout will also be shown live on WWCP-TV, Fox 8 as well as regionally on FSN-Pittsburgh.
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