Sophomore/freshman Sal Profaci and junior/sophomore Malik Amine electrified the Keen Arena crowd with their upset wins at 141 and 149 pounds, respectively. Profaci struck first, finishing on a low single-leg takedown in the opening 20 seconds of the bout, and made it hold up in a 3-2 decision against 11th-ranked Randy Cruz in the former bout. Profaci rode Cruz long enough to earn exactly 1:00 time advantage in the second and, after a neutral start in the third, avoided giving up points in a pair of late scrambles. It was his biggest collegiate win to date.
The same is true for Malik Amine, who converted on a late leg attack to edge 11th-ranked Laike Gardner, 5-4, also on riding time. After a scoreless first period, Amine locked up a cradle to score a reversal in the second but sacrificed the lead just moments later when Gardner hit a late a single-leg takedown and rode out the frame. Amine rode for riding-time advantage before giving up the third-period escape and, with just eight second remaining in the bout, finished on a single leg on the edge to make his riding point the difference.
The Wolverines bookended the upsets with a pair of big bonus wins. Sophomore/freshman Stevan Micic, ranked seventh in the latest InterMat poll at 133 pounds, cruised to a 21-4 technical fall against Joe Lobeck to put Michigan out front for good in the dual. Micic scored six takedowns -- three apiece in the first and third periods -- and looking for more late in the bout, used a leg turk in the final seconds to tack on four back points and secure the tech fall. It was Micic's 10th bonus win this season.
Senior captain Brian Murphy, ranked 12th nationally at 157 pounds, kept the momentum going after the upset wins with a first-period fall -- in 1:50 -- against Kent Lane. After quickly striking on a single-leg takedown, Murphy turned Lane with a bow and arrow to get first pin of the season on Senior Day.
Sophomore/freshman Logan Massa, ranked second nationally, earned a 6-1 decision against 13th-ranked Mitch Minotti after the intermission break at 165 pounds. After a scoreless first period and just missing on several leg attacks, Massa hit an ankle in the waning seconds of the second period and then rode out the third period, picking up a pair of stall points and 1:56 in riding-time advantage.
The Wolverines narrowly dropped the other two bouts featuring two nationally-ranked opponents. A first-period takedown made the difference in 10th-ranked fifth-year senior Conor Youtsey's 4-2 loss to eighth-ranked Darian Cruz at 125 pounds, while ninth-ranked sophomore/freshman Myles Amine fell to fifth-ranked Ryan Preisch, 6-2, at 174 pounds on takedowns in the first and third periods.
Michigan needed just one more win in the final three bouts to clinch the dual, and sophomore/freshman Jackson Striggow came through the for second time this weekend, earning a 9-0 major decision against Tom Murray at 197 pounds. Striggow converted on three takedowns -- one in each period -- and rode for 3:27. It was his fifth win in six matches.
The Wolverines will take on a pair of in-state rivals next weekend, traveling to Mount Pleasant, Michigan, to face Central Michigan at 7 p.m. on Thursday (Feb. 2) before squaring off against Michigan State at 1 p.m. on Sunday (Feb. 4) in East Lansing, Michigan.
Results:
125 -- #8 Darian Cruz (LU) dec. #10 Conor Youtsey, 4-2 LU, 3-0
133 -- #7 Stevan Micic (U-M) tech. fall Joe Lobeck, 21-4 (7:00) U-M, 5-3
141 -- Sal Profaci (U-M) dec. #11 Randy Cruz, 3-2 U-M, 8-3
149 -- Malik Amine (U-M) dec. #11 Laike Gardner, 5-4 U-M, 11-3
157 -- #12 Brian Murphy (U-M) pinned Kent Lane, 1:50 U-M, 17-3
165 -- #2 Logan Massa (U-M) dec. #13 Mitch Minotti, 6-1 U-M, 20-3
174 -- #5 Ryan Preisch (LU) dec. #9 Myles Amine, 6-2 U-M, 20-6
184 -- Andrew Price (LU) dec. Aaron Calderon, 6-4 U-M, 20-9
197 -- Jackson Striggow (U-M) major dec. Tom Murray, 9-0 U-M, 24-9
Hwt -- #16 Doug Vollaro (RU) major dec. Dan Perry, 10-1 U-M, 24-13
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