Michigan State University
Michigan
No. 15 Michigan Defeats Spartan Wrestling, 28-9
1/11/2015 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State wrestling team fell to No. 15 Michigan, 28-9, Sunday afternoon before a season-high crowd of 1,623 at Jenison Field House. Fifth-year seniors Nick McDiarmid (197 pounds), Nick Proctor (174) and John Rizqallah (184) all recorded victories for the Spartans (3-6, 0-3 Big Ten) in their final home dual against the Wolverines (3-2, 1-1 Big Ten).
"We got off to a rough start with some losses that were hard to take, but with that said, our kids kept fighting and going hard," said MSU head coach Tom Minkel. "I think anyone who attended the dual saw some great wrestling and some great intensity. I think we made a big step up from last week."
Minkel was especially pleased with the effort of his seniors.
"It's enormously important," remarked Minkel of the three seniors - McDiarmid, Proctor and Rizqallah - who walked off the mat winners against the Wolverines. "There are markers in your career where matches or schools that you wrestle against are particularly important, and a home dual against Michigan in your fifth year is really an important match, far more important than almost any other. I thought our seniors really handled themselves well and gave everything they had."
Conor Youtsey won the dual's first match at 125 pounds with a 3-2 decision over Mitch Rogaliner. The wrestlers traded escapes to start the second and third periods, but a late takedown by Youtsey with 23 seconds in the third was the difference. Rogaliner escaped with 11 seconds left, but didn't have enough time for the comeback in the 3-2 decision.
Eighth-ranked Rossi Bruno defeated Hermilo Esquivel at 133 pounds, 4-0, to extend Michigan's lead to 6-0.
Javier Gasca, who is ranked 11th at 133 pounds, moved up to the 141-pound weight class on Sunday for the first time in his career. After taking injury time in the first period for his knee, Gasca battled the entire match against George Fisher, but eventually lost a hard-fought decision, 10-8.
Gasca took his injury time at the 2:05 mark in the first period after suffering a takedown, and quickly fell behind, 5-0, midway through the first. But he trimmed the deficit to 6-3 heading into the second after notching an escape and takedown. Gasca still trailed heading into the final period, 9-4, but made things interesting with a reversal and takedown in the third. After his last takedown with 25 seconds left in the match, Gasca erased the riding-time point; however, he couldn't get Fisher on his back for near-fall points in the closing seconds and dropped the 10-8 decision.
In the last two matches before intermission, No. 13 Alec Pantaleo of Michigan recorded a major decision over Nick Trimble at 149 pounds, 11-3, and No. 19 Brian Murphy beat Roger Wildmo at 157, 6-0.
In the first match after the break at 165 pounds, Ryan Watts was forced to take a medical forfeit with two seconds remaining in the second period after suffering a head injury against 10th-ranked Tyler Massa.
The Spartans then recorded a three-match winning streak, beginning with Proctor over Connor Brancheau at 174 pounds. After a scoreless first period, Proctor took a 2-1 lead with his first takedown with 42 seconds left in the second. With the score tied at 2 entering the third, Proctor escaped 10 seconds in, then delivered his second takedown of the match with 55 seconds remaining. Brancheau escaped 16 seconds later, but Proctor held on for the 5-3 victory to put the Spartans on the board.
At 184 pounds, Rizqallah came through in a big way in his final home dual against the Wolverines, topping 13th-ranked Domenic Abounader, 4-3. Rizqallah recorded a takedown near the end of the first period, but gave up a reversal early in the second. He bounced back with an escape at the one-minute mark in the second and with 45 seconds left in the third to go up, 4-2. With Abounader holding more than a minute of riding time down the stretch, Rizqallah held off multiple shots to maintain his 4-2 advantage until the final buzzer sounded. Although Abounader had 1:40 of riding time, Rizqallah walked off the mat a 4-3 winner.
McDiarmid kept the winning streak alive for MSU at 197 pounds against Chris Heald. McDiarmid scored first with a takedown two minutes into the match, and after Heald tied it at 2 with an escape later in the first and also in the second, McDiarmid got the go-ahead point with an escape of his own 30 seconds into the third.
Eighth-ranked heavyweight Adam Coon ended the dual by pinning Chris Nash in 6:04, making the final 28-9 in favor of the Wolverines.
Michigan State returns to action Friday, Jan. 16 to face Ohio State at Jenison Field House. The dual begins at 7 p.m. and will be televised on BTN.
No. 15 Michigan 28, Michigan State 9
125: Conor Youtsey (UM) dec. Mitch Rogaliner (MSU), 3-2. UM leads, 3-0
133: No. 8 Rossi Bruno (UM) dec. Hermilo Esquivel (MSU), 4-0. UM leads, 6-0
141: George Fisher (UM) dec. No. 11 Javier Gasca (MSU), 10-8. UM leads, 9-0
149: No. 13 Alec Pantaleo (UM) major dec. Nick Trimble (MSU), 11-3. UM leads, 13-0
157: No. 19 Brian Murphy (UM) dec. Roger Wildmo (MSU), 6-0. UM leads, 16-0
165: No. 10 Taylor Massa (UM) wins by medical forfeit (4:58) over Ryan Watts (MSU). UM leads, 22-0
174: Nick Proctor (MSU) dec. Connor Brancheau (UM), 5-3. UM leads, 22-3
184: John Rizqallah (MSU) dec. No. 13 Domenic Abounader, 4-3. UM leads, 22-6
197: Nick McDiarmid (MSU) dec. Chris Heald (UM), 3-2. UM leads, 22-9
HWT: No. 8 Adam Coon (UM) pins Chris Nash (MSU), 6:04. UM wins, 28-9
Attendance: 1,623
Players Mentioned
