Michigan
Iowa
Wolverines Fall at No. 1 Iowa in Big Ten Finale
2/13/2015 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Feb. 13, 2015
Site: Iowa City, Iowa (Carver Hawkeye Arena)
Scores: #1 Iowa 22, #16 Michigan 9
Records: U-M (6-6, 4-5 Big Ten), Iowa (14-0, 9-0 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Feb. 20 -- vs. Pittsburgh (Cliff Keen Arena), 7 p.m.
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The No. 16-ranked University of Michigan team could not capitalize in several close matches, falling at No. 1 Iowa, 22-9, in its final Big Ten Conference dual on Friday evening (Feb. 13) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Wolverines earned three individual wins, defeating higher-ranked opponents in two, while all but one of their losses came by six points or less.
Sophomores Brian Murphy, Domenic Abounader and Adam Coon all earned decision wins for Michigan at 157 and 184 pounds and heavyweight, respectively.
After Iowa claimed the opening four matches, 10th-ranked Murphy got the Wolverines on the board at 157 pounds with a controlling 7-2 decision over 16th-ranked Michael Kelly. Murphy struck quickly in the bout, finishing on a single leg in the opening 20 seconds of the first period. He added another out of a scramble midway through the second, drawing a stall warning with the attack, and scrambled for a reversal in the third, riding out the match to accumulate 1:42 in time advantage. Murphy wrapped the Big Ten dual season with a 7-2 record.
Abounader, ranked 12th in the latest InterMat poll, toughed out a 3-2 decision over eighth-ranked Sammy Brooks at 184 pounds, scoring on a late takedown to break open a deadlocked match. Neither wrestler could finish on several single-leg attacks in each period and with time ticking down and the crowd getting louder, Brooks initiated a flurry off a late restart and Abounader countered with a single leg, finishing with less than 20 seconds remaining. Abounader finished the Big Ten dual season with a 7-2 mark.
Coon, ranked seventh at heavyweight also claimed a one-point decision, using a reversal in the tiebreaker to defeat second-ranked Bobby Telford in the final bout. After trading little more than escapes in regulation, Coon fought off a deep single-leg attack for the final 20 seconds of the sudden-victory frame. The action took the wind out of Telford, who escaped in the first 30-second tiebreaker but immediately jumped too high in the second as Coon shook him off and rode out the frame. Coon finished the Big Ten dual season with a 7-1 record.
Junior/sophomore Conor Youtsey, ranked 20th at 125 pounds, fell to fifth-ranked Thomas Gilman, 6-1, on a pair of tough takedowns in the opening match. The Hawkeye wrestler finished on a single leg in the final 10 seconds of the first period and then countered a deep single-leg attack of Youtsey's midway through the second. Youtsey escaped in the third but before giving up 1:03 in riding-time advantage.
Sophomore/freshman George Fisher set the early tone against sixth-ranked Josh Dwieza, but could finish on his attacks in a 6-0 defeat at 141 pounds. After a scoreless first period, Fisher fired off two single-leg shots early in the second and Dwieza countered the second before adding a two-point at the buzzer. The Hawkeye wrestler rode out the third to accumulate 2:41 in time advantage.
Freshman Alec Pantaleo, ranked 13th at 149 pounds, dropped a close 2-1 decision to second-ranked Brandon Sorensen on riding time. After an early flurry in the first, neither wrestler came close to finishing his attacks. Sorensen escape quickly in the second and rode Pantaleo for the bulk of the third, accumulating 1:27 in riding-time advantage for the deciding point.
Michigan's unranked wrestlers at 165 and 174 pounds hung close with a pair of top-10 opponents out of the intermission break. Freshman Garrett Sutton took the bulk of the early shots against ninth-ranked Nick Moore but could not finish, while Moore converted on his first attempt -- a single leg late in the second period. After two more unsuccessful Wolverine shots in the third, Moore added another takedown off a counter takedown and rode out the bout for a 6-1 decision.
Fifth-year senior Jake Salazar did finish on his early shot attempt against third-ranked Mike Evans at 174 pounds, taking the first lead off a blast double in the first period. Evans took his first lead on a single leg late in the second period and added two more in the third, including one at the final buzzer, to win, 8-3.
Fifth-year senior Max Huntley, ranked eighth, lost a 5-1 overtime heartbreaker to sixth-ranked Nathan Burak at 197 pounds. After failing to finish on several shot attempt throughout regulation, including a deep single leg on the edge in the second, he drew a stall warning on Burak midway through extra frame but got out of position soon after, giving up a single-leg takedown right to his back.
The Wolverines will close out the dual-meet portion of their 2014-15 schedule next weekend, hosting Pittsburgh on Friday (Feb. 20) and Duke on Saturday (Feb. 21). Both duals are slated for a 7 p.m. start at Cliff Keen Arena.
#1 Iowa 22, #16 Michigan 9
Individual rankings from InterMat
| Match | Score |
| 125 -- #5 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) dec. #20 Conor Youtsey, 6-1 | Iowa, 3-0 |
| 133 -- #6 Cory Clark (Iowa) dec. Zebulon Hilyard, 14-3 | Iowa, 7-0 |
| 141 -- #6 Josh Dziewa (Iowa) dec. George Fisher, 6-0 | Iowa, 10-0 |
| 149 -- #2 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) dec. #13 Alec Pantaleo, 2-1 | Iowa, 13-0 |
| 157 -- #10 Brian Murphy (U-M) dec. #16 Michael Kelly, 7-2 | Iowa, 13-3 |
| 165 -- #9 Nick Moore (Iowa) dec. Garrett Sutton, 6-1 | Iowa, 16-3 |
| 174 -- #3 Mike Evans (Iowa) dec. Jake Salazar, 8-3 | Iowa, 19-3 |
| 184 -- #12 Domenic Abounader (U-M) dec. #8 Sammy Brooks, 3-2 | Iowa, 19-6 |
| 197 -- #6 Nathan Burak (Iowa) dec. #8 Max Huntley, 5-1 SV | Iowa, 22-6 |
| Hwt -- #7 Adam Coon (U-M) dec. #2 Bobby Telford, 3-2 TB | Iowa, 22-9 |
Communications Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
