No. 5 Minnesota (10-4, 5-0) was facing their third straight ranked opponent in No. 21 Illinois (7-6, 2-3), part of a grueling stretch through the bulk of the Big Ten season. The Gophers were up to the task tonight, though, scoring bonus points and winning the big matches, including three of the four where each wrestler was ranked. After an opening match forfeit, the Gophers did not allow a takedown until the eighth match of the night, when the win was already all-but-assured.
Zach Sanders (Wabasha, Minn.) was out of the line-up tonight, but Jayson Ness (Bloomington, Minn.) was back in. After forfeiting six points at 125 to open the match, Ness quickly got them back. Ness had been out of the line-up since the National Duals, but he showed little rust after his month away. Matched up with Daryl Thomas, Ness proved he was worthy of his new No. 1 ranking, with his 15th fall of the season, and his 10th in the first period. A takedown just 26 seconds into the match had Thomas on his back, with the fall not long after at the 1:44 mark. The top-ranked Ness improves to 20-0 on the season, and has won 22 straight.
The win at 133 started a stretch of six straight wins that gave the Gophers a 24-6 lead after the 174-pound match.
Scott Glasser (Bismarck, N.D.) capped the run with a hard earned 3-2 decision at 174. No. 8 Glasser scored a first period takedown to go up 2-0 and led the rest of the match. He led 3-1 entering the third period and fought off the best efforts of his No. 14 ranked opponent Jordan Blanton, and was able to hold on to the lead long enough as time expired on the 3-2 win.
The Gophers took their first led at 141, in the night's first match-up of ranked opponents as No. 6 Mike Thorn (St. Michael, Minn.) of Minnesota and No. 14 Ryan Prater of Illinois squared off. Coming off a disappointing loss in his last match, Thorn made sure to avoid disappointment tonight, scoring early and often in his seventh major decision of the season. The win was Thorn's 19th on the season against just for losses, and marks the highest ranked opponent he has beaten this year.
Mario Mason (Moorestown, N.J.) scored a hard earned decision at 149, beating his first ranked opponent of the season in No. 19 Eric Terrazas. No. 18 Mason used a takedown with four seconds left in the second period to take the lead, then rode out the clock for the win.
Also winning in the stretch were Dustin Schlatter (Massillion, Ohio) and Cody Yohn (Alamosa, Colo.), who each notched major decisions and look to have settled nicely into their new weight classes. Already ranked No. 2 in just his third match at 157, Schlatter won 11-2 over Clint Arlis, winning his 11th straight on the season, to move to 3-0 at 157, after starting 8-1 at 165.
Likewise, Yohn won 9-1 over Conrad Polz to score his second straight major and improve to 3-2 at 165, since dropping down from 174.
Ben Berhow (Hayward, Minn.) closed the match with a 10-3 decision at heavyweight, to win his fifth straight and join Glasser as the only Gophers to sit 5-0 in the Big Ten. Berhow's first points came early in the first period and he controlled the entire match.
The Gophers now must turn around and travel to a 14th ranked Indiana squad tomorrow (Feb. 6) for a 6:30 contest. The Hoosiers boast five ranked wrestlers and have opened the Big Ten season 2-2.
Results:
125: John Deneen (ILL) For / 6-0
133: Jayson Ness (MINN) fall Daryl Thomas (ILL); 1:44 / 6-6
141: #6 Mike Thorn (MINN) maj. #14 Ryan Prater (ILL); 10-1 / 6-10
149: #18 Mario Mason (MINN) dec. #19 Eric Terrazas (ILL); 3-1 / 6-13
157: #2 Dustin Schlatter (MINN) maj. Clint Arlis (ILL); 11-2 / 6-17
165: Cody Yohn (MINN) maj. Conrad Polz (ILL); 9-1 / 6-21
174: #8 Scott Glasser (MINN) dec. #14 Jordan Blanton (ILL); 3-2 / 6-24
184: #2 John Dergo (ILL) maj. Kaleb Young (MINN); 18-6 / 10-24
197: #14 Patrick Bond (ILL) dec. #10 Sonny Yohn (MINN); 9-4 / 13-24
HWT: Ben Berhow (MINN) dec. Marty Smith (ILL); 10-3 / 13-27
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