A sell-out crowd of 6,588 Rec Hall White Out crowd watched as the Lions controlled the action throughout. The dual featured three bouts between ranked wrestlers, with Penn State winning all three. The sellout crowd was the 39th straight in Rec Hall and the 42nd of 44 including three of five in the Bryce Jordan Center.
The dual began at 157 where junior Jason Nolf (Yatesboro, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 157, met No. 18 Jake Short. Nolf rolled to a 19-5 major, finishing just shy of a technical fall, with 2;47 in riding time. Sophomore Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 165, met No. 7 Nick Wanzek in another anticipated match-up and posted a strong 3-1 victory to put Penn State up 7-0 after two bouts.
Sophomore Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.), ranked No. 2 at 174, controlled the action from start to finish in a 3-1 win over No. 7 Nick Wanzek. Junior Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), ranked No. 1 at 184, then sent the sell-out Rec Hall White Out crowd to its feet by pinning Minnesota's Dylan Anderson at the 5:31 mark. The fall was Nickal's 12th of the year. Junior Shakur Rasheed (Coram, N.Y.), ranked No. 10 at 197, closed out the first half by pinning Brandon Krone in just :55. Rasheed's fall, his 11th this season, sent Penn State into intermission with a 22-0 lead.
Junior Nick Nevills (Clovis, Calif.), ranked No. 6 at 285, opened up the second half with a 2-0 win over Rylee Streifel. Nevills used a full third period rideout to clinch the victory. Red-shirt freshman Devin Schnupp (Lititz, Pa.) took on No. 6 Ethan Lizak at 125 and dropped a 15-0 tech fall, giving Minnesota its first points of the dual. With Penn State leading 25-5, sophomore Corey Keener (Schuylkill Haven, Pa.) met No. 12 Mitch McKee. Keener fell behind 11-0 early and then mounted a furious comeback before dropping a 15-8 decision to the ranked Gopher.
True freshman Nick Lee (Evansville, Ind.), ranked No. 7 at 141, took on No. 10 Tommy Thorn in one of the dual's most anticipated match-ups. Lee dominated the Gopher, totaling three takedowns four takedowns and nearly pinning Thorn late in the bout, rolling to a 13-3 major with 3:07 in riding time. Senior Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 149, received a forfeit victory to close out the dual. The forfeit made the final score 35-8 in Penn State's favor and improved Retherford's record to 19-0 on the year.
Penn State won the takedown battle 28-4. The Nittany Lions tallied 11 bonus points off two pins (Nickal, Rasheed), a forfeit (Retherford) and two majors (Lee, Nolf). The win moves Penn State's dual meet win streak to 41 straight, dating back to the 2014-15 season. Retherford stays at 15 pins on the year and 51 for his career, just two shy of tying Penn State's all-time record of 53. Retherford now has 114 career wins, 17th all-time at Penn State. Nolf also sticks at 15 and 44 for his career, fifth all-time. Nickal has 12 this season and 37 for his career, seventh all-time. Rasheed now has 11 on the year, 19 for his career. Penn State moves to 10-0, 6-0 in the Big Ten while Minnesota sits at 7-6, 2-3 in the Big Ten.
The Nittany Lions will hit the road for their final away dual, visiting Rutgers in two days on Sunday, Jan. 28, at 2 p.m. The dual will air live on the Big Ten Network to a national audience. Penn State's next home event is slated for next Saturday when the Ohio State Buckeyes invade Rec Hall on Saturday, Feb. 3 for yet another BTN national telecast. The dual will begin at either 6 or 8 p.m. With all home dual meets sold out, a limited number of Standing Room Only (SRO) tickets are available to select Rec Hall duals based on availability. Call 1-800-NITTANY for information or to purchase tickets.
The 2017-18 Penn State wrestling season is sponsored by The Family Clothesline. Penn State Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at @pennstateWREST, on Penn State Wrestling's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/pennstatewrest. This is PENN STATE. WRESTLING lives here.
Results:
157: #1 Jason Nolf PSU maj. dec. #18 Jake Short MINN, 19-5 / 4-0
165: #1 Vincenzo Joseph PSU dec. #7 Nick Wanzek MINN, 3-1 / 7-0
174: #2 Mark Hall PSU dec. Chris Pfarr MINN, 10-3 / 10-0
184: #1 Bo Nickal PSU pinned Dylan Anderson MINN, WBF (5:31) / 16-0
197: #10 Shakur Rasheed PSU pinned Brandon Krone MINN, WBF (0:55) / 22-0
285: #6 Nick Nevills PSU dec. Rylee Streifel MINN, 2-0 / 25-0
125: #6 Ethan Lizak PSU tech fall Devin Schnupp PSU, 15-0 (TF; 6:23) / 25-5
133: #12 Mitch McKee MINN dec. Corey Keener PSU, 15-8 / 25-8
141: #7 Nick Lee PSU maj. dec. #10 Tommy Thorn MINN, 13-3 / 29-8
149: #1 Zain Retherford PSU win by forfeit / 35-8
Attendance: 6,588 (39th straight Rec Hall sellout, 42nd of 44 including 3 of 5 in BJC)
Records: Penn State 10-0, 6-0 B1G; Minnesota 7-6, 2-3 B1G
Up Next for Penn State: at Rutgers, Sunday, Jan. 28, 2 p.m. (BTN)
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
157: Junior Jason Nolf (Yatesboro, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 157, took on No. 18 Jake Short. Nolf came out aggressive, setting the tempo on the Nittany Lion logo. The Lion junior connected on a high single at the 2:20 mark but Short was able to slide out of bounds to prevent the score. Nolf connected on a second high single and this time the Lion finished it off for a takedown and a 2-1 lead with 1:12 on the clock. Nolf shot low seconds later, pulled a fleeing Short back on to the mat and took a 4-1 lead with a second takedown at the :40 mark. Nolf cut Short loose and then quickly scored again with a fast low double. He then rode short out to lead 6-2 with :48 in riding time after the opening period. Short chose down to start the second stanza and Nolf cut him loose off the whistle. The Lion then moved in again, forcing a Short stall and then connecting on a high single to force a scramble at the 1:12 mark. A reset was called with 1:02 and Nolf scored quickly off the reset to up his lead to 8-3 with :50 on the clock. The Lion cut Short loose again and added one more takedown and a rideout to lead 10-4 with 1:23 in time after two periods. Nolf chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to an 11-4 lead. He then connected on yet another low single for a takedown, picked up a point on another stall and then locked up a cradle at the 1:30 mark. Nolf worked the cradle for :40 but Short was able to fight off the move. Another Short stall put Nolf up 15-4, another 16-4, and a reset was called with :15 left in the bout. Nolf cut Short loose with just :15 on the clock and finished off the match with a takedown and 2:47 in riding time, posting a 19-5 major decision.
165: Sophomore Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 165, met No. 7 Nick Wanzek. Joseph set the tempo early, forcing Wanzek into defense over the first minute and then taking numerous high singles at the midway point of the opening stanza. Wanzek fought off Joseph's quick bursts to keep the bout scoreless. Joseph continued to press the action as the clock moved below :30 and then connected on a fast low double with just :10 to lead 2-0 after one period. Joseph chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. The Lion sophomore continued to force Wanzek back towards the outside circle until Wanzek shot with :55 left in the middle stanza. Joseph easily moved away from the shot and maintained his 3-0 lead at the :40 mark. Wanzek chose down to start the third period, trailing 3-0, and Joseph controlled the action until the 1:35 mark when Wanzek escaped to a 3-1 score. Joseph continued to press the action as the clock moved below :30 but did not get a stall call. The Lion posted a 3-1 victory over the ranked Gopher.
174: Sophomore Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.), ranked No. 2 at 174, took on senior Chris Pfarr. Hall connected on a high single quickly and finished off the takedown at the 2:08 mark. The Lion then worked control from the top position into a chance to tilt the Gopher for back points. Hall built up over 2:00 in riding time with rideout and led 2-0 after one period. Pfarr chose down to start the second stanza and Hall cut him loose to a 2-1 score. The Lion sophomore was steady in the center circle, waiting for a chance to score and shooting numerous times as Pfarr played defense. Leading by one, Hall chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 3-1 lead. The clock moved down below 1:10 when Hall hit on a low single, cut Pfarr loose and scored again quickly to up his lead to 7-3. Hall connected on a final takedown at the :06 mark and, with 2:17 in riding time, posted the dominant 10-3 decision.
184: Junior Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), ranked No. 1 at 184, met Dylan Anderson. Nickal scored quickly, taking the Gopher freshman down and cutting him loose for a quick 2-1 lead. The Lion junior added a second takedown and cut and a third takedown with 1:30 on the clock. This time, Nickal worked the top position long enough to build his riding time edge over 1:00 and then began looking for a chance to turn the Gopher for back points. Anderson got hit for a stall warning at the :32 mark and a reset forced action to the middle of the mat. Anderson escaped at the :22 mark but Nickal was relentless, picking up a third takedown to move out to an 8-3 lead with 1:48 in time after one period. Nickal chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 9-3 lead. He used a fast high single to take Anderson down once more, cut him loose, and led 11-4 with 1:20 left in the second period. A fast duck-under and another takedown put Nickal up 13-4 with :40 left on the clock. Trailing 13-4, Anderson chose down to start the third period and Nickal cut him loose to a 13-5 lead. With the riding time point clinched, Nickal turned a throw from his feet into a chance to get the pin. The Lion junior locked up the fall at the 5:31 mark, his 12th of the year.
197: Junior Shakur Rasheed (Coram, N.Y.), ranked No. 10 at 197, met Brandon Krone. Rasheed scored quickly, shooting high and finishing off the takedown at the 2:40 mark for an early 2-0 lead. He quickly moved in on Krone's legs, locked up a cradle and turned the Gopher to his back. Rasheed worked for about :20 and got the pin at the :55 mark. The fall was his 11th of the year.
285: Junior Nick Nevills (Clovis, Calif.), ranked No. 6 at 285, battled Minnesota's Rylee Streifel. Nevills fought off a couple early shots by Streifel and reset the bout in the middle of the mat. He then connected on a high single himself, but Streifel was able to move out of bounds and keep the bout scoreless. The duo battled evenly for the next minute-plus and the bout moved to the second period tied 0-0. Nevills chose down to start the second period and steadily worked his way to his feet to escape at the 1:33 mark and led 1-0. Nevills continued to shoot low and Streifel tried to counter each time but neither man was able to score. Trailing 1-0, Streifel chose down to start the third period and Nevills maintained control for :30 before getting hit with a first stall. The junior then broke Streifel down flat on the Nittany Lion logo and controlled the action from the top position. He tossed Streifel down at the 1:00 mark after the Gopher had worked his way to his feet and then pushed his riding time over 1:00. With :32 left on the clock, Nevills reset himself on offense and began working for a tilt. While Streifel fought off back points, Nevills' full period ride gave him 1:33 in riding time gave the Lion a 2-0 decision.
125: Redshirt freshman Devin Schnupp (Lititz, Pa.) took to the mat at 125 to face No. 6 Ethan Lizak. Schnupp almost scored first, working his way behind the ranked Gopher before Lizak reacted, countered, and took the Lion down for a 2-0 lead. He then turned Schnupp for four back points and led 6-0 at the 1:28 mark. Schnupp was unable to break free of a strong Lizak ride as the Gopher built up over 1:00 in riding time. Schnupp worked hard to not give up any more back points and trailed 6-0 after one period. Lizak chose top to start the second period. He quickly turned Schnupp for four back points to lead 10-0 at the 1:36 mark. Schnupp continued to fight off turning attempts for the last minute of the period but gave up a stall point in the process. Trailing 11-0, Schnupp chose neutral to start the third period. Lizak took the Lion freshman down once more and then tilted him for two more back points to finish off a 15-0 tech fall at the 6:23 mark.
133: Senior Corey Keener (Schuylkill Haven, Pa.) faced off against No. 12 Mitch McKee at 133. McKee shot quickly as the bout began and took Keener down to lead 2-0 seconds into the bout. The Nittany Lion senior worked to break free of a McKee ride but the Gopher was strong on top, building his riding time up over 1:00. Keener was hit for stalling at the :40 mark and McKee then turned the Lion for two back points to lead 4-0 with 2:46 in riding time after one period. McKee chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 5-0 lead. Keener nearly caught McKee with a standing cradle but the Gopher countered the move and took a 7-0 lead with a takedown at the 1:20 mark. McKee turned Keener once more to up his lead to 11-0. Keener chose neutral to start the third period and blew through a high double to cut the lead to 11-2 right off the whistle. He cut the Gopher loose and took McKee down again with 1:20 on the clock, cutting the lead to 12-5 after letting the Gopher loose. Keener picked up a third takedown of the period to cut the lead to 14-6 with another cut and added a fourth third period takedown to cut the lead to 14-8. McKee was able to stave off the furious comeback and, with 3:05 in time, posted a 15-8 decision.
141: True freshman Nick Lee (Evansville, Ind.), ranked No. 7 at 141, battled No. 10 Tommy Thorn. Lee fought off an early Thorn shot to keep the bout scoreless at the 2:00 mark and then moved in on offense. The Lion freshman's pressure forced the Gopher junior back towards the outside circle. Lee used a fast low single to take a 2-0 lead at the 1:05 mark and then went to work on top. He cut Thorn loose at the :40 mark but could not break through the Gopher's defense for the resto of the period. Thorn chose down to start the second period and Lee worked his riding time up over 1:00 with a strong ride. Thorn escaped to a 2-2 tie at the 1:20 mark and action resumed neutral. Lee muscled his way through a low single and steadily worked his way into control of both feet for a takedown and a 4-2 lead with 1:00 on the clock. Lee finished on top and led 4-2 w/ 2:07 in riding time after two periods. Lee chose neutral to start the third period and quickly got in on a single leg that he turned into a scramble on the Lion logo. The freshman steadily finished off the takedown to lead 6-2 with 1:05 left and the riding time point clinched. Lee cut Thorn loose to a 6-3 score and began moving forward on offense. He took the Gopher down and locked up a cradle, nearly pinning him. Thorn was able to work his way to his stomach and Lee settle for four back points and a 13-3 major with 3:07 in riding time.
149: Senior Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 149, received a forfeit victory at 149 to close out the dual and improve to 19-0 on the year.
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