With a slew of implications on the line, Purdue evened up the standings in the coveted Crimson and Gold Cup at 4-4, in the annual all-sport competition between the Boilermakers and Indiana. Head coach Scott Hinkel also guaranteed himself a winning season with his 10th victory of the year, becoming just the third coach in school history to produce a winning campaign in his inaugural season alongside Don Corrigan and Fred Miller. The win was Purdue's first over the Hoosiers since 2004, snapping a three-match losing streak in the series.
The Boilermakers grabbed wins in half the weight classes, most importantly by Schmaltz at 133 pounds and sophomore heavyweight Chris Kasten. Schmaltz knocked off 12th-ranked junior Andrae Hernandez in the ninth match of the night, scoring a 2-1 tie-break victory to all but seal the win for the Old Gold and Black. Schmaltz controlled the tempo the entire match, keeping the pressure on Hernandez and preventing him from mounting any offense in the match. After seven minutes of nearly scoreless action, the match went to sudden victory. As the clock wound down, Hernandez mounted a weak shot which was strongly countered with a Schmaltz inside trip. However, the referee deemed the takedown after time expired and it continued on into a tie break. Schmaltz started the first 30-second period on bottom and quickly exploded to his feet for the one-point escape. As Schmaltz took the top position in the second half, he outmuscled Hernandez for the entire 30 seconds, keeping him on the ground and escaping with the win.
"This was by far the biggest win of my career," said Schmaltz. "I worked hard all week to get myself in that position to win the match and I really found a way to capitalize. This is a great win for this team and this program."
Kasten's win at 285 pounds broke the back-and-forth action of the first six matches of the night as he stuck Indiana sophomore Nate Everhart with just 13 seconds left on the clock to give Purdue a 15-9 edge. Everhart scored a first-period takedown to take an early lead on Kasten, but Kasten quickly escaped and kept the score close throughout. The pair traded escapes to start the second and third frames, leaving Kasten in need of a takedown in the waning seconds to earn the win. Kasten came through, working the Hoosier to the ground and quickly on to his back for three nearfall points. However, he wasn't finished as he forced his weight on to Everhart and earned the pin to solidify Purdue's control.
The other Boilermaker wins came at 149, 174 and 197 pounds as juniors Jake Patacsil and Nick Corpe and freshman Logan Brown all tallied decisions for the Old Gold and Black. Patacsil, ranked 15th in the nation at 149 pounds, raced out to a 10-0 lead on Indiana freshman Kurt Kinser in the first period. Kinser fought back, nearly scoring his 18th fall of the season with a vicious headlock in the second, but Patacsil kept his composure and righted the ship to hang on for the 15-8 win. Corpe notched a solid 5-2 win over Hoosier freshman Paul Young at 174, and Brown followed with a dominant 5-1 showing against Indiana rookie Joe Fagiano.
Purdue did a great job limiting the Hoosiers' opportunities to grab bonus points, surrendering decisions to eighth-ranked 157-pounder Brandon Becker and No. 12 165-pounder Matt Coughlin, and a late major decision to second-ranked 125-pound Angel Escobedo.
"Tonight was a tremendous team effort," said Hinkel. "We're all very excited about the win and the mark it puts on our season. We look to carry this enthusiasm through the rest of the season."
The Boilermakers return to action Sunday at 1 p.m. against the fourth-ranked defending national champion University of Minnesota. The match will air live via webcast at www.purduesports.com Boilermaker All-Access.
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