We have two interesting dual meets this weekend, at #1 IA on Friday night and home vs. NW on Sunday afternoon!! As usual, IA is very tough, although they have had some serious injuries lately that have made them more vulnerable. #1 Spencer Lee has just been ruled out for the year and he's having ACL surgery this week. Also Michael Kemmerer is out and just lately, Nelson Brands is out for the year with a broken wrist.
Although we will have improved from our dismal 35-4 shellacking by IA last year, we will likely lose more closely...something like 22-14. We also have some injuries, as Andrew Sparks medical forfeited out of the Southern Scuffle last weekend after one match. It's still possible we might see him tomorrow night, but since Cael Carlson did so unexpectedly well taking 3rd at the SS, I think Sparks might get a medical hardship and be out for the year. This is just not clear yet. Also, Isaiah Salazar has a foot injury that will keep him out of the IA dual, I'm just not sure how severe that is.
Still 22-14 is fairly close, so it is possible that we could swing one match our way...and then it would be very close. These best places for us to make the team score closer are:
- 125 Pat McKee could win by tech fall or fall (MN +1/+2)
- 133 Jake Gliva could lose by dec. (IA -1)
- 141 Jake Bergeland could lose by dec. (IA -1)
- 149 Michael Blockhus could win over Max Murin (MN +3 / IA -3)
- 165 Cael Carlson could lose by dec. (IA -1)
- 174 Bailee O'Reilly could win by maj. dec. (MN +1)
- 197 Michial Foy could win over Jacob Warner (MN +3 / IA -3)
- 285 Gable could win by tech fall or fall (MN +1/+2)
So while most or all of these changes are unlikely, it's quite possible with a couple of small changes we could be dead even with IA at the end of the dual. It may not happen, but it's definitely possible, I'd say the odds are maybe 25-30%!! That makes watching this dual much more interesting!!!
And if one or two other MN guys could shift a point or two, well there you go!!!
One way we could easily be 19-19 at the end, would be a win by Blockhus and a fall by McKee. As IA might have more major decisions, they would likely still win the the tiebreaker and the dual. I hate to keep saying this, but we should continue to matchup better against IA in the future as we have a lot of good young wrestlers and recruits coming up that are not in the lineup yet.
So tune in on Friday night at 8pm on BTN to see if we can close the gap and make it very close!!! The NW dual is at 1pm on Sunday afternoon on BTN+
Here's the article on this weekend's action from Gophersports.com:
Brad Rempel
Gophersports.com
Wrestling
1/6/2022
MINNEAPOLIS - Minnesota (1-1) will kick off Big Ten competition this weekend as they prepare for a conference double-header with the top-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes and the Northwestern Wildcats. The Gophers will travel to Iowa City on Friday, Jan. 7 to take on the Hawkeyes at 8:00 p.m CT inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena before returning home on Sunday, Jan. 9 to battle Northwestern at 1:00 p.m. CT.
Friday's dual will be nationally-televised on Big Ten Network, while Sunday's contest will be streamed on the conference's subscription-based network B1G+. For live match-by-match updates of both duals, fans can follow along at @GopherWrestling on Twitter.
Tale of the Tape - The Hawkeyes
Iowa came into this season as the returning NCAA team champions and with all starters returning for this season, they have had no shortage of talent once again this year. Iowa heads into this dual with seven wrestlers ranked inside the Top-10, including five wrestlers inside the Top-5, and are led by Big Ten champions Jaydin Eierman and Alex Marinelli. The Hawkeyes are led by head coach Tom Brands, who holds a career record of 242-23-1 in sixteen seasons at the helm.
The Series with Iowa
Minnesota trails the all-time series against the Iowa Hawkeyes with a record of 28-77-1 in a series that dates back to 1923. The Hawkeyes have won the previous seven matchups against the Gophers which is tied for their second-longest streak in the series. Minnesota is 2-8 in the previous ten meetings against Iowa with the most recent victory coming in 2014, where the Gophers traveled to Iowa City and earned a 19-15 road victory inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
First Meeting: L, 2-18 (2/21/1923)
Last Meeting: L, 35-4 (1/22/2021)
Longest Win Streak: W6 (1936/37-1941/42)
Longest Losing Streak: L19 (1/19/1974-1/30/1993)
Current Streak: L7
Last Meeting
Minnesota hosted the top-ranked Hawkeyes inside Maturi Pavilion on Jan. 22, 2021 with Iowa coming away with the 35-4 victory. The Hawkeyes took nine of the ten matchups in the dual, with five of their victories coming by way of bonus points. Minnesota's lone victory in the dual came from Gable Steveson, as he came away with a 14-6 major decision as he took down opponent Tony Cassioppi six times in the match.
My Predictions:
125: #5 Patrick McKee wins by maj. dec. over Jesse Ybarra (MN 4 - IA 0)
133: #21 Jake Gliva loses by maj. dec. to #3 Austin DeSanto (4-4)
141: #13 Jake Bergeland loses by maj. dec. to #2 Jaydin Eierman (4-8)
149: #23 Michael Blockhus loses to #10 Max Murin (4-11)
157: #5 Brayton Lee wins over #10 Kaleb Young (7-11)
165: Cael Carlson loses by maj. dec. to #4 Alex Marinelli (7-15)
174: Bailee O’Reilly wins over Brennan Swafford (10-15)
184: Sam Skillings loses by maj. dec. to #19 Abe Assad (10-19)
197: Michial Foy loses to #3 Jacob Warner (10-22)
285: #1 Gable Steveson wins by maj. dec. over #5 Tony Cassioppi (14-22)
Team Score MN 14 - IA 22)
Tale of the Tape - The Wildcats
Northwestern comes into Sunday's dual with three returning All-Americans, as they are led by the likes of Ryan Deakin, Yahya Thomas, and Chris Cannon. They house a total of six total ranked wrestlers in the lineup and are led by head coach Matt Storniolo, who has a 33-35 coaching record in his six years with Northwestern.
The Series with Northwestern
Minnesota leads the all-time series against the Northwestern Wildcats with a record of 35-10-1 in a series that dates back to the 1928-29 season. The Gophers have won the last two matchups against Northwestern, and have defeated the Wildcats in 15 out of the last 16 meetings. Minnesota is 9-1 in the previous ten meetings against Northwestern, with the most recent victory coming last season.
First Meeting: W, 19-7 (1928-29)
Last Meeting: W, 29-10 (2/21/2021)
Longest Win Streak: W14 (12/6/1996-2/5/2016)
Longest Losing Streak: L3 (1/6/1968-1/18/1969)
Current Streak: W2
Last Meeting
Minnesota hosted Northwestern inside Maturi Pavilion on Feb. 21, 2021, as the Gophers prevailed in a 29-10 victory. The Gophers took eight of the ten matchups in the dual. Minnesota won five straight from 165 to 125, as Andrew Sparks, Jake Allar, Isaiah Salazar, Garrett Joles, Gable Steveson and Patrick McKee all won their matches. The Gophers then closed out the dual with back-to-back wins as Marcos Polanco and Michael Blockhus both got decision victories.
Up Next
The Gophers will host two conference duals next weekend inside Maturi Pavilion next weekend as they host Championship Weekend, a celebration of all alumni as well as former head coach J Robinson. Action begins on Friday, Jan. 14 as the Gophers take on Nebraska at 8:00 p.m. CT, followed by a Sunday afternoon contest with Wisconsin on Jan. 16 at 1:00 pm CT.
Although we will have improved from our dismal 35-4 shellacking by IA last year, we will likely lose more closely...something like 22-14. We also have some injuries, as Andrew Sparks medical forfeited out of the Southern Scuffle last weekend after one match. It's still possible we might see him tomorrow night, but since Cael Carlson did so unexpectedly well taking 3rd at the SS, I think Sparks might get a medical hardship and be out for the year. This is just not clear yet. Also, Isaiah Salazar has a foot injury that will keep him out of the IA dual, I'm just not sure how severe that is.
Still 22-14 is fairly close, so it is possible that we could swing one match our way...and then it would be very close. These best places for us to make the team score closer are:
- 125 Pat McKee could win by tech fall or fall (MN +1/+2)
- 133 Jake Gliva could lose by dec. (IA -1)
- 141 Jake Bergeland could lose by dec. (IA -1)
- 149 Michael Blockhus could win over Max Murin (MN +3 / IA -3)
- 165 Cael Carlson could lose by dec. (IA -1)
- 174 Bailee O'Reilly could win by maj. dec. (MN +1)
- 197 Michial Foy could win over Jacob Warner (MN +3 / IA -3)
- 285 Gable could win by tech fall or fall (MN +1/+2)
So while most or all of these changes are unlikely, it's quite possible with a couple of small changes we could be dead even with IA at the end of the dual. It may not happen, but it's definitely possible, I'd say the odds are maybe 25-30%!! That makes watching this dual much more interesting!!!
And if one or two other MN guys could shift a point or two, well there you go!!!
One way we could easily be 19-19 at the end, would be a win by Blockhus and a fall by McKee. As IA might have more major decisions, they would likely still win the the tiebreaker and the dual. I hate to keep saying this, but we should continue to matchup better against IA in the future as we have a lot of good young wrestlers and recruits coming up that are not in the lineup yet.
So tune in on Friday night at 8pm on BTN to see if we can close the gap and make it very close!!! The NW dual is at 1pm on Sunday afternoon on BTN+
Here's the article on this weekend's action from Gophersports.com:
Gophers Set for Conference Action against Iowa, Northwestern
Brad Rempel
Gophersports.com
Wrestling
1/6/2022
MINNEAPOLIS - Minnesota (1-1) will kick off Big Ten competition this weekend as they prepare for a conference double-header with the top-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes and the Northwestern Wildcats. The Gophers will travel to Iowa City on Friday, Jan. 7 to take on the Hawkeyes at 8:00 p.m CT inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena before returning home on Sunday, Jan. 9 to battle Northwestern at 1:00 p.m. CT.
Friday's dual will be nationally-televised on Big Ten Network, while Sunday's contest will be streamed on the conference's subscription-based network B1G+. For live match-by-match updates of both duals, fans can follow along at @GopherWrestling on Twitter.
Tale of the Tape - The Hawkeyes
Iowa came into this season as the returning NCAA team champions and with all starters returning for this season, they have had no shortage of talent once again this year. Iowa heads into this dual with seven wrestlers ranked inside the Top-10, including five wrestlers inside the Top-5, and are led by Big Ten champions Jaydin Eierman and Alex Marinelli. The Hawkeyes are led by head coach Tom Brands, who holds a career record of 242-23-1 in sixteen seasons at the helm.
The Series with Iowa
Minnesota trails the all-time series against the Iowa Hawkeyes with a record of 28-77-1 in a series that dates back to 1923. The Hawkeyes have won the previous seven matchups against the Gophers which is tied for their second-longest streak in the series. Minnesota is 2-8 in the previous ten meetings against Iowa with the most recent victory coming in 2014, where the Gophers traveled to Iowa City and earned a 19-15 road victory inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
First Meeting: L, 2-18 (2/21/1923)
Last Meeting: L, 35-4 (1/22/2021)
Longest Win Streak: W6 (1936/37-1941/42)
Longest Losing Streak: L19 (1/19/1974-1/30/1993)
Current Streak: L7
Last Meeting
Minnesota hosted the top-ranked Hawkeyes inside Maturi Pavilion on Jan. 22, 2021 with Iowa coming away with the 35-4 victory. The Hawkeyes took nine of the ten matchups in the dual, with five of their victories coming by way of bonus points. Minnesota's lone victory in the dual came from Gable Steveson, as he came away with a 14-6 major decision as he took down opponent Tony Cassioppi six times in the match.
My Predictions:
125: #5 Patrick McKee wins by maj. dec. over Jesse Ybarra (MN 4 - IA 0)
133: #21 Jake Gliva loses by maj. dec. to #3 Austin DeSanto (4-4)
141: #13 Jake Bergeland loses by maj. dec. to #2 Jaydin Eierman (4-8)
149: #23 Michael Blockhus loses to #10 Max Murin (4-11)
157: #5 Brayton Lee wins over #10 Kaleb Young (7-11)
165: Cael Carlson loses by maj. dec. to #4 Alex Marinelli (7-15)
174: Bailee O’Reilly wins over Brennan Swafford (10-15)
184: Sam Skillings loses by maj. dec. to #19 Abe Assad (10-19)
197: Michial Foy loses to #3 Jacob Warner (10-22)
285: #1 Gable Steveson wins by maj. dec. over #5 Tony Cassioppi (14-22)
Team Score MN 14 - IA 22)
Tale of the Tape - The Wildcats
Northwestern comes into Sunday's dual with three returning All-Americans, as they are led by the likes of Ryan Deakin, Yahya Thomas, and Chris Cannon. They house a total of six total ranked wrestlers in the lineup and are led by head coach Matt Storniolo, who has a 33-35 coaching record in his six years with Northwestern.
The Series with Northwestern
Minnesota leads the all-time series against the Northwestern Wildcats with a record of 35-10-1 in a series that dates back to the 1928-29 season. The Gophers have won the last two matchups against Northwestern, and have defeated the Wildcats in 15 out of the last 16 meetings. Minnesota is 9-1 in the previous ten meetings against Northwestern, with the most recent victory coming last season.
First Meeting: W, 19-7 (1928-29)
Last Meeting: W, 29-10 (2/21/2021)
Longest Win Streak: W14 (12/6/1996-2/5/2016)
Longest Losing Streak: L3 (1/6/1968-1/18/1969)
Current Streak: W2
Last Meeting
Minnesota hosted Northwestern inside Maturi Pavilion on Feb. 21, 2021, as the Gophers prevailed in a 29-10 victory. The Gophers took eight of the ten matchups in the dual. Minnesota won five straight from 165 to 125, as Andrew Sparks, Jake Allar, Isaiah Salazar, Garrett Joles, Gable Steveson and Patrick McKee all won their matches. The Gophers then closed out the dual with back-to-back wins as Marcos Polanco and Michael Blockhus both got decision victories.
Up Next
The Gophers will host two conference duals next weekend inside Maturi Pavilion next weekend as they host Championship Weekend, a celebration of all alumni as well as former head coach J Robinson. Action begins on Friday, Jan. 14 as the Gophers take on Nebraska at 8:00 p.m. CT, followed by a Sunday afternoon contest with Wisconsin on Jan. 16 at 1:00 pm CT.
