Jan. 24, 2009
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The 25th-ranked Purdue wrestling team matched visiting 14th-ranked Penn State on Saturday, 19-19, to open the Big Ten Dual season. The Boilermakers move to 11-1-1 overall and 0-0-1 in conference, while the Nittany Lions are 7-6-2, and 0-0-2 in the Big Ten.
The tie is the first ever in the series and the first for the Boilermakers since a 19-19 tie with Ohio State on Jan. 29, 1999. The two squads split the individual matches five-to-five on the day with Purdue winning at 197, 285, 149, 157 and 184 pounds, while Penn State captured 125, 133, 141, 165 and 174 pounds. Each squad captured two major decisions and a technical fall, resulting in each teams' bonus point totals.
Opening the match at 197 pounds, No. 13 sophomore Logan Brown got Purdue off to a good start with a 14-4 major decision, using six takedowns to cement his effort, and junior heavyweight Chris Kasten followed up with a solid display of mat wrestling in a 6-2 decision.
The Nittany Lions put their strength on display at the top of the lineup, winning three straight matches at 125, 133 and 141 pounds, all by bonus-point totals. No. 19 Brad Pataky defeated Purdue sophomore Akif Eren at 125, 8-0, and 11th-ranked Jake Strayer followed up with a 20-5 technical fall over Purdue rookie Carson Beebe at 133 pounds to gain the lead for Penn State. Rookie Frank Molinaro closed out the Penn State run at 141 pounds, reeling off an 18-6 major decision over Purdue sophomore Matt Hemry. Both Beebe and Hemry saved the Boilermakers, fighting off their backs to prevent falls and limit the Penn State bonus points.
Seventh-ranked senior captain Jake Patacsil righted the ship for the Boilermakers at 149 pounds, rolling through Nittany Lion Adam Lynch, with an 18-1 technical fall in 5:27. Filling in for the injured Bubba Jenkins, Lynch was no match for the Purdue senior as Patacsil rolled up a series of takedowns and back points en route to the win. Sophomore Colton Salazar scored a second consecutive win for Purdue at 157 pounds, rolling up four takedowns en route to an 11-3 major decision over Colby Pisani and a 16-13 Purdue lead.
Penn State bounced back with two straight wins of its own, taking decisions at 165 and 174 as junior Dan Vallimont (ranked eighth at 157) snagged a narrow 8-6 win over No. 9 sophomore Luke Manuel at 165 pounds, while 14th-ranked freshman Quentin Wright nabbed a 6-4 sudden victory over junior Nick Corpe at 174.
Purdue sophomore A.J. Kissel cemented the tie for Purdue at 184 pounds, edging out senior Jack Decker, 2-0. Kissel scored the only points of the match late in the first period, taking Decker down and working tough on top throughout the frame. Decker rode Kissel out through the second period, nearly turning Kissel a number of times , but coming up empty. A neutral third-period start resulted in a few near takedowns, but no real threats from either wrestler as Kissel escaped with the win.
Purdue returns to action Friday at 7 p.m. as the Boilermakers host No. 7 Illinois, with the match airing live on the Big Ten Network.