Jan. 30, 2009
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The 25th-ranked Purdue wrestling team suffered a 29-11 loss at the hands of visiting seventh-ranked Big Ten foe Illinois on the Big Ten Network on Friday night. The Boilermakers drop to 11-2-1 (0-1-1 Big Ten) with just their second dual loss of the season while Illinois improved to 8-1, and picked up its first conference victory.
Seventh-ranked 149-pound senior Jake Patacsil and No. 13 197-pound sophomore Logan Brown were the two bright spots of the lineup for the Old Gold and Black as Patacsil reeled off a 17-0 technical fall, while Brown stuck his opponents in 2:35. Patacsil's win was his team-best 11th technical fall of the season, tying him for the national lead with Edinboro's Gregor Gillespie, while Brown notched his seventh fall of the season, good for second on the team.
The Fighting Illini tallied three straight bonus point wins to start the match as rookie B.J. Futrell posted a 13-5 major decision over Purdue sophomore Akif Eren at 125 pounds, third-ranked 133-pound junior Jimmy Kennedy downed Boilermaker rookie Carson Beebe by major decision, 19-5, and sophomore Ryan Prater notched a 14-0 major decision over Purdue sophomore Matt Hemry at 141 pounds. Patacsil stopped the run with his dominating performance over Illini freshman Eric Terrazas, needing just 3:36 to finish him off. He scored a quick takedown in the first period, and after a bit of resistance, began turning Terrazas for back points. His final tilt nearly pressed the Illini rookie to his back for the pin, but Terrazas resisted and forced Patacsil to settle for the technical fall.
Third-ranked senior Mike Poeta resumed Illinois' scoring at 157 pounds, posting a 13-3 major decision over sophomore Colton Salazar, and disaster followed at 165 pounds for the Boilermakers as No. 11 Purdue sophomore Luke Manuel surrendered a late takedown to 18th-ranked senior Roger Smith-Bergsrud to suffer a 4-2 loss. Illinois captured back-to-back wins at 174 and 184 pounds as junior John Dergo downed Purdue junior Nick Corpe, 12-6, at 174, and 12th-ranked rookie Jordan Blanton posted an 11-3 major decision over No. 14 A.J. Kissel at 184 pounds.
Brown hurled the Boilermakers into double-digit scoring at 197, circling with Illinois junior Jake Norman for most of the first period before sinking a single-leg shot and taking Norman straight to his back for the fall. Brown has already more than tripled his fall count from his freshman campaign and improves to 23-7 on the year and 2-0 in conference action. Junior heavyweight Chris Kasten nearly stole an upset win from 11th-ranked Illini senior John Wise in the night's final match, but came up just shy in a 3-1 decision. Kasten fended off Wise through most of the match, riding tough in the second frame, and quickly escaping in the third. However, Kasten came out on the wrong end of a scramble with less than 30 seconds to go, snapping a seven-match win streak.
The Boilermakers return to action next Friday, Feb. 6, at 7 p.m. at archrival Indiana.