Feb. 21, 2009
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue wrestling team concluded its Big Ten Dual season on Saturday night, suffering a 23-9 loss to visiting 17th-ranked Michigan in Holloway Gymnasium. The Boilermakers finished the regular season 12-7-1 overall and 1-6-1 in conference action, while Michigan wrapped up its year at 10-8-1 (5-2-1 Big Ten).
The Boilermakers won three matches on the night as senior Jake Patacsil and sophomores Luke Manuel and A.J. Kissel all captured narrow decisions. Patacsil won his 30th match of the season, marking his third straight year with at least 30 victories, and moving his career total to 112, moving into a tie for fifth in Purdue history with 2009 Purdue Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Dave Lilovich. Kissel improved his season mark to 27-6 overall and 5-1 in the conference with his victory, while Manuel moved to 23-11 on the year and 3-5 in the Big Ten.
The match opened at 125 pounds, where 18th-ranked Michigan senior Michael Watts took the first of three straight wins for the Wolverines, taking down Purdue sophomore Akif Eren, 3-0. Freshman Zac Stevens knocked off Boilermaker rookie Carson Beebe at 133 pounds, 7-4, and despite Purdue sophomore Juan Archuleta giving him all he could handle, third-ranked Wolverine sophomore Kellen Russell eked out a 2-1 win at 141. Archuleta and Russell traded escapes to start the second and third period and the difference in the match was a one-point technical violation on Archuleta in the final frame. The match had several scrambles, one of which happened in the final 30 seconds and could have been a takedown for either wrestler.
Patacsil put the Boilermakers on the board at 149 pounds, scoring a 10-4 decision over Michigan sophomore Mark Beaudry. The two traded takedowns in the first period, but Patacsil got the better of the frame with an escape and three-point nearfall en route to a 6-2 advantage. Beaudry chipped away at the lead in the second with a late takedown, but Patacsil reasserted himself in the final period, taking top position and scoring with a two-point nearfall and a Beaudry technical violation for illegally pulling at and twisting Patacsil's fingers.
Michigan capped the first half of the match with a 13-3 major decision by sophomore Aaron Hynes over Purdue sophomore Colton Salazar, pushing the Wolverines' edge to 13-3, but Manuel quickly responded for Purdue with a 3-2 decision over Justin Zeerip at 165. Manuel notched an early takedown in the bout, and scored a much-needed escape to start the third period to earn the win.
The 174-pound match was another tight battle as Purdue junior Nick Corpe squared off with undefeated, top-ranked senior Steve Luke. Luke earned an early lead with a first-period takedown and second-period escape, but Corpe wouldn't go quietly, escaping in the third period and scoring a takedown of his own. Although the score was tied, 3-3, in the waning seconds, Luke had more than two minutes of riding time to his credit, forcing Corpe to relinquish a one-point escape and go for another takedown, ending the match 5-3 in Luke's favor.
Kissel faced 13th-ranked Anthony Biondo at 184 pounds in a rematch from the 2008 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, but got the upper hand of the Michigan sophomore this time around, scoring a 3-2 decision. After a scoreless opening frame, Kissel got on the board first reversing Biondo from the bottom position for a 2-0 edge. Biondo returned the favor to start the third period, but Kissel's one-point escape proved the final difference in the match.
No. 6 Michigan senior Tyrel Todd sealed up the team score at 197 pounds, earning a 17-5 major decision over 17th-ranked Boilermaker sophomore Logan Brown, and Michigan sophomore Eddie Phillips closed out the match with a late takedown and narrow 4-3 decision over Purdue junior Chris Kasten at heavyweight.
The Boilermakers have a weekend off before heading to State College, Pa., for the 2009 Big Ten Championships at Penn State University. Each weight class will have a predetermined number of automatic qualifying spots available, to be determined by an NCAA committee this week. Check back to PurdueSports.com next week for a full preview of the conference tournament.