Upper Iowa picked up another NSIC win and pushed their record to 9-1 overall and 5-0 in the NSIC. The Peacocks defeated the Dragons of MSU Moorhead in Dorman, 37-7, after winning eight of the ten matches including three by fall, one by technical fall and a pair of major decisions.
Trevor Franklin (#1 NCAA) toed the line first for Upper Iowa putting his 33-match win streak on the line against Graelin Garrington of MSUM at 133 pounds. Franklin wasted little time scoring a takedown and working his position into nearfall points and then scored six points for the Peacocks for the second straight dual with a win by fall just 1:30 into the match.
The Dragon's Connor MacGregor pulled the visitors within two in the 141-pound match thanks to a 14-5 major decision victory over
Blake Hilmer. Hilmer took a 5-4 lead into the second period after a pair of takedowns in the opening frame, but did not score again over the final four minutes of the match.
Peacock freshman
Jordan Rinken entered the circle at 149 pounds against Tyler Steinwald and built up a 7-0 lead and a massive advantage in ride time over the first two periods. Rinken finished the match with a pair of escapes in the final period and added a final point with over two minutes of ride time to post a 10-2 major decision victory and push the home team's lead out to 10-4.
Winston Robbins kept the momentum on UIU's side at 157 pounds against Derek Lee. Robbins scored a pair of takedowns around an escape by Lee in the first period and added a reversal midway through the second period to gain a 6-1 lead. Robbins recorded three nearfall points and then kept working to expose Lee's back to the mat. The senior from Broadview, Illinois pinned his Dragon counterpart's shoulders to the mat at the 4:27 mark of the match.
At 165 pounds, MSU Moorhead sent Jacob Bennett to the mat to face another Peacock freshman,
Blake Sorensen. Sorensen scored a takedown in the first period and added an escape and a takedown in the second period while racking up over two minutes of ride time. In the final period, Bennett got a takedown, but UIU's grappler was quick to escape to maintain his ride time advantage. With the final point, Sorensen captured a 7-2 decision.
Upper Iowa led 19-4 on the scoreboard as
Wade Gobin (#6 NCAA) took center stage at 174 pounds versus Trent Sovde. After a scoreless first period, Gobin scored an early escape in the second period for the only points in the frame. Sovde equaled the match at 1-1 with an early escape in the third period, but neither wrestler was able to end the match in regulation. Gobin scored a takedown and added two nearfall points in the first sudden victory period to win 5-1.
Mitch Schultz (#4 NCAA) dominated his match with Kody Kalkbrenner at 184 points scoring six takedowns and a reversal while amassing over five and a half minutes of ride time. The 16-4 major decision gave Schultz his 21st win of the year and improved Upper Iowa's advantage on the scoreboard, 26-4.
Carl Broghammer (#4 NCAA) continued the domination on the mat with a fast technical fall victory, 16-0, just twelve seconds into the second period. Broghammer scored a quick takedown and then converted four separate three-point nearfalls claiming a 14-0 lead heading into the second period. Broghammer ended the match with two nearfall points scoring five points for the Peacocks.
Peacock fans were excited for the heavyweight match as
Zach Rosol (#6 NCAA) made his return to the circle after battling injury. Rosol didn't give the fans long to watch him scoring a takedown inside the first 15 seconds of the match and forcing Gerad Fugleberg's back into the mat for a win by fall just 31 seconds into the match.
The most anticipated match of the night came in the dual's finale. The 125-pound match featured the #1 and #2 wrestlers in the country in the form of UIU's
Kyle Pedretti and MSUM's Corey Ulmer. Ulmer drew first blood with a takedown in the first period, but Pedretti was able to tie the match in the second period with a reversal. After an escape, Ulmer held a 3-2 lead heading into the final period. After a penalty point, the Dragon wrestler's lead grew to 4-2. Ulmer escaped to extend his lead to three, 5-2, midway through the third period. Pedretti scored the final points of the match with a takedown, but he was unable to add any back points falling 5-4. MSUM's second win set the final score at 37-7.
The Peacocks will close out their homestand next Friday night, Feb. 10, against the Vikings of Augustana College. Both the Peacocks and Vikings are tied in the number three spot in the latest NWCA Top 20 Poll. The dual is set to begin at 7 p.m. and the wrestling program will recognize their four seniors prior to the beginning of the dual. Fans attending the final home dual are encouraged to "Black Out" Dorman Gymnasium by wearing black to the event.
Upper Iowa 37 – MSU Moorhead 7
133
Trevor Franklin (Upper Iowa) won by pin over
Graelin Garlington (MSU Moorhead) 1:30.
141
Connor MacGregor (MSU Moorhead) won by major decision over
Blake Hilmer (Upper Iowa) 14-5.
149
Jordan Rinken (Upper Iowa) won by major decision over
Tyler Steinwand (MSU Moorhead) 10-2.
157
Winston Robbins (Upper Iowa) won by pin over
Derek Lee (MSU Moorhead) 4:27.
165
Blake Sorensen (Upper Iowa) won by decision over
Jacob Bennett (MSU Moorhead) 7-2.
174
Wade Gobin (Upper Iowa) won in overtime over
Trent Sovde (MSU Moorhead) 5-1.
184
Mitch Schultz (Upper Iowa) won by major decision over
Kody Kalkbrenner (MSU Moorhead) 16-4.
197
Carl Broghammer (Upper Iowa) won by tech fall over
Eric Lehmann (MSU Moorhead) 3:12 16-0.
285
Zach Rosol (Upper Iowa) won by pin over
Gerad Fugleberg (MSU Moorhead) 0:31.
125
Corey Ulmer (MSU Moorhead) won by decision over
Kyle Pedretti (Upper Iowa) 5-4.
