Feb. 4, 2007
Champaign, Ill. -
The No. 9 Illinois wrestling team suffered it's first lost of the season at the hands of No. 1 Minnesota, 28-12. The Illini took three out of the 10 weight classes in the loss. #10 Jimmy Kennedy (133), #1 Mike Poeta (157) and #20 Patrick Bond (197) were victorious in the dual. Poeta remains perfect on the season after edging #2 C.P. Schlatter, 3-2. An injury kept #15 Troy Tirapelle (149) out of the lineup. Illinois is now 8-1 overall and 4-1 in the Big Ten.
Minnesota took the early lead in the dual after 125-pounds when #4 Jayson Ness pinned #6 Gabe Flores in 2:25. But, the Illini fired right back at 133 when #10 Jimmy Kennedy dominated Mack Reiter, 6-3. After Reiter opened the first period with a takedown, Kennedy (Ingleside, Ill.) countered with a reversal to tie the match. Then, after starting the second period on bottom, Kennedy scored another reversal and extended his lead against the two-time All-American. The Illini true-freshman put the match away with a takedown in the third period to get Illini on the board, 6-3.
"I wrestled hard for seven minutes." Said Kennedy. "The coaches always talk about wrestling the entire match because good things happen; so that's what I did."
After Illinois dropped the next two matches, all eyes were focused on 157-pounds. In the main event of the dual, #1 Mike Poeta proved that he deserved the No. 1 ranking at 157 when he downed #2 C.P. Schlatter, 3-2. With no scoring in the first period, Poeta (Highwood, Ill.) took the lead on an escape to start the second. Then, Poeta sent the crowd to their feet when he planted Schlatter on a takedown. A Schlatter escape cut the lead to a point, but Poeta fought him off to take the match and remain undefeated on the season. The Illini climbed back in the dual, 14-6.
"I wanted to control the match." Said Poeta. "I knew he was going to try to get me out of my rhythm, but I made adjustments and made it tough for him to score."
The Gophers took the next three matches at 165, 174 and 184 and extended their lead to 24-6. Then, at 197, the Illini picked up six points as Brent Eidenschink medically-forfeited to #20 Patrick Bond. After a Bond (Chesapeake, Va.) takedown made the score 6-2 in the third period, Eidenschink injured his knee and couldn't finish the match - giving Bond the victory. Then, after John Wise lost a major decision to #1 Cole Konrad, the Illini's two-dual winning streak against the Gophers came to an end.
"Although we wrestled tough, the better team won." Said head coach Mark Johnson. "We know what to work on to get better. I'm proud of these guys."
The Fighting Illini are back in action on Friday, Feb. 9 when they travel to West Lafayette, Ind. to take on Purdue. Match time is set for 6 p.m.
No. 9 Illinois 12, No. 1 Minnesota 28
Feb. 4, 2007 // Huff Hall // Champaign, Ill. // Attendance: 1,335
125: #3 Jayson Ness (MN) fall #6 Gabe Flores (ILL), 2:25 0-6
133: #10 Jimmy Kennedy (ILL) dec. Mack Reiter (MN), 6-3 3-6
141: #2 Manuel Rivera (MN) dec. #17 Cassio Pero (ILL), 5-3 3-9
149: #1 Dustin Schlatter (MN) TF Dan Zeman (ILL), 15-0 (4:19) 3-14
157: #1 Mike Poeta (ILL) dec. #2 C.P. Schlatter (MN), 3-2 6-14
165: T. Safratowich (MN) dec. #13 R. Smith-Bergsrud (ILL), 4-0 6-17
174: #12 Gabriel Dretsch (MN) MD Matt Winterhalter (ILL), 11-3 6-21
184: #2 Roger Kish (MN) dec. #18 John Dergo (ILL), 9-5 6-24
197: Brent Eidenschink (MN) med. for. #20 Patrick Bond (ILL) 12-24
HWT: #1 Cole Konrad (MN) MD John Wise (ILL), 15-1 12-28
Play-by-Play
125: #6 Gabe Flores vs. #3 Jayson Ness
1st: Ness TD 1:32; Ness PIN 2:25
Final: Ness fall Flores, 2:25
ILL 0, MN 6
133: #10 Jimmy Kennedy vs. Mack Reiter
1st: Reiter TD 2:06; Kennedy R 1:34
End: Reiter 2, Kennedy 2
2nd: Kennedy R 1:38
End: Kennedy 4, Reiter 2
3rd: started neutral; Kennedy TD 1:32; Reiter E :26
Final: Kennedy 6, Reiter 3
ILL 3, MN 6
141: #17 Cassio Pero vs. #2 Manuel Rivera
1st: Rivera TD :03
End: Rivera 2, Pero 0
2nd: Rivera started down; Rivera E 1:18; Rivera TD :32
End: Rivera 5, Pero 0
3rd: Pero started down; Pero E 1:50; Pero TD :17
Final: Rivera 5, Pero 3
ILL 3, MN 9
149: Dan Zeman vs. #1 Dustin Schlatter
1st: Zeman stall warning 1:38; Schlatter TD 1:05; Schlatter NF3 :36; Schlatter NF3
:20; Schlatter NF2 :03
End: Schlatter 10, Zeman 0
2nd: Schlatter E 1:48; Schlatter TD 1:30; Schlatter NF2 1:19
Final: Schlatter TF Zeman 4:19
ILL 3, MN 14
157: #1 Mike Poeta vs. #2 C.P. Schlatter
1st: no score
2nd: Poeta started down; Poeta E 1:48; Poeta TD 1:13; Schlatter E 1:02; Schlatter
stall warning :32
End: Poeta 3, Schlatter 1
3rd: Schlatter started down; Schlatter E 1:45
Final: Poeta 3, Schlatter 2
ILL 6, MN 14
165: #13 Roger Smith-Bergsrud vs. Tyler Safratowich
1st: no score
2nd: Smith-Bergsrud started down; no score
3rd: Safratowich started down; Safratowich E 1:52; Safratowich TD 1:14; Safratowich
RT 3:11
Final: Safratowich 4, Smith-Bergsrud 0
ILL 6, MN 17
174: Matt Winterhalter vs. #12 Gabriel Dretsch
1st: Winterhalter stall warning 1:05; Dretsch TD :52; Dretsch NF2 :25
End: Dretsch 4, Winterhalter 0
2nd: Dretsch stalling; Dretsch E 1:12
End: Dretsch 6, Winterhalter 0
3rd: Winterhalter TD 1:48; Dretsch stall warning 1:30; Dretsch E :50; Dretsch TD :32;
Winterhalter E :30; Dretsch TD :10
Final: Dretsch 11, Winterhalter 3
ILL 6, MN 21
184: #18 John Dergo vs. #2 Roger Kish
1st: Kish TD 1:23; Dergo E :40; Kish TD :22
End: Kish 4, Dergo 1
2nd: Kish E 1:50; Dergo TD 1:43; Kish E 1:24
End: Kish 6, Dergo 3
3rd: Dergo E 1:20; Kish TD :03; Dergo E :02; Kish RT 1:14
Final: Kish 9, Dergo 5
ILL 6, MN 24
197: #20 Patrick Bond vs. Brent Eidenschink
1st: Bond TD 2:25; Eidenschink E 1:44; Bond TD :01
End: Bond 4, Eidenschink 1
2nd: Eidenschink started down; Eidenschink E 1:08;
End: Bond 4, Eidenschink 2
3rd: started neutral; Bond TD 1:30; Eidenschink E 1:28
Final: Bond med. def. Eidenschink, 6:40
ILL 12, MN 24
HWT: John Wise vs. #1 Cole Konrad
1st: Wise E 1:55; Konrad TD 1:30; Konrad TD 1:05
End: Konrad 4, Wise 1
2nd: Wise started down; Konrad NF2 1:30; Konrad NF3 :40; Konrad NF3 :05
End: Konrad 12, Wise 1
3rd: Konrad TD 1:33, Konrad RT 4:54
Final: Konrad 15, Wise 1
ILL 12, MN 28
