University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Finishes Michigan Swing in Ann Arbor
12/10/2016 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Continuing on its trek across the lower peninsula this weekend, Minnesota will visit Ann Arbor on Sunday to take on No. 10 Michigan. The theme for the contest is definitely the youth on both sides. Less than a month ago, the Wolverines shared that three accomplished upperclassmen - Domenic Abounader, Alec Pantaleo and Garrett Sutton - would join All-American heavyweight Adam Coon in redshirting this season. Those changes gave Michigan one of the few lineups in the country younger than the Gophers, however; youth is not synonymous with a lack of talent. Both teams have installed some of the country's best young wrestlers into starting spots this winter.
When, Where and How
Sunday's match starts at 1 p.m. Central at Cliff Keen Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich. Fans will be able to stream the action live on BTN Plus or keep tabs on the latest updates by following Gopher Wrestling on Twitter (@GopherWrestling).
So Far This Season
Minnesota (2-1, 1-0) opened its Big Ten season on Friday night by rallying in the second half against Michigan State, winning four of the final five matches to take the match, 20-17.
The Gophers returned to their dual schedule with this weekend's trip to the Great Lakes State after spending the prvious weekend in Las Vegas, where they finished fourth in the Cliff Keen Invitational. No. 12 Jake Short and No. 2 Brett Pfarr won the 149- and 197-pound titles, respectively, as five Gophers placed.
Prior to that break from dual action, Minnesota had split a pair of home duals in late November, first earning a comeback victory over No. 20 South Dakota State and then dropping its annual non-conference match against No. 1 Oklahoma State.
Michigan (3-0) returns to Cliff Keen Arena for the first time its dual season opener when the Wolverines welcome the Gophers to Ann Arbor on Sunday. In its only previous home contest, Michigan handled Virginia 24-9, on Nov. 11. Big Blue hit the road the following weekend, picking up wins against top-25 foes No. 17 Oklahoma (27-15) and No. 24 Oregon State (38-7).
Like the Gophers, the Wolverines were in Las Vegas for the Cliff Keen Invitational earlier this month, finishing ninth as a team (73 points). Redshirt freshmen Logan Massa (165-pound title), Stevan Micic (runner-up at 133) and Myles Amine (third at 174) led the way for Michigan.
The Wolverines were idle on Friday while the Gophers were in East Lansing.
Marquee Match
In Las Vegas last weekend, No. 8 Stevan Micic and No. 17 Mitch McKee put on one of the most entertaining matches of the weekend in their 133-pound semifinal bout, a 9-7 Micic victory that required sudden victory overtime to decide. The two rising young stars - Micic a redshirt freshman and McKee a true frosh - will face each other again on Sunday.
Last Time Around
In January 2015, fans for both programs white-knuckled through a tight dual, one in which the teams split the night's 10 matches. With the Gophers trailing 19-17 through nine matches, despite a fall for Dylan Ness over Brian Murphy and a pair of major decisions, top-ranked Chris Dardanes defeated No. 8 Rossi Bruno to give Minnesota the one-point win, 20-19.
Rank and File
It's expected that nine ranked wrestlers will compete on Sunday, five for Minnesota and four for Michigan. That mix will provide three ranked-versus-ranked matches, starting with our marquee match between McKee and Micic at 133 pounds. Shortly after, at 157, No. 12 Jake Short will take on No. 8 Brian Murphy, the lone Wolverine in Sunday's lineup that wrestled the last time these two teams went head-to-head. At 174, No. 16 Nick Wanzek will take on No. 9 Myles Amine.
Series History
Michigan is one of just two Big Ten teams with an edge in its all-time series with Minnesota, but that could change this weekend. The Gophers are 30-31-2 all-time against the Wolverines and could even that series with a win on Sunday. While the teams have split the last two meetings, Minnesota has won four of the last five against Michigan.
Parting Shot
Two very young lineups will be on the mat this Sunday. Out of the 20 wrestlers who will face off in the dual, no more than three will be seniors (Pfarr and Kroells, along with Michigan's Murphy), Meanwhile, at least half of that group will be either true or redshirt freshmen, with McKee, James Berg and Bobby Steveson likely for Minnesota, along with potentially Ben Brancale or Carson Brolsma, and seven for Michigan: Austin Assad (125), Micic (133), Sal Profaci (141), Massa (165), Amine (174), Striggow (197) and either Dan Perry or Kostya Golobokov at heavyweight.
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Players Mentioned
