University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Open Dual Season with Air Force on Sunday
11/8/2017 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
| No. 6 Minnesota vs Air Force | |
| Date/Time | Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017 | 1:00 p.m. |
| Location | Maturi Pavilion |
| Live Video | BTN Plus |
| Tickets | Buy Now |
| Match Notes | |
| Social Media | @GopherWrestling | Facebook | Instagram |
2017-18 Pre-Match Youth Clinics // 2017-18 Schedule // Highlights Daktronics
Wrestling is back at the University of Minnesota, as the No. 6 Golden Gophers will open the 2017-18 dual season with Air Force at the Maturi Pavilion on Nov. 12 at 1:00 p.m.
How to Follow the Dual
Sunday's match against the Falcons will begin at 1:00 p.m. CT at the Maturi Pavilion. Gopher wrestling fanatics are able to stream the live action on BTN Plus along with live updates on the Minnesota wrestling twitter page.
Early Season Challenge
Both the Gophers and the Falcons have competed in one open this season. The Gophers traveled to Brookings, S.D. to take part in the Daktronics Open while Air Force was in Laramie, WY participating in the Cowboy Open.
Minnesota obtained three titles, marking one of the most successful Daktronics the Gophers have had in recent memory. Ethan Lizak (125), Mitch McKee (133) and Nick Wanzek (165) all finished first in their first action of the 2017-18 season. Air Force had one wrestler earn a title at the Cowboy Open, that being Alec Opsal in 141-pounds.
Welcome Back, Logan Storley
Gopher legend Logan Storley will be in-person on Sunday in the Maturi Pavilion honoring as a special guest on the Gophers bench. Storley is a current mix-martial arts fighter for Bellator, and is coming off a victory in his last fight on Nov. 3 and is currently 7-0 with six knockouts.
Marquee Matchup
The Falcons do not currently have any current wrestlers in the top rankings, but Alex Lopouchanski was able to crack into The Open Mat's national ranking last November at No. 19. That could set up a competitive match at 165 with Minnesota's senior Nick Wanzek, who is ranked No. 10. Wanzek is coming off a week where he had the match of the week for the Gophers.
The #Gophers begin their 2017-18 Match of the Week honors with senior Nick Wanzek! #GopherTough pic.twitter.com/Gd7i73F4L2
-- Minnesota Wrestling (@GopherWrestling) November 8, 2017
Ranked and Ready
Minnesota comes into the dual as the No. 6 ranked dual team by Intermat, while five active individual wrestlers are all ranked in the top 10 by the same poll. Ethan Lizak holds the highest Intermat ranking at No. 5. He picked up four victories at the Daktronics Open on his way to the 125-pound title.
Last Time with Air Force
The Gophers last met the Falcons in 2015 where Minnesota prevailed 22-12 in Minneapolis. A few current Gopher graplers competed back in 2015 including Tommy Thorn who defeated David Walker by decision 12-7 at 141. Chris Pfarr wrestled at 184 and broke a 12-12 tie between the two squads with a an 11-minute match where Pfarr held a 0.4 second riding time advantage to give him the victory and the Gophers the momentum that they rode to the dual win.
McKee Did What?!
133-pound sophomore Mitch McKee was able to pick up three pins in his run to the 133 Daktronics Open title, giving him half the amount he had all last season as a ture freshman when he led the team with six.
Follow the Gophers
As the season progresses, the best Gopher Wrestling news source is GopherSports.com. Find match previews, tournament recaps, features on the wrestlers you see at each event or anything else, keep it here. Be sure to also follow the Gophers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram so you do not miss any content during the 2017-18 season.
Players Mentioned
