University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Sunday, February 18
Greeley, CO
3 pm
University of Northern Colorado
6
vs
27
Air Force
Players Mentioned
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Photo by: Dean Popejoy
Recap: @UNCBearsWrestle Falls in Final Season Dual Against Air Force
2/18/2018 7:14:00 PM | Wrestling
Northern Colorado lost 27-6 in Bank of Colorado Arena to the Falcons
GREELEY, Colo.- Northern Colorado wrestling dropped its final dual of the season against Air Force, 27-6 on Sunday afternoon.
The difference in the dual was Air Force winning eight matches and six of them by three points or less.
The Dual opened in the 133 lb weight class with No. 25 Rico Montoya against Isaac Jimenez. After an early takedown in the first period from Jimenez, Montoya responded with a late takedown to grab a 3-2 lead. Jimenez tied the match in the second period with a takedown, but Montoya managed to get an escape to reclaim the lead, 5-4. An escape by Jimenez would once again tie the match, but Montoya prevailed with a riding time point for the 6-5 decision win. UNC started with a 3-0 lead.
Benjamin Polkowske faced off with Alec Opsal in the 141 lb weight class. Opsal started early with a takedown on Polkowske, before pinning him at the 1:06 mark. Air Force jumped in front 6-3, over the Bears.
Jimmy Fate battled Dane Robbins in the 149 lb weight class. Robbins had a takedown on Fate in the first period to take the lead, but Fate salvaged an escape to make the score 2-1 heading to the second. Fate tied the match with an escape and they headed to final period tied at two. Robbins got a quick escape after starting in the down position and scored a takedown on Fate to build his lead. Robbins defeated Fate in a 6-2 decision and Air Force's lead was up to 9-3.
In the 157 lb weight class, Tyler Kinn went against Alex Mossing. A takedown in the first period gave Mossing the lead and Kinn managed to get on the board with an escape. Up 2-1, Mossing scored a reversal to extend the lead, but Kinn stayed in the match with an escape to trail 4-2. Kinn pulled within one of Mossing with another escape, but was then hit with a stalling penalty and Mossing went on to win a 5-3 decision. The Falcons continued to pull away from the Bears with a 12-3 advantage in the dual.
Keilan Torres looked to stop the bleeding for UNC in the 165 lb weight class against Alex Lopouchanski. The two wrestlers were scoreless after the first period and the match moved to the second. Lopouchanski broke the tie with an escape to lead Torres 1-0, heading to the final period. After choosing down, Torres quickly tied the match with an escape and both wrestlers were looking to score to avoid overtime. Lopouchanski managed to accomplish that with a takedown on Torres with one second left in the third period and he pulled off the 3-1 decision win. Air Force extended the lead to 15-3 going to the intermission.
Out of the break, Sethan Bogulski was on the mat against Michael Billingsley in the 174 lb weight class. Billingsley had the lead in the first period after a takedown, but Bogulski managed to break free for an escape. Billingsley opened the second period with an escape, but Bogulski had a huge takedown to tie the match at three. The match was tied until Billingsley got a late escape retake the lead at the end of the second period. Bogulski would tie the match with an escape in the third period, but Billingsley would score a deciding takedown to get the 6-5 decision win. The deficit for UNC was now up to 18-3.
Dylan Gabel looked to get the team back on track in the 184 lb weight class against Zen Ikehara. The two faced off last year, with Gabel getting the win over Ikehara. The first period was scoreless, with neither wrestler getting any offense going. Gabel earned the lead in the second period with an escape and managed to prevent Ikehara from getting an escape in the third to tie the match. Gabel added a riding time point in the third period to win a 2-0 decision and UNC trailed Air Force 18-6.
In the 197 lb weight class, Tanner Davis faced Anthony McLaughlin. McLaughlin picked up a takedown and Davis managed an escape to lead 2-1 after the first period. An escape by McLaughlin in the second was the only scoring in the period and Davis trailed 3-1. McLaughlin would secure the win in the third with a takedown, plus a riding time point for a 6-3 decision win over Davis. The Bears were down 21-6 against the Falcons.
Robert Winters Jr. was up for UNC in the heavyweight class and he would be dealing with Matt Wagner. The first period ended tied at zero, but Wagner would get an early escape in the second to lead Winters 1-0. Winters would get the point back in the third period with an escape. However, Wagner had the riding time advantage and won the match in a 2-1 decision to increase Air Force's lead to 24-6.
The final match of the day was in the 125 lb weight class, with Sean Cannon going against Tony DeCesare. The two wrestlers would end the first period scoreless, but Cannon took the lead in the second period with a two-point near fall, although DeCesare managed an escape to end the period. With Cannon leading 2-1 in the third period, DeCesare was able to tie the match on escape and the two needed overtime. DeCesare won the match on a takedown with :17 seconds left in overtime for a 4-2 sudden victory over Cannon.
Air Force would win the dual against Northern Colorado 27-6 and the Bears dual record fell to 3-10 and 2-6 in the Big 12.
In their words
Troy Nickerson, Head Coach
On the close losses
"It's all mental and these guys are plenty good enough and they don't think so right now. When you think negatively you're going to preform negatively. They need to find that confidence. I know that they have it in them. I think every match except for 141 was within our grasp, since they mostly were decided by three points or less and you have to know who to win close matches. We need to get better at those situations."
On how the team can change the mentality
"I believe in my staff and they are doing everything they can to talk to these kids the right way. At the end of the day the team needs to find it. I think too many of our guys that are ready to have the season over."
On preparing for the Big 12 Championships and National Tournament
"They all need to believe that they're going to go out there and win the tournament. We have more than four guys who can get to the tournament and they just have to believe. A lot of that has to do with the preparation going in and you have to put in the hard work. I know were doing the right things with our philosophy and training style, but the team needs to change their mentality."
Â
Rico Montoya
"I let him get a couple of takedowns that shouldn't have happened. I was a little heavy on the head and going back now I could have pushed the pace more and I would have won more comfortably I feel like I wrestle better with the two-hour weigh-ins and I get more juice under my legs. I can let it fly more like coach says. I think I have a good chance at accomplishing what I want to this season. If I get out from bottom and just take anyone down; I'm in position to win that match."
Â
Dylan Gabel
"Third time I have wrestled him. He didn't do a whole lot, just was blocking me off. I was getting my attacks go and trying to get his leg and the scramble was cut short by a stalling call. I got out from bottom and put a tough ride in the third period to get the point. I'm trying to open up guys more and they are going to give me a lot of that look in the Big 12 and nationals, just trying to keep my offense close."
Â
Next Up
With the dual schedule concluded for Northern Colorado, the team will be off until they travel to Tulsa, Okla. for the Big 12 Championships, March 3rd-4th.
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The difference in the dual was Air Force winning eight matches and six of them by three points or less.
The Dual opened in the 133 lb weight class with No. 25 Rico Montoya against Isaac Jimenez. After an early takedown in the first period from Jimenez, Montoya responded with a late takedown to grab a 3-2 lead. Jimenez tied the match in the second period with a takedown, but Montoya managed to get an escape to reclaim the lead, 5-4. An escape by Jimenez would once again tie the match, but Montoya prevailed with a riding time point for the 6-5 decision win. UNC started with a 3-0 lead.
Benjamin Polkowske faced off with Alec Opsal in the 141 lb weight class. Opsal started early with a takedown on Polkowske, before pinning him at the 1:06 mark. Air Force jumped in front 6-3, over the Bears.
Jimmy Fate battled Dane Robbins in the 149 lb weight class. Robbins had a takedown on Fate in the first period to take the lead, but Fate salvaged an escape to make the score 2-1 heading to the second. Fate tied the match with an escape and they headed to final period tied at two. Robbins got a quick escape after starting in the down position and scored a takedown on Fate to build his lead. Robbins defeated Fate in a 6-2 decision and Air Force's lead was up to 9-3.
In the 157 lb weight class, Tyler Kinn went against Alex Mossing. A takedown in the first period gave Mossing the lead and Kinn managed to get on the board with an escape. Up 2-1, Mossing scored a reversal to extend the lead, but Kinn stayed in the match with an escape to trail 4-2. Kinn pulled within one of Mossing with another escape, but was then hit with a stalling penalty and Mossing went on to win a 5-3 decision. The Falcons continued to pull away from the Bears with a 12-3 advantage in the dual.
Keilan Torres looked to stop the bleeding for UNC in the 165 lb weight class against Alex Lopouchanski. The two wrestlers were scoreless after the first period and the match moved to the second. Lopouchanski broke the tie with an escape to lead Torres 1-0, heading to the final period. After choosing down, Torres quickly tied the match with an escape and both wrestlers were looking to score to avoid overtime. Lopouchanski managed to accomplish that with a takedown on Torres with one second left in the third period and he pulled off the 3-1 decision win. Air Force extended the lead to 15-3 going to the intermission.
Out of the break, Sethan Bogulski was on the mat against Michael Billingsley in the 174 lb weight class. Billingsley had the lead in the first period after a takedown, but Bogulski managed to break free for an escape. Billingsley opened the second period with an escape, but Bogulski had a huge takedown to tie the match at three. The match was tied until Billingsley got a late escape retake the lead at the end of the second period. Bogulski would tie the match with an escape in the third period, but Billingsley would score a deciding takedown to get the 6-5 decision win. The deficit for UNC was now up to 18-3.
Dylan Gabel looked to get the team back on track in the 184 lb weight class against Zen Ikehara. The two faced off last year, with Gabel getting the win over Ikehara. The first period was scoreless, with neither wrestler getting any offense going. Gabel earned the lead in the second period with an escape and managed to prevent Ikehara from getting an escape in the third to tie the match. Gabel added a riding time point in the third period to win a 2-0 decision and UNC trailed Air Force 18-6.
In the 197 lb weight class, Tanner Davis faced Anthony McLaughlin. McLaughlin picked up a takedown and Davis managed an escape to lead 2-1 after the first period. An escape by McLaughlin in the second was the only scoring in the period and Davis trailed 3-1. McLaughlin would secure the win in the third with a takedown, plus a riding time point for a 6-3 decision win over Davis. The Bears were down 21-6 against the Falcons.
Robert Winters Jr. was up for UNC in the heavyweight class and he would be dealing with Matt Wagner. The first period ended tied at zero, but Wagner would get an early escape in the second to lead Winters 1-0. Winters would get the point back in the third period with an escape. However, Wagner had the riding time advantage and won the match in a 2-1 decision to increase Air Force's lead to 24-6.
The final match of the day was in the 125 lb weight class, with Sean Cannon going against Tony DeCesare. The two wrestlers would end the first period scoreless, but Cannon took the lead in the second period with a two-point near fall, although DeCesare managed an escape to end the period. With Cannon leading 2-1 in the third period, DeCesare was able to tie the match on escape and the two needed overtime. DeCesare won the match on a takedown with :17 seconds left in overtime for a 4-2 sudden victory over Cannon.
Air Force would win the dual against Northern Colorado 27-6 and the Bears dual record fell to 3-10 and 2-6 in the Big 12.
In their words
Troy Nickerson, Head Coach
On the close losses
"It's all mental and these guys are plenty good enough and they don't think so right now. When you think negatively you're going to preform negatively. They need to find that confidence. I know that they have it in them. I think every match except for 141 was within our grasp, since they mostly were decided by three points or less and you have to know who to win close matches. We need to get better at those situations."
On how the team can change the mentality
"I believe in my staff and they are doing everything they can to talk to these kids the right way. At the end of the day the team needs to find it. I think too many of our guys that are ready to have the season over."
On preparing for the Big 12 Championships and National Tournament
"They all need to believe that they're going to go out there and win the tournament. We have more than four guys who can get to the tournament and they just have to believe. A lot of that has to do with the preparation going in and you have to put in the hard work. I know were doing the right things with our philosophy and training style, but the team needs to change their mentality."
Â
Rico Montoya
"I let him get a couple of takedowns that shouldn't have happened. I was a little heavy on the head and going back now I could have pushed the pace more and I would have won more comfortably I feel like I wrestle better with the two-hour weigh-ins and I get more juice under my legs. I can let it fly more like coach says. I think I have a good chance at accomplishing what I want to this season. If I get out from bottom and just take anyone down; I'm in position to win that match."
Â
Dylan Gabel
"Third time I have wrestled him. He didn't do a whole lot, just was blocking me off. I was getting my attacks go and trying to get his leg and the scramble was cut short by a stalling call. I got out from bottom and put a tough ride in the third period to get the point. I'm trying to open up guys more and they are going to give me a lot of that look in the Big 12 and nationals, just trying to keep my offense close."
Â
Next Up
With the dual schedule concluded for Northern Colorado, the team will be off until they travel to Tulsa, Okla. for the Big 12 Championships, March 3rd-4th.
Â
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