Bears Rally Falls Short at Clash in the Commons

Sunday, January 26

Greeley, Colo.

2 pm

University of Northern Colorado

CSU-Bakersfield

Photo by: Dean Popejoy

1/26/2020 6:30:00 PM | Wrestling

Results Sheet

Northern Colorado mounted a rally with two wins, but dropped the dual to CSU Bakersfield, 20-16

By: Matthew Kushar, UNCBears.com

Northern Colorado wrestling hosted the inaugural Clash in the Commons on Sunday afternoon against CSU Bakersfield. The Roadrunners held off a furious rally from the Bears, 20-16, in front of an electric crowd in the Performance Hall at UNC Campus Commons.

UNC trailed by 10 with three matches left and won the next two matches to pull within one of CSUB. The Roadrunners won the final match to clinch the dual victory.

The first match of the day was the 149-pound bout with Ethan Leake going against No. 27 Russell Rohlfing. After the first period, Rohlfing led 4-0 and built the lead to 12-0 after two. In the third period, Rohlfing scored a takedown and a two-point near fall to earn the 17-0 tech fall at 5:44. CSUB was up 5-0 early.

In the 157-pound match, Nathan Moore would meet Wyatt Gerl. Moore had a 2-1 lead on Gerl after the first period. After a scoreless second period, Gerl managed to get a reversal on Moore in the third period to take the lead. Gerl would add-on a four-point, near fall for the 7-2 decision win over Moore. The Roadrunners had separated quickly with an 8-0 lead.

Macoy Flanagan got the call at 165-pounds and faced Jacob Thalin. The two wrestlers were scoreless after the first period, but Flanagan would get the escape in the second period to jump ahead. Thalin would tie and take the lead in the third period, with an escape and a takedown. Adding on the riding time bonus, Thalin won a 4-1 decision over Flanagan. CSU's lead now ballooned to 11-0.

Billy Higgins took the mat in the 174-pound bout to try and stop the bleeding. Higgins did not shy away from the challenge, scoring a late takedown in the first period to carry the lead into the second period. Urias would get an escape in the second, but that was all the scoring in the period. After an escape from Higgins, Urias tied the match at three with a takedown. Undaunted, Higgins turned the situation to his advantage with a reversal and was out in front, 5-3. He would win the 5-3 decision over Urias and UNC was on the board, down 11-3.

Now at 184-pounds, No. 28 Alan Clothier faced Jacob Loomer. Clothier tallied two takedowns in the first period to lead 4-1. Loomer was hit with a stalling penalty in the second period and Clothier extended his lead to 5-1. Clothier remained aggressive in the third period, striking for two takedowns and added riding time, along with stalling penalty on Loomer. The redshirt-junior earned the major decision over Loomer, 12-2 and UNC was right back in the dual, now down 11-7 going to the intermission.

Sethan Bogulski now faced Dominic Ducharme in the 174-pound bout. Ducharme scored an early takedown on Bogulski for the 2-1 lead after first. Ducharme added another takedown in the second period for a 5-2 lead. Ducharme recorded two more takedowns in the third period and went on to win a 9-5 decision over Bogulski. The Roadrunners were now up 14-7.

Robert Winters Jr. and Jerrod Snyder faced off in the 285-pound match. Neither wrestler scored in the first quarter, but Winters would start on bottom in the second and took the lead with an escape. Snyder tied the match at one with an escape in the third and the two would head to overtime. The first period past with no scoring from either wrestler. Now in the second overtime, Snyder started on bottom and picked up the escape to take the lead 2-1. Winters started on bottom for the third overtime but could not get the escape. Snyder went on to win the 2-1 decision and CSUB padded its lead, 17-7.

In the 125-pound bout, Jace Koelzer battled Alex Hernandez-Figueroa. The bout moved to the second period after a scoreless first and Hernandez-Figueora started the period with an escape. Koelzer tied the match with an escape in the third period and went to work on offense. The redshirt-freshman scored a takedown to jump in front of Hernandez-Figueora, 3-1. Koelzer would add riding time for the 4-1 decision win and helped the Bears cut into the Roadrunner lead, 17-10.

In the feature match, No. 18 Mosha Schwartz faced No. 26 Chance Rich at 133-pounds. Schwartz took shots early and often, building a 6-0 lead after the first period with a takedown and a four-point near fall. Moving to the second period, Schwartz got an early takedown on Rich and turned him to get the fall at 4:23. The fall was crucial for UNC as they were now down only one to CSUB, 17-16.

The dual would come down to the 141-pound match, as Chris Sandoval faced Angelo Martinoni. Sandoval had the lead after the first period with a pair of takedown on Martinoni. In the second period, Martinoni responded with a takedown and a four-point near fall for a 9-4 lead. Sandoval did not give up and scored two takedown on Martinoni in the third period. Martinoni responded with an escape each time to hold on for the 11-8 decision win.

CSU Bakersfield held off Northern Colorado for the 20-16 win with six matches going to the Roadrunners. UNC fell to 1-5 on the season in dual matches.

Coach's Post-Dual Thoughts

What's Ahead?
Northern Colorado will be back at Bank of Colorado Arena on Saturday, Feb. 1 2 p.m. against North Dakota State.