Michigan
Illinois
Wolverines Drop Road Dual at No. 12 Illinois
1/20/2017 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Jan. 20, 2017
» Sal Profaci and Jackson Striggow earned decision wins at 141 and 197 pounds, respectively
» U-M dropped the duals three marquee matches -- at 133, 165 and 174 pounds -- by three points or less; second-ranked Logan Massa fell to top-ranked Isaiah Martinez, 3-1, at 165 pounds.
Site: Champaign, Ill. (Huff Hall)
Score: #12 Illinois 34, #15 Michigan 6
Records: U-M (4-4, 1-4 Big Ten), ILL (3-2, 2-2 Big Ten)
Next U-M Match: Sunday, Jan. 22 -- at Northwestern (Evanston, Ill.), 2 p.m. CST
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The No. 15-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team could not get its offense going in a road loss at No. 12 Illinois, dropping several close swing matches to fall, 34-6, on Friday night (Jan. 20) at Huff Hall.
Sophomore/freshmen Sal Profaci and Jackson Striggow were victorious for the Wolverines, earning decision wins at 141 and 197 pounds, respectively. Profaci rallied from an early deficit to defeat Mousa Jodeh, 5-2, behind a third-period takedown and riding time. The Illini wrestler finished on a single-leg takedown in the first period, but Profaci earned a quick escape and rode out the second period to accumulate significant time advantage. He again escaped quickly in the third and iced it with a single leg of his own before riding out the match.
Striggow also used a third-period takedown to claim a 3-1 decision over Andrew Lee at 197 pounds. After a scoreless first period, the wrestlers traded escapes in the second and third, before Striggow broke it open with an explosive single-leg takedown midway through the final frame and rode out the match.
The Wolverines dropped all three of the dual's marquee matches -- at 133, 165 and 174 pounds -- by three points or less.
Sophomore/freshman Stevan Micic, ranked fourth in the latest InterMat poll, could not hang on to his early lead in a 7-4 loss to sixth-ranked Zane Richards at 133 pounds. Micic scored on an early single-leg takedown and held a narrow one-point lead after the first period, but Richards scored on takedowns of his own in the second and third and accumulated 2:43 in riding-time advantage.
Sophomore/freshman Logan Massa, ranked second nationally at 165 pounds, dropped a 3-1 decision to top-ranked Isaiah Martinez, whose high-crotch takedown late in the first period proved the difference. Massa pushed the pace in the third period, drawing a stall warning, but could not finish on any attacks. It marks his first loss of the season and just the second of his collegiate career; he is now 18-1 on the season.
Sophomore/freshman Myles Amine, ranked eighth nationally at 174 pounds, was also doomed by a first-period takedown in the subsequent match, falling, 3-2, to 12th-ranked Zac Brunson. Brunson struck on an early ankle pick, and like Massa, Amine pushed the pace in the third but could not finish on a deep single-leg shot and ensuing scramble.
The Wolverines will wrap up their weekend road trip this Sunday (Jan. 22), traveling north to Evanston, Illinois, to Northwestern at 2 p.m. CST at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The dual will be aired live on the Big Ten Network.
#12 Illinois 34, #15 Michigan 6
Individual rankings from InterMat
| Match | Score |
| 125 -- Travis Piotrowski (ILL) won by forfeit | ILL, 6-0 |
| 133 -- #6 Zane Richards (ILL) dec. #4 Stevan Micic, 7-4 | ILL, 9-0 |
| 141 -- Sal Profaci (U-M) dec. Mousa Jodeh, 5-2 | ILL, 9-3 |
| 149 -- Eric Barone (ILL) major dec. Zac Hall, 8-0 | ILL, 13-3 |
| 157 -- Kyle Langenderfer (ILL) dec. #9 Brian Murphy, 2-1 TB | ILL, 16-3 |
| 165 -- #1 Isaiah Martinez (ILL) dec. #2 Logan Massa, 3-1 | ILL, 19-3 |
| 174 -- #12 Zac Brunson (ILL) dec. #8 Myles Amine, 3-2 | ILL, 22-3 |
| 184 -- #13 Emery Parker (ILL) pinned Ernest Battaglia, 0:37 | ILL, 28-3 |
| 197 -- Jackson Striggow (U-M) dec. Andre Lee, 3-1 | ILL, 28-6 |
| Hwt -- #17 Brooks Black (ILL) pinned Kostya Golobokov, 0:36 | ILL, 34-6 |
Communications Contact: Leah Howard
