Minnesota then took a 12-6 lead when eighth-ranked Mike Thorn pinned Adam Lynch in 2:18. The pin ended Lynch’s five-bout winning streak. Lynch, who entered the InterMat individual rankings at No. 20 earlier this week, finished 6-2 in Big Ten duals. No. 4 Frank Molinaro trimmed the lead to three by earning his sixth victory over a ranked opponent with a 7-3 decision over Mario Mason. Molinaro took Mason down in the first and second periods and accumulated 2:20 of riding time. “That’s a tough kid,” Penn State associate head coach Cody Sanderson said of Mason during the post-meet radio show. “He’s a talented kid and he’s hard to wrestle. Frank did a good job of moving him and getting to those legs.”
No. 2 Dustin Schlatter smothered any momentum established by Molinaro’s victory by defeating sixth-ranked Cyler Sanderson 4-0 at 157. Schlatter, a 2007 NCAA champion at 149, took control of the bout with a first-period takedown. Strong third periods helped the Golden Gophers (12-5, 7-1 Big Ten) throughout the final five bouts. Minnesota heavyweight Ben Berhow ended the meet by taking down Cameron Wade with three seconds remaining to earn a 4-2 victory. The loss snapped Wade’s four-bout winning streak. Minnesota’s final period work also earned a bonus point at 197 and prevented one at 165. Sonny Yohn scored eight points in the final period to secure the dual meet victory with a 14-5 major over Dave Crowell at 197. Yohn took Crowell down three times in the third.
Dan Vallimont cut Minnesota’s lead to 15-12 by defeating Cody Yohn 10-3 at 165. But Cody Yohn escaped with two seconds remaining to prevent a major decision. “There were a couple of tough situations in the third period,” Cody Sanderson said. “But that has to be our best period. We talk about the third period being our best period, and it wasn’t tonight.” David Erwin earned Penn State’s lone bonus point in a contested bout by majoring Kaleb Young 12-3 at 184. Erwin took Young down three times, including as the buzzer sounded in the second. “He did a great job,” Cody Sanderson said of Erwin. “His attitude was excellent. He was physical with the kid. He showed a lot of great attitude out there.” Erwin defeated Young one bout after Minnesota 174-pounder Scott Glasser defeated Justin Ortega by the same score. Glasser had five takedowns, helping the Golden Gophers end the match with a 16-12 takedown advantage.
The Nittany Lions will receive time to reflect on Friday’s loss. They are off until the Big Ten Championships begin March 6 in Ann Arbor, Mich. “These guys have been working hard for a long time,” Cody Sanderson said. “Most of the physical work is done. Right now we focus on what they do best.”
Thanks to the "Centre Daily Times" (State College, Pa.) for the article