Wrestling 11/23/05 -- Augsburg 32, Minnesota State-Moorhead 6

MINNEAPOLIS (11/23/05) -- Winning nine of 10 individual matches, the No. 1-ranked Augsburg College wrestling team claimed a 32-6 victory over Minnesota State University Moorhead in a dual meet on Wednesday night at Augsburg's Si Melby Hall.

A second-period pin from 141-pounder Josh Hansen (Jr., Albert Lea, Minn.) and a third-period techincal fall by Wally O'Connor (So., Oshkosh, Wis./Oshkosh West HS) at 197 pounds provided bonus points for the Auggies in their first dual meet of the season.

Augsburg, the defending NCAA Division III national champions and winners of nine of the last 15 national crowns, is currently ranked No. 1 in the Division III national poll. Minnesota State Moorhead, ranked No. 11 in the latest NCAA Division II national poll, is now 1-1 on the season in dual meets. Augsburg is now 9-0 in the all-time dual-meet series with the Dragons, a series that dates to the 1991-92 season.

Augsburg is now 200-13 in dual meets against teams from Divisions II and III since the 1989-90 season. Augsburg has lost just eight matches to non-Division I opponents since the 1995-96 season.

In the only meeting of ranked wrestlers on the evening, Augsburg's Ryan Valek * (Sr., Belle Plaine, Minn./Scott West), the No. 1-ranked wrestler in Division III at 165 pounds, rallied from an early 1-0 deficit with two takedowns and a two-point near-fall to top MSU Moorhead's Nate Baker (Jr., Lakefield, Minn./Jackson County Central HS) 8-2, improving to 4-1 on the season. Baker, who transferred to MSU Moorhead from the Division I University of Minnesota, is currently No. 5 in the Division II national rankings at 165 and is now 5-4 on the season.

Hansen's pin at the 2:27 mark in the 141-pound match against Ben Keen (Sr., Pine River, Minn./Pine River-Backus HS), the No. 6-ranked wrestler in Division II, gave the Auggies the team lead to stay in the dual meet. He gave up an early takedown, but late in the first period, converted a reversal on a quick scramble and gained the pin victory. Hansen is now 4-0 on the year.

O'Connor dominated the 197-pound match, building 3:41 of riding time to claim a 21-6, technical-fall victory over the Dragons' Josiah Bush (Fr., North Pole, Alaska). O'Connor converted five takedowns and three near-falls to improve to 4-0 on the season.

At 149, Augsburg's Jared Evans (Jr., Blue Earth, Minn./Blue Earth Area HS), ranked No. 4 in Division III, gained a first-period takedown en route to a 3-1 victory over Peter Hayes (So., Wadena, Minn./Wadena-Deer Creek HS). Evans is now 4-1 overall.

Andrew Neumann (Jr., Somerset, Wis.) moved to 4-0 overall with a 6-0 triumph over Joseph Facchinni (Jr., Nashwauk, Minn./Nashwauk-Keewatin HS) at heavyweight, using a takedown, reversal and a 6:09 riding-time advantage.

Jeremy Anderson (So., Thief River Falls, Minn.), a transfer from the University of Minnesota at 157 pounds, claimed a 6-1 victory over Ross Malikowski (Jr., St. Joseph, Minn./Rocori HS) to remain unbeaten at 5-0. Robbie Gotreau (So., Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson HS) also remained unbeaten at 5-0 with a 4-1 decision over Tony Soderberg (Sr., Minot, N.D.) at 184.

Also gaining decision wins for Augsburg were Seth Flodeen (Fr., Cannon Falls, Minn.) at 125 and George Lynaugh (So., Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley HS) at 174. Flodeen trailed Dave Burgard (Sr., Jamestown, N.D.) 5-2 at the end of the second period, but scored two takedowns in the third period and a 1:34 riding-time advantage to claim a 7-6 victory. Lynaugh, a transfer from Division II Minnesota State, Mankato, scored an 8-5 win over Skip Toops (Jr., New London, Minn./New London-Spicer HS).

The Dragons' lone victory came from Troy McFarland (So., Grand Forks, N.D./Central HS) at 133, improving to 9-3 on the season with a second-period pin over Augsburg's Zach Hansen (Fr., Albert Lea, Minn.). McFarland quickly turned a reversal into a pin with 44 seconds left in the second period.

MSU Moorhead has a home dual against Itasca Community College on Dec. 2 at 7 p.m., and both teams will compete at the MSU Moorhead Dragon Open on Dec. 3 at 9 a.m., in Moorhead.

College Wrestling -- Augsburg (1-0) 32, Minnesota State Moorhead (1-1) 6
November 23, 2005 -- Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis, Minn.
Action begins at 125 pounds. Time of match 1:37.
Officials: Byron Olson, Mike Roff.
Attendance: 201.

125 -- Seth Flodeen (AUG, 4-1) dec. Dave Burgard (MSUM, 2-5) 7-6 (Augsburg 3-0).
133 -- Troy McFarland (MSUM, 9-3) pinned Zach Hansen (AUG, 4-1) 4:16 (MSUM 6-3).
141 -- Josh Hansen (AUG, 4-0) pinned No. 6 Ben Keen (MSUM, 5-4) 2:27 (Augsburg 9-6).
149 -- No. 4 Jared Evans (AUG, 4-1) dec. Peter Hayes (MSUM, 8-4) 3-1 (Augsburg 12-6).
157 -- Jeremy Anderson (AUG, 5-0) dec. Ross Malikowski (MSUM, 7-2) 6-1 (Augsburg 15-6).
165 -- No. 1 Ryan Valek * (AUG, 4-1) dec. No. 5 Nate Baker (MSUM, 5-4) 8-2 (Augsburg 18-6).
174 -- George Lynaugh (AUG, 2-1) dec. Skip Toops (MSUM, 10-5) 8-5 (Augsburg 21-6).
184 -- Robbie Gotreau (AUG, 5-0) dec. Tony Soderberg (MSUM, 5-3) 4-1 (Augsburg 24-6).
197 -- Wally O'Connor (AUG, 4-0) tech. fall Josiah Bush (MSUM, 2-5) 21-6 at 7:00 (Augsburg 29-6).
HWT -- Andrew Neumann (AUG, 4-0) dec. Joseph Facchinni (MSUM, 2-3) 6-0 (Augsburg 32-6).