Big Win in the Big Apple: Dragons Top LIU Post 33-6 at Grapple at the Garden
NEW YORK CITY – Three wins by fall propelled the Minnesota State University Moorhead wrestling team to a 33-6 win over Long Island University Post in action Sunday morning at the Grapple at the Garden at historic Madison Square Garden in New York City.
The Dragons improved to 1-1 on the season while the Pioneers fell to 1-9 in duals.
The Grapple at the Garden features more than two dozen college teams at various levels competing at one of the most famous venues in the United States, Madison Square Garden. Eight mats of competition took place at once.
Sophomore Shane Novak (125) and seniors Michael Joseph and Shawn Porter all had pins for the Dragons, who won eight of the 10 matches on the day. Novak got the Dragons off to a strong start at 125 pounds as he pinned Tyler Walsh in 2:51 to give MSUM a 6-0 lead.
LIU Post won the 133-pound match as Joe Calderone edged Blake Bosch, 7-6 to cut the Dragon lead to 6-3.
MSUM then rattled off six wins in a row to put the match out of reach. Senior Philippe Walker got the streak going for MSUM with an 8-3 win over Jesse Meaney at 141 pounds to push the lead to 8-3.
Sophomore Isaac Novacek pushed the Dragon lead to 12-3 as he outlasted Matt Langan 14-10 at 149 pounds. MSUM then won back-to-back close matches, as sophomore Garret Hoffner beat Jackson Mordente, 2-0 at 157 and sophomore Dan Murakami edged Ed Ramirez, 3-2 at 165 as the Dragon lead grew to 18-3.
Joseph and Porter then delivered two huge pins to help put the dual out of reach. At 174 pounds, Joseph pinned LIU Post’s Cory Ashe in 2:09 to extend MSUM’s lead to 24-3. Moments later, Porter pinned Ronnie King in 1:58 at 184 to extend the lead to 30-3.
LIU Post won at 197 to cut the lead to 30-6 but sophomore Nader Abdullatif capped off the match with a win for MSUM, defeating James Louisan, 9-3 at 285 pounds to make the final count 33-6.
The Dragons are back in action on Jan. 8, 2015 when they host Northern State to open the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference season.
MSU- Moorhead 33, Long Island University Post 6
125-Shane Novak (MSUM) pinned Tyler Walsh, 2:51
133-Joe Calderone (LIU) dec. Blake Bosch, 7-6
141-Philippe Walker (MSUM) dec. Jesse Meaney, 8-3
149-Isaac Novacek (MSUM) dec. Matt Langan, 14-10
157-Garret Hoffner (MSUM) dec. Jackson Mordente, 2-0
165-Dan Murakami (MSUM) dec. Ed Ramirez, 3-2
174-Michael Joseph (MSUM) pinned Cory Ashe, 2:09
184-Shawn Porter (MSUM) pinned Ronnie King, 1:58
197-Chris Dilorio (LIU) dec. Chris Bascon, 16-10
285-Nader Abdullatif (MSUM) dec. James Louisan, 9-3