Close Isn't Good Enough Anymore

MOORHEAD, Minn. (12/12/13)—A few years ago No.10-ranked Concordia would have been happy to stay within 15 points of Division II power St. Cloud State. Those days are gone and the Cobbers were more than disappointed that they let a chance at a big-time win slip through their fingers.

Concordia dropped several key matches in the third period and lost 23-9 against No.5-ranked St. Cloud State. It is the first dual loss of the season for the Cobbers while the Huskies win their 49^th straight dual-meet victory.

"It's not good enough," commented Concordia head coach Matt Nagel. "If we want to be a top tier team and wrestle a team like this we have to close the gap and win the close ones like that. It's good for our guys to see that but we've got to get better."

The key stretch came in the middle weight classes where the Cobbers lost three straight matches with each bout tied heading into the third period. The trio of matches was a part of a four-bout win streak for the Huskies.   

The tightest match of the night came at 149 where nationally ranked Jake Long lost in double overtime. Long took a 5-4 lead but then Jay Hildreth scored an escape to tie the match at 5-5 and push it into overtime. Neither wrestler scored in the first overtime and then Hildreth won the bout with an escape in the first 30-second period of double overtime.

Kyle LeDuc fell at 157 after battling through two scoreless periods and then Jake Krogstad lost 9-5 at 165 after the match was tied 4-4 heading into the final period.

Junior Sebastian Gardner got Concordia back on the winning track when he claimed an 8-4 decision at 174. The match was tied at 3-3 late in the third before Gardner came up with an escape and then an acrobatic takedown to claim a 6-3 lead. He would give up an escape but then put up a late takedown to earn the four-point victory. The win is Gardner's 12^th of the season and he moves to 12-6 on the year.

After a six-point loss at 184, Cobber junior Delson Saintal earned an impressive win at 197. He outmaneuvered Chris Brassell several times during the three periods after Brassell took the upper hand with getting a leg hold. Saintal pushed forward in the third period and scored a takedown to win 5-2. Saintal has now won three of his last four matches and is 8-7 on the season.

Concordia's other win against St. Cloud State came at 133 where Jacoby Bergeron trailed 4-3 heading into the third period but then rallied and won 7-5. Bergeron was tough on his feet the entire three periods and took control early in the final period. Bergeron is now 12-5 this year.

The Cobbers will have a short break for Finals Week and then head south to Tennessee to compete in the Gator Duals hosted by Luther College on Saturday, Dec. 21 beginning at 9 a.m.  

#10 Concordia-Moorhead 9, #5 St. Cloud State 23
Date: December 12, 2013
Location: Moorhead, Minn.
Arena: Memorial Auditorium
Start Time: 7 p.m.
End Time: 8:50 p.m.
Total Time: 1:50
Attendance: 291

Individual Match Results:             
125 – Tanner Johnshoy (SCSU) maj. dec. Gabe Foltz (CC); 11-3    
133 – Jacoby Bergeron (CC) dec. Zach Stewart (SCSU); 7-5    
141 – Andy Pokorny (SCSU) dec. Yonas Gebreab (CC); 9-4    
149 – Jay Hildreth (SCSU) dec. #3 Jake Long (CC); 6-5 2OT    
157 – #4 Clint Poster (SCSU) dec. Kyle LeDuc (CC); 3-0    
165 – Ryan Zumwalt (SCSU) dec. Jake Krogstad (CC); 9-5    
174 – Sebastian Gardner (CC) dec. Taylor Lewandowski (SCSU); 8-4    
184 – Clayton Jennissen (SCSU) dec. Dylan Hanson (CC); 8-2    
197 – Delson Saintal (CC) dec. Chris Brassell (SCSU); 5-2    
285 – Austin Goergen (SCSU) maj. dec. #6 Cody Kasprick (CC); 13-4    

Match Notes:
- Concordia is ranked 10th in the latest NWCA Division III poll.
- St. Cloud State is ranked 5th in the latest NCAA Division II poll.  
- #10 Concordia is now 2-1 in dual meets this season.
- #5 St. Cloud State is now 2-0 in dual meets this season.
- St. Cloud State has now won 49 straight dual matches.
- St. Cloud State has now won three straight duals between the teams since the school started the series in 2011-12.  
- St. Cloud State won 7 of the 10 bouts in the match.  
- Concordia won 3 matches – all by decision.
- St. Cloud State won 5 matches by decision and 2 by major decision.