A-to-Z Victory Keeps Win Stretch Intact Over MSUM
Ayden Friese won the first match, and Gabe Zierden claimed the victory in the final match as Concordia beat crosstown rival MSU Moorhead for the 11th time in the last 12 outings.
MOORHEAD, Minn. (11/17/22)---Call it an A-to-Z, start-to-finish win for the Cobbers at MSU Moorhead.
It started with an emotional win from undersized Ayden Friese in the opening match at heavyweight, and continued all the way through the final 6-0 decision from No.15-ranked Gabe Zierden. In between the two bookend wins, Concordia recorded a pair of pins, a technical fall victory and a major decision win as they steamrolled crosstown rival MSU Moorhead 33-10 in the season-opening dual meet for the Cobbers.
The victory over the Dragons is the 11th in the last 12 meetings between the two schools for Concordia. The Cobbers have only lost one time to MSU Moorhead since the 2010 season. The 23-point win is also the second consecutive for Concordia over the Dragons by at least 20 points. CC downed MSUM 31-6 last season.
Head Coach Quincy Osborn had to shuffle the Cobbers lineup due to early-season injuries, which meant that Friese – who wrestled last year at 184 – had to be moved up to 285. Friese responded by methodically wearing down his opponent and coming away with a tone-setting 3-2 win.
Friese gave up a takedown in the first period, but then earned an escape before the second period. Friese started in the down position in period two, and recorded his second escape of the match. He won the contest by staying on top throughout the entire third period and earned the victory via riding time.
Friese is now 4-1 on the season.
The Cobbers didn't have a wrestler at 125, so the Dragons came away with six points for the forfeit. That would be the last loss for CC until 174. Concordia was able to win five straight matches to put the team result on ice.
No.10-ranked Ty Bisek started the quintet of wins with a dominating 16-1 technical fall win at 133. Bisek had a takedown in the first, and then exploded in the second period with a pair of 4-point near falls. He remains unbeaten on the year with a 4-0 record.
Senior Cade Lundeen never gave up a takedown in his match at 141 and cruised to a 15-1 major decision win. Lundeen had a 4-point near fall in each of the second and third periods to extend his early-winning streak to five matches.
Fellow senior Kellen Schauer made quick work of his opponent at 149. He had a takedown in the first minute of the opening period, and then put shoulders to mat at the 61-second mark. Schauer is now 5-1 on the year.
Sophomore Alex McPhee and senior Tyler Bents posted decision wins to push the score to 24-6. McPhee made his hay in the second period in his bout at 157 when he scored a takedown and a 4-point near fall. He then posted three escapes in the third to record a hard fought 11-9 win.
Bents, who was wrestling up a weight class, never trailed in his match at 165. He had takedowns in each of the three frames, got the bonus point for riding time and won 8-3. Bents is now 4-1 for the year.
The Dragons lone contested win came at 174, but then junior Connor Chloupek put the match to bed when he came through with a pin in the second period of his bout at 184. Chloupek didn't give up a point, and was leading 4-0, before he came through with his team-leading fourth pin of the season. He is now 5-0 for the year.
Zierden capped off a near-perfect night for the Cobbers with a dominating shutout win at 197. After a scoreless first period, Zierden scored a reversal from the down position to start the second and rolled to the 6-point win. Like Chloupek, Zierden is also 5-0 for the year.
UP NEXT: Concordia will head to Minneapolis to participate in the Auggie Invitational on Saturday, Nov. 19. It will be the first chance for the Cobbers to get a look at Division III and regional competition.
Final Score:
Concordia-Moorhead 33, MSU Moorhead 10
Date: November 17, 2022
Location: Moorhead, Minn.
Arena: Nemzek Fieldhouse (MSU Moorhead)
Start Time: 7:00 p.m.
End Time: 8:55 p.m.
Total Time: 1:55
Attendance: 315
Individual Match Results:
285 - Ayden Friese (CC) dec. Andrew Baguma (MSUM); 3-2 (CC leads 3-0)
125 - Clayson Mele (MSUM) wins by forfeit (MSUM leads 6-3)
133 - Ty Bisek (CC) tech fall Thomas Carillo (MSUM); 16-1 (5:00) (CC leads 8-6)
141 - Cade Lundeen (CC) maj. dec. Parker Benz: 15-1 (CC leads 12-6)
149 - Kellen Schauer (CC) pin Gunnar Morgan (MSUM); 1:01 (CC leads 18-6)
157 - Alex McPhee (CC) dec. Peyton Ringling (MSUM); 11-9 (CC leads 21-6)
165 - Tyler Bents (CC) dec. Jonas Anez (MSUM); 8-3 (CC leads 24-6)
174 - Anthony Castro (MSUM) maj. dec. Zach Pribyl (CC); 9-1 (CC leads 24-10)
184 - Connor Chloupek (CC) pin Caleb Vacura (MSUM); 3:28 (CC leads 30-10)
197 - Gabe Zierden (CC) dec. Sam Grove (MSUM); 6-0 (CC wins 33-10)
