Mankato, Minn. – The Mavericks traveled to Aberdeen, S.D. tonight to face the Northern State Wolves, resulting in a close 21-14 loss for the final conference dual of the season.
 
Starting off the dual at 125-lb. was freshman Jacob Fitzpatrick, getting the first takedown of the night on the Wolves' Sloan Johannsen. After a escape and takedown by Johannsen, the first ended with a 4-3 score, Johannsen leading. There was no scoring in the first, and only an escape by Johannsen in the third, giving Johannsen the 6-3 decision with after being awarded one point for riding time.
 
Chase Beckett, a redshirt-sophomore for MSU, was up next at 133-lb. A no-score first period led to Clay Gates in the bottom position to start the second, giving Beckett the opportunity to find a quick two-point nearfall count. Beckett found an escape early in the third to lead 3-0 with just over a minute left in the match. Beckett quickly found another takedown, followed by Gates receiving his second stalling call, awarding Beckett one point for stalling. Beckett was able to rotate Gates and grab a four-point nearfall count before the clock ran out, to win by a 12-0 major decision win with riding time.
 
At 141-lb., freshman Colton Hush faced No. 12 Braydon Mogle. Mogle had the only points in the first period with a takedown, followed by Hush choosing the bottom position to start the second and being able to find an escape. Late in the second, Mogle found a second takedown to lead 6-1 going into the third period. Mogle chose bottom for the third period and was able to find a two-point reversal. That would finish out the match, giving Mogle the 9-1 major decision, moving the team score to 7-4 NSU.
 
A ranked match-up at 149-lb. followed, featuring MSU's redshirt-sophomore No. 14 Walker Bents and Northern State's graduate student No. 4 Wyatt Turnquist. The match started with some quick action from both wrestlers, with Turnquist being able to come away with the takedown. Bents deferred and Turnquist chose bottom to start the second, giving Turnquist the chance to find a reversal halfway through the second. To finish the match, Bents was able to find an escape, moving the score to 9-1 in favor of Turnquist, before Turnquist scored his final takedown of the night, resulting in a 9-1 major decision win.
 
In the 157-lb. match, junior Caleb Meunier and freshman Griffin Lundeen. The first takedown of the match was scored by Meunier, with Lundeen finding an escape shortly after. Lundeen chose down to start the second, giving Meunier the opportunity to find a reversal and push his lead to 5-1 going into the third. Meunier found a four-point nearfall to start the third, later followed by an escape and takedown from Lundeen to end the match with a 10-5 decision win for Meunier. This win brought the team scores to Northern State leading 11-7 going into the intermission.
 
After the intermission, No. 15 junior Kole Marko was up for the Mavericks at 165-lb., against NSU's Zach Hunsley. Each wrestler scored a takedown in the first, with Marko escaping Hunsley, as well as adding on a four-point nearfall call to lead 8-4 for Marko. Hunsley was able to find an escape in the second, followed by an escape by Marko in the third. Marko was able to find another two takedowns on Hunsley to boost his lead 15-6. After a point of riding time, Marko won by a 16-6 major decision, tying the team scores 11-11.
 
At 174-lb., redshirt-junior No. 6 Drake Hayward came out for the Mavericks to face Mason Fey. After a takedown by Fey, Hayward elevated the wrestlers positions to find a reversal and take control. Fey was able to get an escape before the clock ran out in the first period. With 30 seconds left in the second, Hayward was able to get another reversal to tie the scores 4-4. Fey chose down to start the third, allowing Hayward to wrestle Fey into a four-count nearfall, followed by another three-count nearfall to push Hayward's lead to 11-4. Fey was later able to find a reversal himself. In the end, Hayward would come away with the 11-7 decision win.
 
Redshirt-freshman Evan Farley and NSU's Damen Pape were next at 184-lb. Pape had a quick takedown right away, answered with a quick escape by Farley. After another takedown by Pape and a two-point nearfall, Farley was able to find another escape to bring the score to an 8-2 lead for Pape going into the second period. Farley deferred with Pape choosing the down position and getting an escape for the only points of the second. To start the third, Farley chose the down position and was able to pop up and get a quick escape, bringing the score to 9-3. Pape was able to score another takedown and two back points, along with riding time, to win by a 15-3 major decision.
 
In the 197-lb. match, sophomore Grant Cook wrestled the Wolves' Tyson Lien. Lien had the only takedown in the first and deferred his choice, with Cook choosing the down position to start the third. After Lien was able to grab a couple back points, Cook was granted a technical point, going into the third period with Lien leading 5-1. Lien chose down to start the third and was granted an escape by Cook, followed by being awarded a point for riding time for Lien to win by a 7-1 decision.
 
The dual came down to the 285-lb. with the Mavericks' sophomore Tanner Gaffey and Northern State's senior Nathan Schauer. After a no-score first period, Schauer chose the down position and was able to escape to be the first on the board. Gaffey chose down to start the third and found a quick escape. With seconds left, Schauer was able to get a final takedown and secure a 5-1 decision win, finalizing the team score at 21-14 Northern State.
 
The Wolves also hosted two exhibition matches before the dual, starting at 285-lb. with Maverick freshman Callen Smithpeter and the Wolves' Marshall VanTassel. VanTassel had two takedowns in the first to lead 6-1 going into the second, answered by Smithpeter with a quick escape after choosing the down position. With no scoring in the third, VanTassel won by a 6-2 decision. The second exhibition match hosted freshman Kaleb Lochner and redshirt-senior Spencer Roth, for Northern State. Lochner found the first takedown of the match two minutes into the first period, and was able to lock down Roth for the pin.
 
This dual concludes the Mavericks' regular season dual schedule. Minnesota State looks to continue their success this season at the NCAA Super Region V tournament coming up on Saturday, March 1^st in Sioux Falls, S.D.
 
 
Northern State 21, Minnesota State 14

125	Sloan Johannsen (Northern State) over Jacob Fitzpatrick (Minnesota State) (Dec 5-3)	3.0	0.0
133	Chase Beckett (Minnesota State) over Clay Gates (Northern State) (MD 12-0)	0.0	4.0
141	Braydon Mogle (Northern State) over Colton Hush (Minnesota State) (MD 9-1)	4.0	0.0
149	Wyatt Turnquist (Northern State) over Walker Bents (Minnesota State) (MD 9-1)	4.0	0.0
157	Caleb Meunier (Minnesota State) over Griffin Lundeen (Northern State) (Dec 10-5)	0.0	3.0
165	Kole Marko (Minnesota State) over Izaak Hunsley (Northern State) (MD 16-6)	0.0	4.0
174	Drake Hayward (Minnesota State) over Mason Fey (Northern State) (Dec 11-7)	0.0	3.0
184	Damen Pape (Northern State) over Evan Farley (Minnesota State) (MD 13-3)	4.0	0.0
197	Tyson Lien (Northern State) over Grant Cook (Minnesota State) (Dec 7-1)	3.0	0.0
285	Nathan Schauer (Northern State) over Tanner Gaffey (Minnesota State) (Dec 5-1)	3.0	0.0
174	Exhibition: Kaleb Lochner (Minnesota State) over Spencer Roth (Northern State) (Fall 2:20)	0.0	0.0
285	Exhibition: Marshall VanTassel (Northern State) over Callen Smithpeter (Minnesota State) (Dec 6-2)	0.0	0.0