Courtesy of GoCobbers.com, Release: February 2

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Northern State Matchday Preview (pdf format)

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Match Action Pictures

(click on picture to see larger image)

For a complete Cobber wrestling photo gallery from the 2005-06 season go to:

www.cord.edu/dept/sports/photo/wr/index.html

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Match Recap

MOORHEAD, Minn. -- If the Concordia wrestling team played baseball, head coach Clay Nagel would be sending his closer to the bench and looking for a new way to finish off the end of the game. Unfortunately for Nagel and the rest of the Cobbers, Concordia faltered down the stretch for the second straight dual meet and lost 19-13 to NCAA Division II opponent Northern State.

Concordia took a 13-10 lead with three matches remaining and then watched as the Wolves claimed decisions in all three and walked away with the six-point win. On Tuesday against 14th-ranked NAIA foe Jamestown, the Cobbers were tied with the Jimmies and then lost two of the last three matches by a fall and lost 26-17.

The loss snaps a two-match winning streak against Northern State. It also evens Concordia's dual match record at 4-4 for the season.

The Wolves win for the first time in five matches and improves to 3-5 on the year.

Eight of the ten matches in the dual meet were won by a decision as the two teams locked up in a very competitive event. Of the two matches that weren't decided by a decision both were major decisions as no wrestler was able to score a fall in the meet.

The dual meet started off on a positive note for Concordia as Leland Brincefield, wrestling in his first match since Jan. 19 due to an injury, scored an exciting 12-10 decision over Austin Johnsrud at 125 to stake the Cobbers to a 3-0 lead.

After Logan Hayman tied the match at 3-3 with a decision over Smokey McBride, Cobber freshman sensation John Fradette put together the most lopsided victory of the night, winning 15-2 at 144. The win is Fradette's 24th of the season which leads all Concordia wrestlers.

Northern State then rattled off two straight victories to erase the four-point deficit and stake themselves to a 10-7 lead heading into 165.

Lee Rahrlien, Concordia's top wrestler tied the score at 10-10 when he scored a 10-4 decision over Matt Englund at 165. Rahrlien pressed the match in the third period to try and gain the extra team point by posting a major decision but was unable to get a bigger lead against Englund. For Rahrlien it was his 23rd win of the year and 86th of his career. He is 10th on the list of all-time career victories at Concordia. He needs two more wins to jump into a tie for eighth place and five more to crack into the top seven.

Concordia freshman Luke Vetsch proceeded to give the Cobbers a 13-10 lead as he won his fifth straight match at 174. His 10-3 decision over Spencer Dockery was a testament to hard work and steady improvement. He is now 15-11 on the year.

Vetsch's victory would prove to be the last for Concordia as the Wolves' rallied to come up with three straight wins to close out the dual meet. Jason Hill beat Tony Neumann in the closest match of the night. Hill's 7-5 win evened the score at 13-13 and set the stage for the deciding two bouts.

Concordia's Ed Oehlers, imrpoving with every match, battled Todd Naasz to the end but lost a tough 5-2 decision. Naasz entered the match ranked eighth in the 197-lb weight class in Division II. It was his 20th win of the season and fourth in the past six dual meets.

Clinging to hope with one match to go, Concordia's Preston Lyles almost scored one of the greatest comebacks in recent history. Trailing 5-0 late in the second period, Lyles rallied to pull within 5-3 late in the third period in his match with Jess Hockley at 285. Hockley was able to right the ship and finish off Lyles and the Cobbers with an 8-5 decision.

Concordia will finish off the regular season when they wrestle at Itasca Community College on Feb. 4 at 7:00pm in their last dual meet of the season. The Cobbers will then participate in the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional on Feb. 18 at the University of Chicago.

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Match Results

Concordia 13, Northern State University (S.D.) 19

Location: Moorhead, Minn. - Concordia College

Arena: Memorial Auditorium
Start Time: 7:00pm

End Time: 8:40pm

Total Time: 1:40

Attendance: 124

Individual Match Results:

125 Le.Brincefield (CC) dec. A.Johnsrud (NSU); 12-10
133 L.Hayman (NSU) dec. Smokey McBride (CC); 5-1
141 John Fradette (CC) maj. dec. M.Burkart (NSU); 15-2
149 Jesse Wood (NSU) dec. P.J. Mack (CC); 6-4
157 D.Dargate (NSU) maj. dec. Sp. Lund (CC); 11-0
165 Lee Rahrlien (CC) dec. Matt Englund (NSU); 10-4
174 Luke Vetsch (CC) dec. S. Dockery (NSU); 10-3
184 Jason Hill (NSU) dec. Tony Neumann (CC); 7-5
197 Todd Naasz (NSU) dec. Ed Oehlers (CC); 5-2
285 Jess Hockley (NSU) dec. Preston Lyles (CC); 8-5

Match Notes:

- Concordia loses their second straight dual match and falls to 4-4 on the season.
- Northern State snaps a four-match losing streak and improves to 3-5 on the year.
- Northern State won six of the 10 matches in the meet.
- Eight of the 10 matches were won by a decision.
- There were no falls in the match and only two major decisions.
- Northern State’s Todd Naasz (197) ranked 8th in the nation in NCAA Division II wins his team-leading 20th match of the season
- Concordia’s Lee Rahrlien (165) picks up his 23rd win of the year and 86th career victory – 10th on the all-time list for career wins at Concordia.
- Concordia’s John Fradette (141) wins his team-leading 24th match of the season.
- Northern State’s Logan Hayman (133) evens his season record at 13-13.
- NSU’s Dana Dagartz (157), Jason Hill (184) and Jess Hockley (285) all won their 10th match on the year.
- Concordia finishes off their 2005-06 dual season at Itasca Community College on Feb. 8 at 7 p.m.
- Northern State returns to action when they host SW Minnesota State on Feb. 9 at 7:00pm.