Wrestling | 1/14/2016 10:34:00 PM

MANKATO, Minn. – The Minnesota State University Moorhead wrestling team led 18-9 after the 165-pound match, but No. 14-ranked Minnesota State claimed the final four matches on its way to a 29-18 dual meet win over the Dragons in action Thursday night in Mankato, Minn.
 
MSUM, which was receiving votes in the latest D2wrestle.com poll, fell to 4-3 overall and 0-1 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, while Minnesota State improved to 4-2 overall and 3-0 in the league.
 
Junior Blake Bosch, ranked No. 2 in the nation at 133 pounds, won by fall for MSUM, while freshman Adam Blees won by technical fall.  However, Minnesota State recorded three pins and won another match by technical fall on its way to the dual win.
 
"We wrestled hard overall but giving up three pins makes it tough to win a dual," MSUM head coach Kris Nelson said. "As a team we need to look to get bonus points and not give up bonus points to have a successful dual season."
 
MSUM took the lead after freshman Jared Goldsmith beat Trevor Schultz, 11-3 by major decision at 125 pounds.
 
"Jared Goldsmith wrestled a very good match," Nelson said. "He broke it open in the second and third period to get the major."
 
Bosch improved to 20-5 on the season with a pin of Tyler Funk in 5:47 at 133 pounds.
 
"Blake Bosch controlled his match," Nelson said.
 
After Minnesota State won by fall at 141 to cut the lead to 10-6, junior Isaac Novacek picked up a win at 149 for MSUM. Novacek beat Daniel Close by a 13-6 decision to give the Dragons a 13-6 lead.
 
"Isaac wrestled a very controlled match," Nelson said. "He wrestled hard for all seven minutes. He continued to look to put points on the board."
 
Junior Garret Hoffner battled tough against No. 2-ranked Matt Mincey at 157 pounds but the Mavericks prevailed 3-0 to cut the Dragon lead to 13-9.
 
Blees survived a first-period cradle to come back and win by technical fall (18-3) over Corey Abernathy at 165 pounds to push the lead to 18-9.
 
"Adam Blees was very impressive and dug deep to fight off a cradle for most of the first period," Nelson said. "He went to work in the top position and won with a technical fall. Adam continues to improve as the year goes on."
Minnesota State won the final four matches – one by technical fall and two by pins – to rally for the 29-18 win.
 
The Dragons are at No. 8-ranked Upper Iowa on Friday. The dual begins at 7 p.m. in Fayette, Iowa.
 
Minnesota State 29, MSU Moorhead 18
125-Jared Goldsmith (MSUM) maj. dec. Trevor Schultz, 11-3
133-Blake Bosch (MSUM) pinned Tyler Funk, 5:47
141-Alphonso Vruno (MSU) pinned Kristian Vazquez, 6:37
149-Isaac Novacek (MSUM) dec. Daniel Close, 13-6
157-Matt Mincey (MSU) dec. Garrett Hoffner, 3-0
165-Adam Blees (MSUM) tech fall over Corey Abernathy, 18-3
174-Adam Cooling (MSU) tech fall over Brayden Kuntz, 21-6
184-Scott VanDeLoo (MSU) dec. Austin May, 4-2
197-Darick Vancura (MSU) pinned Cody Anderson, 2:04
285-Malcolm Allen (MSU) pinned Nader Abdullatif, 0:48