THIS WEEK: North
Dakota State (8-4, 3-1 Western Wrestling Conference) will wrestle a
pair of Western Wrestling Conference matches, beginning with their
final home match of the season against Northern Iowa (5-9-1, 2-0 WWC)
on Friday, February 16, at the Bison Sports Arena at 8 p.m.
NDSU will then travel to Brookings, S.D. for their final dual of the
season against South Dakota State (8-7, 1-3 WWC) on Sunday, February
18. Match time is set for 2 p.m.
TIME CHANGE: The wrestling
match against Northern Iowa has been pushed back one half-hour from
7:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, February 16.
SENIOR’S LAST RIDE: Friday’s
dual against Northern Iowa will mark the final home match for NDSU’s
lone senior, 174-pounder Matt Hermann. Hermann has a 74-44 career
record at North Dakota State going into this weekend’s matches.
Hermann is a two-year captain of the wrestling team and a four-year
starter. As a freshman, Hermann finished second at the 2004 NCAA
Divsion II National Championships at 184 pounds. He is majoring
in business administration.
THE SERIES: Northern Iowa
holds a 12-2-1 advantage over the Bison. The last victory against
UNI for the Bison came on January 27, 1977, when NDSU won 17-15.
NDSU and UNI were both members of the North Central Conference
(Division II) until the Panthers left for Division I in 1980. The
Bison made the transition to Division I after the 2003-04 season and
are eligible for the Division I NCAA Championships for the first time
this season.
The Bison hold the all-time series over South Dakota State 33-16,
including a 30-14 victory over the Jackrabbits on December 15 in Fargo.
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS:
Northern Iowa has a 5-9-1 overall record and a 2-0 record in Western
Wrestling Conference duals this season. UNI was receiving votes in the
most recent USA Today/NWCA NCAA Division I Coaches’ Poll. All
nine of the UNI’s losses have came to schools that are currently ranked
18th or higher in the poll.
Nick Baima is one of three wrestlers ranked in the top-20 in their
respective weight class for Northern Iowa. Baima leads the team
in wins with 29 and is ranked No. 5 at 165 pounds. C.J. Ettelson
is ranked ninth at 141 pounds and Moza Fay is 17th at 157 pounds.
Brad Penrith is in his seventh season as head coach for the
Panthers. Penrith has a record of 61-52-3 during his tenure and
has sent 47 individuals to the NCAA National Championships.
South Dakota State is 8-7 this season, 1-3 in WWC matches. SDSU
had a six-match winning streak before dropping duals to Wyoming and Air
Force this past weekend.
SDSU is coached by Jason Liles. Liles is in his 14th season and
has compiled a dual record of 130-89-1 over his tenure. Liles was
named 2000-01 National Wrestling Coaches Association Division II Coach
of the Year after leading SDSU to a runner-up finish at the 2001
Division II national championships.
ON THE WEB: Live
streaming video will be available for the home match against Northern
Iowa on the Internet at GoBison.com. Video is available by monthly
subscription to NDSU’s All Access service for $7.95. The live
stream will be provided by NDSU athletic media relations and will begin
at 7:25 p.m., five minutes before the match begins.
AGAINST COMMON OPPONENTS: North
Dakota State and Northern Iowa have wrestled five common opponents this
season. UNI is 4-1 against these opponents while the Bison are
2-3. Both schools lost to No. 18 Oregon State this season.
BISON SPLIT PAIR IN OREGON:
North Dakota State headed to Oregon where they defeated Portland State
33-9 on Saturday, February 10, before falling to No. 18 Oregon State
29-11 the following afternoon.
Eric Hoffman, Gabe Mooney and Ryan Adams all went 2-0 on the weekend.
THE FRIENDLY CONFINES: NDSU is
4-0 in home duals so far this season, outscoring their opponents 131-44.
The last time the Bison went undefeated at home was during the 2003-04
season when they had a perfect 14-0 dual record and a 5-0 mark at the
Bison Sports Arena.
BETTER THAN LAST YEAR:
North Dakota State has won eight out of 12 dual matches this season,
two more wins than they had last season in 12 matches. With a
pair of victories this week, the Bison can hit double-digit victories
for the first time since the 2004-05 season, where they went 10-4.
HOFFMAN STREAKING: Junior Eric
Hoffman has won his last five bouts and seven of his last eight.
During his winning streak, Hoffman has outscored his opponents 59-6,
which includes a technical fall and three major decisions.