Saturday, February 17
Cedar Falls, Iowa
2 p.m.
University of Missouri
at
Northern Iowa
No. 3 @MizzouWrestling Closes Regular Season with Road Dual at No. 13 Northern Iowa
2/16/2018 2:52:00 PM | Wrestling
Tigers and Panthers start dual at 2 p.m. (CT) on FloWrestling
| NO. 3 MIZZOU AT NO. 13 NORTHERN IOWA | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DUALS | LOCATION | DAY | TIME (CT) | WATCH |
| at No. 13 Northern Iowa | Cedar Falls, Iowa | Feb. 17 | 2 p.m. CT | FloWrestling |
| NOTES: Match Notes | ||||
MIZZOU CLOSES REGULAR SEASON AT UNI SATURDAY
- Mizzou Wrestling (18-0, 7-0 MAC) seeks its second-ever perfect season as the Tigers face No. 13 Northern Iowa (6-4, 3-2 Big 12) on the road Saturday in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The dual will begin at 2 p.m. (CT), and will be streamed live on FloWrestling for a fee.
- Mizzou is coming off a 30-9 win over SIU Edwardsville on Feb. 14, as redshirt senior 157-pounder Joey Lavallee, redshirt junior 174-pounder Daniel Lewis and redshirt freshman 184-pounder Canten Marriott recorded technical falls.
- The Tigers' 18-0 start to the season is the only the second time in program history Mizzou has started a season 18-0, with both occurrences coming under head coach Brian Smith. Mizzou's only other 18-0 start came in 2014-15, when the Tigers recorded its first-ever undefeated season, going 24-0 en route to an NWCA National Duals title and its third straight conference title. Coincidently, the last time Mizzou came out of the NCAA Championships with a team trophy was 2014-15, when the Tigers finished fourth.
- The Tigers finished off the MAC portion of its schedule with a 24-12 win over Northern Illinois on Feb. 2, capping a perfect 7-0 mark, the third time in the last four seasons Mizzou has done so. In seven MAC duals this season, the Tigers have outscored its conference opponents, 241-43. Dating back to Jan. 25, 2014, Mizzou has won 35 of its last 36 duals against MAC foes, with its lone setback occurring in last season's final dual, a 25-10 loss to Northern Iowa on Feb. 12, 2017. In Mizzou's stretch of MAC dual success, the Tigers have outscored the opposition, 1,063-316 in 36 duals.
- Mizzou clinched the MAC Regular Season Dual Championship with a 29-6 win over No. 17 Central Michigan on Jan. 19, its third MAC Dual title in four seasons. The Tigers have won the MAC Tournament Championship for five consecutive seasons dating back to 2012-13 (Mizzou was only eligible for the tournament title its first season in the league). Mizzou previously claimed regular season titles in 2014-15 and 2015-16, recording perfect 8-0 MAC records in both seasons.
- Mizzou enters the dual ranked No. 3 in the USA Today/NWCA Division I Coaches Poll, it highest ranking since Feb. 24, 2015 when Mizzou reached the top spot in the poll following a 2015 NWCA National Duals Championship where the Tigers defeated Iowa. Mizzou has now been ranked in the top-10 in 73 consecutive polls dating back to Nov. 12, 2013, when the Tigers were ranked No. 11.
- With a fall over two-time defending NCAA Champion Dean Heil, redshirt sophomore 141-pounder Jaydin Eierman earned MAC and NCAA Wrestler of the Week honors on Jan. 31. This season, Eierman has posted a record of 24-1 on the season (15-0 duals), with 18 wins coming by bonus points (12 falls, four major decisions, two technical falls).
TOP-10 STREAK
- Mizzou checked in at No. 3 in the USA Today/NWCA Division-I Coaches Poll on Feb. 13, the 73rd consecutive poll that the Tigers have been ranked in the Top-10. It is Mizzou's highest ranking since vaulting to No. 1 on Feb. 24, 2015, following a 2015 NWCA National Duals title.
- The last time Mizzou was not ranked in the top-10 was Nov. 12, 2013, when the Tigers ranked No. 11. Before being out of the top-10 for two polls (No. 13 on Nov. 2, 2013 and No. 11 on Nov. 12, 2013), Mizzou was ranked in the top-10 for the 17 consecutive polls. Since Feb. 14, 2012, Mizzou has been ranked in the top-10 for 90 of the last 92 polls.
- During this top-10 streak, Mizzou has been ranked in the top-five of the Coaches Poll for 42 weeks, including its ascension to No. 1 in the Feb. 24, 2015 poll after Mizzou defeated No. 1-ranked Iowa to capture the 2015 NWCA National Duals title.
CONFERENCE DOMINANCE
- Since joining the Mid-American Conference in 2012-13, Mizzou Wrestling has been the dominant force within the league, winning each of the five tournament championships, as well as the dual title in 2014-15, 2015-16 and this season, 2017-18 (Mizzou was only eligible to compete in the conference tournament in 2012-13). In 2017, Mizzou reset its 2015 record by scoring 154.5 points at the MAC Championships, surpassing its 139.5 mark from 2015.
- Mizzou has been especially dominant this season against MAC opponents, as the Tigers have outscored its conference opponents, 241-43, in seven duals this season. Mizzou has produced a record of 56-14 in those MAC duals, and have won 28 of those matches by bonus points (4.0 per dual). Redshirt junior 174-pounder Daniel Lewis has been a force to be reckoned within MAC competition, as the two-time All-American has won each of his six MAC matches by bonus points, recording three falls, two technical falls and a major decision.
- Dating back to Jan. 25, 2014, Mizzou has won 35 of its last 36 duals against MAC foes, with its lone setback occurring in last season's final dual, a 25-10 loss to Northern Iowa on Feb. 12, 2017. In Mizzou's stretch of MAC dual success, the Tigers have outscored the opposition, 1,063-316 in 36 duals.
WINS OVER TOP-10 OPPONENTS
- Since the start of the 2014-15 season, Mizzou has defeated 10 top-10 ranked opponents, including five on the road, and one against the No. 1-ranked team, Iowa, to claim the 2015 NWCA National Duals title. A breakdown of those Top-10 wins are below:
| Opponent | Score | Date |
| at No. 7 Ohio | 25-18 | Dec. 13, 2014 |
| at No. 4 Cornell | 27-9 | Jan. 10, 2015 |
| vs. No. 7 Oklahoma State | 22-10 | Jan. 23, 2015 |
| vs. No. 1 Iowa^ | 18-12 | Feb. 22, 2015 |
| vs. No. 3 Ohio State | 26-17 | Dec. 12, 2015 |
| vs. No. 7 Oklahoma | 31-12 | Jan. 30, 2016 |
| vs. No. 6 Virginia Tech | 23-19 | Nov. 20, 2016 |
| at No. 7 Cornell | 25-11 | Jan. 14, 2017 |
| at No. 10 Virginia Tech | 22-12 | Nov. 25, 2017 |
| at No. 5 Oklahoma State | 21-19 | Jan. 27, 2018 |
CAN YOU BE PERFECT?
- With the 30-9 win over SIU Edwardsville (Feb. 14), Mizzou improved to 18-0 on the season, its second-ever 18-0 start in program history.
- Coincidently, the last time Mizzou began a season 18-0 was the last time Mizzou won a team trophy at the NCAA Championships. Head Coach Brian Smith's 2014-15 Tigers went 24-0 in duals before finishing fourth at the NCAA Championships.
- Below is a breakdown of all the 18-0 starts in program history:
| Season | Start | Season's Finish |
| 2014-15 | 24-0 | MAC D/T Champs, NCAA - 4th |
| 2017-18 | 18-0 | TBD |
LAVALLEE JOINS THE 100-WIN CLUB
- Redshirt senior 157-pounder Joey Lavallee became the 27th member of Mizzou's 100-win club with a dominant 19-0 technical fall over No. 19-ranked Kennedy Monday (North Carolina) at the South Beach Duals (Dec. 29). Lavallee is the first Tiger to join the exclusive club since Zach Synon recorded his 100th win at the Edinboro Open last season.
- This season, Lavallee is 24-1 (16-0 in duals), and recently entered the top-10 in program history in career major decisions with 24 and technical falls with 10. The Tiger senior has won 17 matches by bonus points this season, six by major decision, six by technical fall and five by fall.
- Last season, Lavallee roared back onto the scene after a redshirt season in 2015-16, winning the MAC Championship at 157 pounds and earning his first All-America honor by finishing runner-up at the NCAA Championships at 157 pounds. He finished the season with a remarkable record of 29-2 for a winning percentage of .935, the 10th-best single season winning percentage in program history.
BONUS POINT MACHINE
- Redshirt junior 174-pounder Daniel Lewis has been a bonus point machine since being inserted into the starting lineup in 2015-16. In 82 total wins, Lewis has recorded bonus points in 73.1 percent of his victories (60-of-82).
- In total, Lewis has recorded 33 falls, 18 major decisions and nine technical falls in his career. A two-time MAC Champion and two-time NCAA All-American, Lewis ranks sixth in program history in career falls, tied-for-tenth in technical falls with nine, andneeds five more major decisions to join the top-10 list in program history.
- Lewis is a perfect 25-0 on the season with a team-leading 14 falls. Lewis also leads the team in dual wins (17), dual points (81) and falls in dual competition (8).
- In 2015-16, his first season as an attached wrestler, Lewis went 29-6 and was named the MAC Freshman of the Year after a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships at 165 pounds. He totaled 10 falls, nine major decisions and one technical fall on the season.
- The bonus point victories did not stop in 2016-17, as Lewis went 28-6 and finished sixth at the NCAA Championships at 165 pounds. Lewis totaled 22 wins by bonus points on the season, nine falls, nine major decisions and four technical falls.
EIERMAN KNOCKS OFF TOP-RANKED DIAKOMIHALIS
- Redshirt sophomore 141-pounder Jaydin Eierman recorded the biggest win of his career to-date with a 9-6 win over No. 1-ranked Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) at the South Beach Duals (Dec. 30). Eierman trailed in the bout, 5-3, with 30 seconds remaining when he took the top-ranked wrestler down and brought him to his back for a four-point near-fall to seal the match.
- Eierman has defeated six ranked wrestlers so far this season, and currently possesses an overall record of 24-1, including a perfect 15-0 mark in duals. Among team ranks, the 2017 MAC Freshman of the Year currently ranks second in falls (12), second in dual points (76), second in wins (24) and fourth in major decisions (4).
ERNESTE TOUGH AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
- Redshirt junior 133-pounder John Erneste has preservered through a challenging stretch to start the season, as the Tiger junior has faced nine ranked wrestlers in the first three months of the season.
- Erneste has proven to be up to the challenge so far, as he as come out victorious in seven of his matches against ranked opponents so far, including a 6-2 win over No. 17-ranked Chaz Tucker (Cornell) at the South Beach Duals (Dec. 30).
- This season, Erneste has posted a record of 18-2 (14-2 in duals), and has recorded bonus point victories in eight wins (six falls, two major decisions).
MARRIOTT ENTERS INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
- Following a close decision loss to Virginia Tech's No. 6-ranked Zack Zavatsky (Nov. 25), redshirt sophomore 184-pounder Canten Marriott has strung together a run of 15 wins in 17 matches, helping him ascend into the top-20 individual rankings for the first time in his career.
- The hot stretch included the first win over ranked opponent for the Park Hill High School product, who defeated North Carolina's No. 16-ranked Chip Ness (Dec. 29), 3-1, in sudden victory.
- Marriott then solidified his spot in the individual rankings with a 9-1 major decision win over No. 14-ranked Jordan Ellingwood (Central Michigan) to help Mizzou clinch the MAC Dual Title.
- This season, Marriott has wrestled to a mark of 22-4 (14-3 in duals), and has recorded nine wins by bonus points with five major decisions, four technical falls and one fall.
- In the individual rankings, Marriott ranks as high as No. 14 at 184 pounds by Intermat and The Open Mat.
MIZZOU DEFEATS SIUE TO MOVE TO 18-0
- Three Tigers scored bonus points as Mizzou defeated SIU Edwardsville on Feb. 14 at the Sam M. Vadalabene Center. Mizzou overcame a 9-0 deficit for the second time in three matches to seal the victory, winning eight consecutive bouts to close the dual.
- Mizzou dropped the first two matches of the dual, losing a decision match at 125 pounds and a forfeit loss at 133 pounds. The Tigers responded, however, winning eight straight bouts to win the dual, 30-9. Mizzou first took the lead after a 20-5 technical fall in the first period from redshirt senior 157-pounder Joey Lavallee. The win gave the Tigers an 11-9 lead, and was the first of three Tiger technical falls in the dual, as redshirt junior 174-pounder Daniel Lewis and redshirt freshman 184-pounder Canten Marriott joined Lavallee with five-point victories.
Players Mentioned
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