January 8, 2006

LINCOLN, Neb. - The Virginia Tech wrestling team was dealt a 41-3 loss by the 14^th-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers at the Devaney Center Track on Saturday night. Tech senior Mike Faust picked up Tech's lone win as the Hokies fell to 0-7 on the season.

The Huskers won the last eight matches of the dual, including four in bonus-point fashion. Nebraska has won its last 18 home duals against unranked competition. The last time NU lost at home to an unranked opponent was Jan. 3, 2002, when Nebraska lost to Oregon.

Fifth-ranked 197-pound wrestler B.J. Padden returned to the lineup and gave the Huskers an early 6-0 lead after earning a win by fall over Matt Woods early in the second period of their match. Padden had missed Nebraska's last three duals with an injury.

After a 5-4 overtime win by Faust at heavyweight, the Huskers took control of the dual. Paul Donahoe bounced back from his second career dual loss earlier in the week against Bloomsburg to win by major decision over Justin Staylor, 14-3. Donahoe took an 8-1 lead in the first period and never looked back en route to the triumph.

At 133 pounds, Patrick Aleksanyan took a 5-1 lead with 33 seconds to go in the second period and held on to beat Sheridan Moran, 5-4.

The upset of the night came at 141 pounds, as NU's Dominick Moyer defeated 10^th-ranked David Hoffman, 12-11. Moyer took an early 6-2 lead after one period, but Hoffman responded with a strong second period. With the match tied heading into the final stanza, Moyer took an 11-8 lead after scoring an escape and a takedown. Hoffman earned a reversal with 35 seconds to go in the match, but Moyer escaped 11 seconds later to take the lead for good. With four seconds to go, Hoffman would pick up a penalty point after Moyer was called for stalling for the second time in the match, but Moyer would hold on for the win.

Nebraska's lead would balloon to 22-3 after Ryan Davis earned a win by fall at 149 pounds over Joe Thompson. Davis had scored a takedown and five near falls before earning the pin 1:56 into the match. At 157 pounds, Chris Oliver defeated Dave Kiley, 10-3. Oliver scored four take downs in the match and earned one point for an escape and another for his 1:34 advantage in riding time.

At 165 pounds, 17^th-ranked Marc Harwood owned the last two periods of his 13-4 major decision victory over Mark Czarny. Harwood scored two takedowns, a reversal and an escape in the last five minutes of the match to earn the bonus-point victory.

At 174 pounds, fifth-ranked Jacob Klein earned his second straight win by fall as he pinned Steve Ratley with three seconds to go in the first period. Klein entered this week without a pin, but pinned both Ratley and Bloomsburg's Andrew Jordan in Nebraska's two dual victories. To close the dual, Brandon Browne was awarded a win by forfeit at 184 pounds.

Tech is back in action on Jan. 13 and 14 at the Virginia Duals in Hampton. Tech's first-round opponent will be announced as the event gets closer.

#14 Nebraska      41

Virginia Tech      3

197  #5 B.J. Padden (NU) fall M. Woods, 3:20

285  #10 M. Faust (VT) dec. J. May, 5-4 (TB-2)

125  #9 P. Donahoe (NU) maj. dec. J. Staylor, 14-3

133  P. Aleksanyan (NU) dec. S. Moran, 5-4

141  D. Moyer (NU) dec. #10 D. Hoffman, 12-11

149  R. Davis (NU) fall J. Thompson, 1:56

157  C. Oliver (NU) dec. D. Kiley, 10-3

165  #17 M. Harwood (NU) maj. dec. M. Czarny, 13-4

174  #5 J. Klein (NU) fall S. Ratley, 2:57

184  B. Browne (NU) wins by forfeit