Minnesota prepares for final conference dual

The No. 5 Minnesota wrestling team is set to take on No. 10 Penn State Friday night at the Sports Pavilion .
The dual with the Nittany Lions will be the Gophers’ final tune-up prior to the Big Ten tournament, which begins Mar. 6 in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Minnesota (11-5 overall, 6-1 Big Ten) is coming off a loss at the hands of No. 1 Iowa and was previously undefeated in Big Ten competition. Iowa broke Minnesota’s streak of six consecutive dual victories. Penn State (13-5-1, 5-2) is riding a four-dual win streak heading into Friday’s competition. The Nittany Lions’ last loss came at Iowa.
Head coach J Robinson said that the Iowa match was a good benchmark for where the team stands heading into the Big Ten tournament.
“We got an idea of exactly what we have to do,” Robinson said. “We got to wrestle the best team, so we know where we are so we can improvise, adapt, overcome and change some things.”
Sophomore Zach Sanders (125 pounds) echoed Robinson’s statement about Iowa being a good team to measure up against heading into the tournament.
“They’re a tough team and I think [losing to Iowa] motivated our team. After the match we came right back [to the training facility] and had a hard work out.” Sanders said. “A few guys had some things to say, and it brought us closer together and motivated us for the future.”
Two of the primary motivators for the Gophers are seniors Jayson Ness (133) and Dustin Schlatter (157 ), ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. Assistant coach Brandon Eggum said it is important to have guys on the team who lead by example.
“The other guys see [Ness and Schlatter] doing the extra things, and they see the success they’ve had and they want to follow that,” Eggum said.
Sanders, who is ranked No. 6, said he has taken note of what the senior leadership has been doing.
“It’s not just an accident that they got to where they are,” Sanders said.
Schlatter has a key matchup this Friday as he is set to take on No. 6 Cyler Sanderson . Sanderson is currently on a four-match pin streak and enters Friday’s dual meet as one of Penn State’s hottest wrestlers.
As Minnesota wraps up the season against another top 10 opponent, the focus is on finishing strong and looking forward to the Big Ten and national tournaments.
“Ending the Big Ten season on a high note would be great,” Eggum said. “Any time you go into the Big Ten season and you’re on a roll and you have confidence, you’re probably going to have a better Big Ten tournament.”
The coaches have stressed over the past couple of weeks that the team needs to clean up some aspects of its game to prepare for Penn State and the tournaments.
“There’s a lot that needs to be done here in three weeks and in this sport, a lot of it’s going to be upstairs (mental),” Eggum said. “Believing in your tools and in yourself is the biggest adjustment.”
Looking ahead, Robinson said he is excited about the prospects of competing in the upcoming tournaments.
“We look forward to the Big Ten tournament,” Robinson said. “I think this team is a lot better than people think it is.”