Serving the UMN community since 1900

The Minnesota Daily

Serving the UMN community since 1900

The Minnesota Daily

Serving the UMN community since 1900

The Minnesota Daily

Daily Email Edition

Get MN Daily NEWS delivered to your inbox Monday through Friday!

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Berhow’s upset sets tone for victory

The Gophers beat Nebraska 28-14 on Thursday night.
Berhows upset sets tone for victory

Minnesota assistant coach Brandon EggumâÄôs prescient abilities were in question for most of ThursdayâÄôs heavyweight match. On Wednesday, Eggum guaranteed an upset win for the Gophers at heavyweight by No. 11 Ben Berhow over No. 7 Tucker Lane. It didnâÄôt start well. NebraskaâÄôs Lane notched two early takedowns, and held a 4-1 lead late in the first period, but Berhow escaped with a single tick left on the clock. The effect on the scoreboard was minimal âÄì Berhow still trailed 4-2. The effect on momentum was critical, both in the match and the dual meet. Lane didnâÄôt manage another takedown, Berhow managed two of his own, and with each wrestler escaping after every takedown, the match went to overtime. As the whistle blew on the sudden-victory period, everyone in Williams Arena saw coming what Eggum expected a day earlier. A visibly tired Lane left himself exposed and Berhow was not about to miss the opportunity. He took Lane to the mat for a 9-7 decision, tied the dual meet at 6-6 in the process, and the rout was on. The No. 6 Gophers (2-1) soon cruised to a 28-14 win over the 12th-ranked Cornhuskers (4-2). âÄúI know that IâÄôm in better shape than anyone,âÄù Berhow said after the match. âÄúI know I have better training, better conditioning overall and I knew that this was a guy I could beat.âÄù Confidence may have played a role, but why was Eggum so certain Berhow would win? âÄúIt was really just the way he wrestled last week against Oklahoma State,âÄù Eggum said after jokingly claiming a sixth sense. âÄúHeâÄôs done it in spurts, but against Oklahoma State you could see that he really believed that he could win against the best guys. That confidence is a huge part.âÄù MinnesotaâÄôs utter dominance after BerhowâÄôs upset, on the other hand, nobody predicted. The dual began at 184 pounds and though the Gophers won two of the first three matches, 125 came up with the score tied 6-6 thanks to NebraskaâÄôs 2nd-ranked Craig Brester pinning junior Joe Nord at 197. The next four matches, however, statistically sealed the dual for Minnesota. No. 4 Zach Sanders and No. 6 Mike Thorn recorded technical falls at 125 and 141, respectively, sandwiching No. 2 Jayson NessâÄô ninth pin of the season in the first period of the 133 bout. In 10 matches this season, Ness has wrestled past the first period only twice. âÄúThe quicker you get it done the better,âÄù Ness said. âÄúJust get in there, get the job done and get off.âÄù The Gophers followed that philosophy as a team, too. Redshirt freshman Mario MasonâÄôs 3-1 decision at 149 left the score at 25-6 with three matches remaining; even if Nebraska had recorded pins in all three, Minnesota still would have won. âÄúTo win a dual meet, you need everyone to do what theyâÄôre supposed to do, and you need one guy to pull an upset,âÄù Ness said. âÄúIt changes the dual, and Berhow came with a big upset today and switched the momentum in our favor.âÄù

Leave a Comment
More to Discover

Accessibility Toolbar

Comments (0)

All The Minnesota Daily Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *