Shields Wins in Wrestling’s Dual Finale at Northern Illinois

Friday, February 21

DeKalb, Ill.

8 p.m.

Drexel University

Northern Illinois

Photo by: Gavin Baker

Shields Wins in Wrestling’s Dual Finale at Northern Illinois

2/21/2020 10:03:00 PM | Wrestling

DEKALB, Ill. – Freshman Chase Shields grabbed his seventh victory of the season in Drexel Wrestling's 35-3 loss at Northern Illinois on Friday night. The Dragons fall to 7-11. The Huskies improved to 13-4. The two sides split the first two matches of the night before NIU rallied off eight-straight wins.

The Dragons and Huskies traded decisions in the first two bouts of the night. Antonio Mininno fell, 7-4, to 2019 NCAA qualifier Bryce West at 125 pounds to start the match.

Shields evened the team score with a decision of his own at 133 pounds. The first period ended in a 3-3 tie after each grappler scored one takedown and an escape. Starting the second on bottom, Shields escaped and led 4-3 after two periods. The positions reversed to start the final period, and Drew West got back to standing to tie the score again. With both wrestlers on their feet, Shields scored the deciding takedown and held on for a 6-5 victory.

NIU scored bonus points at 141 and 149 pounds to take control of the night. Anthony Gibson pinned Tyler Williams in the first period, and McCoy Kent notched an 11-3 major decision against Vincent Foggia.

After four bouts, the Dragons trailed their hosts, 13-3.

The Huskies won their third in a row after 32^nd-ranked Parker Kropman dropped a tight 5-3 decision to Mason Kauffman at 157 pounds. Kropman surrendered a takedown in the first but got back to his feet before the period expired. Starting the next frame on bottom, he escaped to make the score 2-2, but Kauffman regained control of Kropman for what would be the decisive two points. Kropman earned another escape point in the second but could do nothing else to score on his opponent.

NIU pushed ahead, 20-3, following a major decision at 165 pounds – its fourth-straight win.

Michael O'Malley's five-match winning streak ended on the thinnest of margins at 174 pounds. O'Malley, ranked 24^th in his weight class, and Kenny Moore wrestled to a scoreless draw in the first period. The first point of the night came in the second period after Moore was cautioned a second time for stalling. With a 1-0 advantage, O'Malley started the final period on top but was reversed by Moore. The redshirt-freshman escaped to send the bout into overtime tied at 2-2.

The sudden-victory period did nothing to decide the outcome as neither wrestler scored a point in the 60-second frame. Moore had first choice in the tiebreaker and picked bottom. For the second time in the bout, he reversed O'Malley to go ahead 4-2. With 30 seconds to salvage the match, O'Malley started in the down position and escaped, but the match-winning takedown did not materialize for the Hasbrouck Heights, N.J. native.

NIU's second fall of the night came at 184 pounds and gave the home team the 29-3 advantage. Gage Braun then edged Bryan McLaughlin, 6-4, at 197 pounds. Braun broke a 4-4 deadlock with a third-period takedown for the Huskies' eighth-straight win.

Sean O'Malley fell in sudden victory to Max Ihry to conclude the night. Tied 1-1 after seven minutes, Ihry took down O'Malley in the overtime period.

Drexel now turns its attention to the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Championships, which run March 6-7 in Bethlehem, Pa.

Northern Illinois 35, Drexel 3
125: Bryce West dec. Antonio Mininno, 7-4 – NIU 3, Drexel 0
133: Chase Shields dec. Drew West, 6-5 – Drexel 3, NIU 3
141: Anthony Gibson pin Tyler Williams, 2:39 – NIU 9, Drexel 3
149: McCoy Kent major dec. Vincent Foggia, 11-3 – NIU 13, Drexel 3
157: Mason Kauffman dec. No. 32 Parker Kropman, 5-3 – NIU 16, Drexel 3
165: Izzak Olejnik major dec. Mike Manley, 12-2 – NIU 20, Drexel 3
174: Kenny Moore dec. No. 24 Michael O'Malley, 4-3 (TB-1) – NIU 23, Drexel 3
184: Brit Wilson pin Owen Brooks, 2:54 – NIU 29, Drexel 3
197: Gage Braun dec. Bryan McLaughlin, 6-4 – NIU 32, Drexel 3
285: Max Ihry dec. Sean O'Malley, 3-1 (SV-1) – NIU 35, Drexel 3