The Live Thread: Iowa vs. Penn State

It's top-ranked Hawkeyes vs. No. 2 Nittany Lions on a sold-out night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Dual facts

Time and place — 8:05 p.m. (CST), Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City

TV — BTN

Radio — KXIC (800-AM) and Hawkeye All-Access (online)

Records — Iowa 8-0 (5-0 Big Ten), Penn State 7-1 (4-0)

Rankings — Iowa is No. 1 and Penn State is No. 2 in the NWCA Division I coaches poll.

Series — Iowa leads 27-10-2.

Iowa lineup

125 — Spencer Lee (Jr., 10-0). 133 — Austin DeSanto (Jr., 12-1). 141 — Carter Happel (Jr., 6-4). 149 — Pat Lugo (Sr., 13-1). 157 — Kaleb Young (Jr., 11-2). 165 — Alex Marinelli (Jr., 14-0). 174 — Michael Kemerer (Sr., 8-0). 184 — Abe Assad (Fr., 19-3). 197 — Jacob Warner (Soph., 10-3). 285 — Tony Cassioppi (Fr., 13-0).

Penn State lineup

125 — Brandon Meredith (Fr., 11-8). 133 — Roman Bravo-Young (Soph., 12-0). 141 — Nick Lee (Jr., 12-0). 149 — Jacob Verkleeren (Soph., 12-3) or Luke Gardner (Jr., 6-1. 157 — Brady Berge (Soph., 1-0) or Bo Pipher (Jr., 8-9). 165 — Vincenzo Joseph (Sr., 7-0). 174 — Mike Hall (Sr., 15-0). 184 — Aaron Brooks (Fr., 7-1). 197 — Shakur Rasheed (Sr., 2-2). 285 — Seth Nevills (Fr., 10-0).

7:55 p.m. — Carver-Hawkeye is filling up. It is a sellout tonight.

Penn State hears a chorus of boos as the wrestlers enter the arena.

Lee vs. Meredith

Lee started right away, with a takedown and a two-point near-fall in the first 20 seconds. Meredith received a stall warning at the 1:50 mark of the period, then scored an escape. Lee answered with a takedown and a four-point near-fall, and then another four-pointer. Lee finished the first period up 14-0 with 2:46 of riding time.

A takedown at 1:43 by Lee ended the match. Iowa 5, Penn State 0.

.@LeeSpencerlee36 is the starter 𝓪𝓷𝓭 finisher for @Hawks_Wrestling. ✅@FloWrestling | #FightForIowa pic.twitter.com/vxLEzMdQfa

— Iowa On BTN (@IowaOnBTN) February 1, 2020

DeSanto vs. Bravo-Young

The match was stopped 13 seconds in after DeSanto was injured, but he was able to continue. Iowa was docked a team point during DeSanto's treatment. Bravo-Young scored a takedown at 2:25 for an early lead. Bravo-Young was given a stall warning, then DeSanto received a caution. DeSanto escaped, but Bravo-Young scored a takedown. DeSanto was hurt, and Bravo-Young was declared a winner by injury default. Penn State 6, Iowa 4. 

Happel vs. Nick Lee

Lee scored a takedown 12 seconds into the match, then Happel came back with an escape. Lee added a second takedown at 1:55, then got a four-point near-fall. Happel was given a stall warning with 45 seconds left. Lee led 8-1 after the first period with 2:11 of riding time.

Lee was given a caution warning to start the second period. Happel had an escape, but Lee had a takedown at 1:30. Happel was called for stalling again, then Lee got a takedown for a 13-3 lead. Lee had a 3:22 edge in riding time at the end of the period.

Lee finished the 20-5 win at 1:07 in the third. Penn State 11, Iowa 4.

Lugo vs. Verkleeren

Lugo opened with a takedown at 1:28 of the first period. Lugo gets a standing ovation as he continued to control Verkleeren through the end of the period.

Lugo scored an escape to open the second period. Verkleeren was given a stall warning, then given a second stalling penalty. Lugo led 4-0 at the end of the period as the crowd booed Verkleeren.

Verkleeren was given a caution warning at the start of the third period. Verkleeren scored an escape, then was given another stalling penalty. With riding time, Lugo wins 6-1. Penn State 11, Iowa 7.

Pat Lugo: cool as the other side of the pillow. 🥶

The senior pulls @Hawks_Wrestling within four of the Nittany Lions and we have a good one on BTN. @FloWrestling pic.twitter.com/HCBbkvytuC

— Iowa On BTN (@IowaOnBTN) February 1, 2020

Young vs Pipher

Young gets a takedown with a minute to go in the first period. He finished the period with :58 of riding time.

Pipher received a stall warning to open the second period. Young got a reversal for a 4-0 lead. Young was given a stall warning with 39 seconds to go. Young had 2:22 of riding time at the end of the period.

Pipher escaped with a minute to go in the third period. Pipher was hit with a stalling penalty. With riding time, Young wins 6-1 heading into intermission. Penn State 11, Iowa 10.

.@Hawks_Wrestling needed a boost. Kaleb Young delivered. 👌@FloWrestling | #FightForIowa pic.twitter.com/81uTYtCC6i

— Iowa On BTN (@IowaOnBTN) February 1, 2020

Marinelli vs. Joseph

The first of back-to-back 1s vs. 2s. Marinelli had early takedown chances, but Joseph fought them off and it was scoreless after one period.

Marinelli opened the second period with an escape. Joseph scored a takedown, then got a four-point near-fall for a 6-1 lead, and Carver-Hawkeye got quiet. But it got loud when it appeared Marinelli had scored a reversal. Tom Brands threw the challenge brick, and we have a replay review as Marinelli is bleeding. Marinelli was credited with a reversal after the review.

Joseph escaped to start the third period. Joseph was given a stall warning. Marinelli got a takedown with under 20 seconds to go but fell short in the 7-5 loss. Penn State 14, Iowa 10.

Kemerer vs. Hall

Kemerer started with a takedown at 2:18 of the period. Hall countered with a takedown at 1:57. Kemerer scored an escape, then Hall answered with a takedown. But Kemerer answered with a reversal, and led 5-4 at the end of the period.

Hall opened the second period with an escape. Kemerer had a takedown at 1:05, with Hall answering with an escape. Kemerer led 7-6 after two periods to one of the loudest ovations of the night.

Kemerer escaped to start the third period. Kemerer fought off Hall's takedown bid, then scored his own takedown with 40 seconds left. With riding time, Kemerer wins 11-6. Penn State 14, Iowa 13.

Assad vs. Brooks

Assad appeared to have opened with a takedown, but Brooks countered with his own takedown and a 2-0 lead. Assad answered with an escape. Brooks had a takedown to close the period for a 4-1 lead.

Assad started the second period with an escape for the only point of the period. Brooks had a 2:07 edge in riding time.

Brooks scored a reversal to start the third period, with Assad getting an escape. With riding time, Brooks won, 7-3. Penn State 17, Iowa 13.

Warner vs. Rasheed

Warner started with a takedown at 2:18. Rasheed had an escape with :50 left. Warner led 2-1 at the end of the period with 1:32 of riding time. 

Warner let Rasheed escape to open the second period. The period would end at 2-2, but Warner's riding time was at 1:41.

Warner escaped to begin the third period. Warner fought off Rasheed the rest of the way, and with riding time won 4-2. Penn State 17, Iowa 16.

Cassioppi vs. Nevills

It's a battle of undefeated freshmen. Nevills appeared to have Cassioppi under control, but Cassioppi turned it into a takedown. When Nevills was warned for stalling, CHA got louder. Cassioppi led 2-0 with 1:42 of riding time at the end of the first period.

Neither wrestler scored in the second period. Cassioppi was down to start the third period, and escaped in the first 15 seconds. He then got a takedown for a 5-0 lead. He finished off the 7-0 win, and the No. 1 Hawkeyes survive. Iowa 19, Penn State 17.