Michigan wrestling struggles on the road against No. 2 Iowa

On the road in Iowa, No. 9 Michigan struggled just to get on the board.

It wasn’t until the eigth matchup of the night, when graduate student Matt Finesilver — weighing in at 184 pounds — worked his way to a 15-0 technical fall, that the Wolverines could breathe a sigh of relief.

However this moment of success was ultimately fleeting. Michigan (9-4 overall, 4-3 Big Ten) faced off against No. 2 Iowa (14-1, 7-1) at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena this past Friday, ultimately faltering in all but two matchups and losing 33-8. 

“We’re just trying to get the best 10 guys available on the mat to compete,” Michigan coach Sean Bormet said, noting that the Wolverines struggled with injuries. 

Notable absentees included 165-pound junior Cameron Amine, 197-pound sophomore Brendin Yatooma and 174-pound senior Max Maylor.

Spencer Lee gave the Hawkeyes the immediate lead in the 125-pound weight class, beating graduate student Jack Medley 11-2 to kick off a difficult night for Michigan.

Senior Will Lewan initially kept up with 157-pound opponent Cobe Siebrecht and even scored the first point with a quick escape. However Siebrecht subsequently did the same to even the score. It came down to sudden victory, where Siebrecht riled up the home support with a scramble that secured him the win. In the 165-pound weight class, freshman Alex Wesselman also took on Iowa’s No. 7 Patrick Kennedy, who secured his third fall of the season after 2:31.

No. 8 ranked Matt Finesilver broke the Wolverines’ streak of losses with a 15-0 technical fall against Drake Rhodes in the eighth match. The Michigan wrestler put on a dominant performance, scoring 10 points over three separate leg turks. With an additional pair of four-point near falls, Finesilver ensured his victory over Rhodes, who had no response to Finesilver’s offense.

The night culminated in a heavyweight 285-pound showdown between No. 1 ranked senior Mason Parris and No. 3 ranked Tony Cassioppi.

Parris came out of the gate explosive, finishing off two single leg takedowns to score four points early. However Cassioppi put Parris in neutral danger position late in the second period, scoring two points from the takedown to bring the score to 5-4.

Cassioppi started the third period with an escape to tie the score, and then quickly established a two-point lead with a second takedown. It looked for a moment as if Michigan’s night would go from bad to worse as the Carver-Hawkeye arena erupted, chanting “Tony! Tony!”

Parris eventually denied Cassioppi the victory, however, luring him in before swiftly jumping behind him and riding out the remaining minute to maintain his undefeated record this season, winning 9-7.

Parris and Finesilver’s victories were the bright spots in an otherwise bleak night for the Wolverines. Nevertheless, Michigan’s injuries remain a concern for remaining matchups.

“We’re looking to get back to full strength, be as healthy as we can for the postseason,” Bormet said.

If there is anything to take away from the Wolverine’s loss to Iowa, it’s that there is still a lot of work to do before the postseason arrives.