Fourth-ranked Ethan Lizak, sixth-ranked Mitch McKee and 11th-ranked Nick Wanzek won their weight classes and five Gophers posted runner-up finishes in the season-opening Daktronics Open wrestling meet Sunday in Brookings, S.D.
Minnesota Scene: Gophers wrestlers win 3 weight clases at Daktronics Open
By NEWS SERVICES
November 6, 2017 at 5:42AM
Lizak, a repeat champion, pinned his first opponent 16 seconds into their 125-pound bout and finished with a technical fall over unattached Patrick McKee. Mitch McKee, a runner-up a season ago, recorded three pins on the way to the 133-pound title. Wanzek went 4-0 at 165 but was challenged in his final two matches, including a 2-0 victory over Isaiah White of Nebraska in the finals.
MSU women win NSIC
Tournament MVP Alesha Duccini and Morgan Cottew scored for top-seeded Minnesota State Mankato in a 2-0 victory over third seed Augustana that gave the Mavericks the NSIC women's soccer championship and automatic NCAA Division II tournament berth. The Mavericks (17-2-2) outshot the Vikings (14-3-4) 29-3.
Isanti County to host hockey benefit games
Bemidji State will face Minnesota Duluth on Monday in the first game of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Women's Face-Off Classic at Isanti County Arena.
The second game of the doubleheader will be between the Minnesota Blue Ox, a junior team owned by Wild coach Bruce Boudreau, and the Minnesota Moose.
Proceeds will benefit Matt Olson, the former Totino-Grace player who suffered a spinal cord injury playing junior hockey.
The Moose and Boudreau's Blue Ox are in the United States Premier Hockey League, the league Olson was playing in last year when he was injured.
Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults and are available at the door starting at 5 p.m. There will be a silent auction, postgame autographs and a chance to have your picture taken with Herb Brooks' 1980 Olympic gold medal.
UMAC volleyball
Northwestern (St. Paul) won the UMAC volleyball championship and a spot in the NCAA Division III tournament Saturday with a 26-24, 25-20, 25-23 victory over visiting Minnesota Morris.
It was Northwestern's sixth consecutive UMAC championship.
The Division III tournament field will be announced Monday.
UMAC soccer
Wisconsin-Superior beat St. Scholastica 4-2 on penalty kicks Saturday in Duluth and won the UMAC men's soccer tournament title and a berth in the NCAA Division III tournament.
The St. Scholastica women topped Northwestern 2-1 for their sixth UMAC tournament championship in seven years and an NCAA berth. Pairings will be announced Monday.
Etc.
Caitlyn Merzbacher and Camila Vargas Gomez won in the last two singles spots and the Gophers women won two out of three in doubles matches but lost 4-3 to Yale on Sunday in Dartmouth's Big Green Invitational in Hanover, N.H.
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