No. 1 Iowa next for reeling IU team

After dropping five of their first six Big Ten matches, the road doesn’t get any easier for the No. 21 Hoosiers.\nLast Friday, IU (12-7, 1-5) lost an 18-16 heartbreaker to rival Purdue in a match the team controlled until the last pairing, when an inopportune third-period pin on sophomore Nate Everhart gave the Boilermakers the victory. IU continued to struggle in Big Ten play later in the weekend when the Hoosiers were “krushed” by Illinois 23-9.\nThis weekend, IU coach Duane Goldman leads the Hoosiers to the home of his alma mater on Friday to face No.1 Iowa (18-1, 5-0). During his wrestling days in Iowa City, Goldman amassed a 132-10 record over four years as a Hawkeye and was a four-time All-American. Highlighting his career as a Hawkeye, Goldman also won a national championship. \nWrestling for Iowa is a string of No. 1 ranked wrestlers, including Brent Metcalf (23-1) in the 149-pound weight class and Mark Perry (13-2) in the 165-pound class.\nThe most important match for the Hoosiers will be in the 125-pound weight class, where IU’s No. 2 Angel Escobedo faces his biggest challenge of the season when he battles Iowa’s No. 3 Charlie Falck (23-2) then Northwestern’s No. 5 Brandon Precin (27-4). Escobedo has been flawless thus far, winning all of his 24 matches. But the stiff competition this weekend presents a tough test for the sophomore.\nOn Sunday, IU will head to Evanston to take on the No. 12 Wildcats. The list of No. 1 opponents doesn’t stop in Iowa, but carries over to the Chicago-area when IU heavyweights will go against No. 1 Dustin Fox (17-0). The Hoosiers will either send out Everhart (1-6) or John Sandberg (2-3) in an attempt to dethrone Fox.