Nov. 19, 2010
Iowa 45, Iowa Central 0 (photo gallery) | Iowa 44, Coe College 0 (photo gallery)
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IOWA CITY, Iowa — Nick Trizzino, Dylan Carew, Derek St. John and Ethen Lofthouse are four names that University of Iowa wrestling fans will hear a lot of over the next four seasons. All are redshirt freshmen and all made their Hawkeye debuts Friday as No. 7 Iowa blanked Iowa Central 45-0 and Coe College 44-0 inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena to run its consecutive victory streak to 63.
“This is early. This is more like getting your feet wet,” said UI head coach Tom Brands, who notched his 100th career victory against Iowa Central. “I like what I saw for the most part. A couple of them aren’t shy about saying how excited they are. It is a milestone for them, but at the same time we have to keep things in perspective, too, and that’s getting better every day. I think they have the right approach.”
The four Iowa redshirt freshmen combined to go 8-0 in their first action in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, with four major decisions and three falls.
“I’ve been waiting my whole life to get out here in front of all these fans and score points and wrestle the Iowa way,” said Lofthouse, who won by 15-3 major decision over Iowa Central’s Austin Gelbach before pinning Coe’s Scott King. “You gain experience and mat time and we get better.”
Iowa had eight shutouts last season, but the Hawkeyes have a majority of new faces in the lineup now.
“You always prepare for running the table,” Brands said. “I don’t ever predict we won’t (win them all), so you take them one match at a time.”
Eighteen of the 100 dual wins for Brands at Iowa have been shutouts, including three each against Iowa Central and Coe.
“I think everybody was pretty tough,” Carew said. “We controlled every weight and every position real well. No one was ever really in danger and it was a solid performance.”
Brands called the season-openers “a good trial run” and he was surprised he was feeling so optimistic at the end of the night.
“I’m not saying there aren’t things to work on,” Brands said. “You can nitpick and we will nitpick in the room and we will get them better.”
Brands wants the youngsters to be more aggressive, build leads and take more risks.
“With guys that are young to come out in Carver-Hawkeye Arena…it’s going to get tougher, but that’s what makes you feel good,” Brands said.
Iowa has a final tune up next Friday at Cornell College in Mount Vernon (against Tennessee-Chattanooga and the host Rams) before returning to Carver-Hawkeye Arena to face Iowa State on Dec. 3. Iowa has won six straight against the Cyclones.