After losing in a close 20-18 Big Ten dual Friday with No. 5 Minnesota, the No. 12 Wisconsin wrestling team fell short once again Sunday against No. 13 Penn State at the Field House in a 22-15 loss.

The afternoon began with Penn State’s Brad Pataky gaining an 11-3 win over Wisconsin’s Drew Hammen at 125 lbs., which resulted in four points for Penn State’s team score.

Wisconsin’s No. 8 redshirt freshman Tyler Graff answered back in the next match in a technical fall win over Penn State’s Bryan Pearsall, 23-8 at 133 lbs. Graff gained 10 takedowns and three near fall points in his match, giving the Badgers a 5-4 lead.

Wisconsin would not keep this lead, however, as they suffered three unanswered losses in a row bringing the score to 16-5 in Penn State’s favor.

One of the losses was between UW’s No. 2 senior Kyle Ruschell and Penn State’s All-American No. 5 Frank Molinaro. They both registered back-to-back reversals right after Molinaro registered a takedown and an escape bringing the score to 5-2 at the end of the first period.

The second period was scoreless, and Molinaro only managed to gain one more point in the third period for an escape while Ruschell gained two for a reversal. The five points that Molinaro stole in the first period is what ended up securing the win. With riding time, Molinaro took the match at 6-5 in this matchup.

“There were some good matchups today, [sophomore Andrew] Howe and Ruschell,” UW head coach Barry Davis said. “That’s why it came out as close as it did.”

Wisconsin’s No. 20 redshirt freshman Cole Schmitt also had a close match with Penn State’s Adam Lynch at 141 lbs.

Schmitt scored the first points in a takedown, but Lynch soon answered with a reversal in the first period. Lynch was the only one to score in the second period with an escape and a takedown, and despite Schmitt’s last-minute reversal in the third period, Lynch walked away with the 5-4 win.

After the intermission, Wisconsin’s No. 1 Howe came out with a big win over Penn State’s No. 8 Dan Vallimont.

The first period remained scoreless in this close matchup until Vallimont managed to gain a point by registering an escape, only to be answered by Howe with a two-point takedown. Howe then gained four more points in the third period with an escape, a fleeing call on Vallimont and a takedown to Vallimont’s one point from an escape.

The match ended in Howe’s favor, 7-2 after riding time.

“I felt great,” Howe said. “I was well prepared. There’s always a little bit of anxiety wrestling a Big Ten School, they’re a tough team.”

The Badgers picked up another win at 174 lbs., in a close match between Wisconsin true freshman Brendan Ard and Penn State’s Justin Ortega. The score was tied at 4-4 with three seconds left in the third period when Ard gained two points with a takedown, taking the match at 6-4. This brought the Badgers’ team score up to 11, only five points short of Penn State.

The Nittany Lions then answered back with a 2-0 win at 184 lbs.

Penn State’s No. 13 David Erwin beat Wisconsin’s No. 16 Travis Rutt with just an escape and riding time. This match gave Penn State a comfortable lead, with a team score of 19.

Next, Wisconsin’s No. 8 junior Trevor Brandvold gained four points for the Badgers’ overall team score by defeating Penn State’s David Crowell at 197 lbs. This was Brandvold’s fifth straight win against Penn State.

In the final match, it looked as though the Badgers would have the opportunity to tie the score in the heavyweight matchup between Wisconsin’s junior Eric Bugenhagen and Penn State’s No. 11 Cameron Wade.

The match remained scoreless for the first two periods until Wade registered an escape early in the third period.

After another takedown by Wade and riding time, the match ended with a score of 4-0, securing Penn State’s overall win at 22-15. The Badgers did walk away with almost twice as many takedowns as Penn State overall, 21 to their 13, but Penn State was rewarded more bonus points, 4-3.

“I was expecting a win,” Howe said after the match. “But I think that we wrestled OK today.”