McDonough gets chance to avenge loss

Matt McDonough will get the chance he has been waiting for since the end of December.

The University of Iowa's defending 125-pound NCAA champion suffered his only loss at the hands of Northwestern's Brandon Precin in the finals of the Midlands Championships. About one month later, McDonough will get an opportunity to avenge just his second loss the last two seasons Friday.

Eighth-ranked Iowa starts a two-dual weekend road trip against No. 18 Northwestern at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill., on Friday at 7 p.m. The Hawkeyes will then travel to State College, Pa., for a dual against top-ranked Penn State at Rec Hall Sunday at 1 p.m.

The Hawkeyes (9-0-1, 2-0 Big Ten) are focused on the Wildcats (15-1, 3-1), especially McDonough. Precin, a two-time All-American who placed third in 2009 before red-shirting last season, topped McDonough 3-1 for the Midlands crown at 125.

"It never feels good to lose," said McDonough, a red-shirt sophomore who is 14-1 and owns a 51-1 collegiate record the last two seasons. "It's a big deal getting another opportunity before NCAA's. It's just another chance to wrestle the best in the country."

McDonough expects Precin, who snatched the top ranking with the head-to-head win and is 25-0, to fight and wrestle hard. It is the type of bout that gets him excited.

"That's why I train the way I do and prepare," McDonough said, "because if you want to be the best you've got to beat guys that are going to come out and want to take your head off."

Precin didn't take off McDonough's head, but he did sever the Hawkeye from his relentless offense, locking down McDonough and tying him up to slow down the match's tempo. McDonough has to fire on all cylinders, which is what he does best.

"We have to be on a scoring pace. When we get squeezed in we've get to wiggle out, clear and wrestle," Hawkeyes Coach Tom Brands said. "High-pace favors us."

Brands said coaches are smart enough not to play to McDonough's strengths. The strategy caught them off-guard, but McDonough needed to adapt better, noting he thought it took until the final minute for him to adjust.

"I think we got ambushed a little bit," Brands said. "I think they came out and had a game plana dn executed it pretty well."

McDonough knew the difference in the match immediately after the contest. He's revisited video and broke down what he needs to improve. He has been hard at work to avoid another setback.

"Just continuing to make opportunities for myself," McDonough said. "Not letting guys tie me up and staying aggressive, keeping the pace high and tempo where I want it and not falling into any other standards.

"More than just preparing for a single person it's preparing yourself to wrestle to the best of your ability. I think every match gives me things to work on, but definitely looking at that helps see where I need to key in on in the match-up Friday."

A second win by Precin would put him in the drivers' seat for the top-seed at the Big Ten tournament and likely would elevate him to a higher seed over McDonough at the NCAA tournament, regardless of an outcome of a possible match at the Big Tens. McDonough is mindful of that scenario, but he is concentrating more on capturing a win and returning to the top.

"It plays a part of it," McDonough said. "There are bigger things on my mind than seeds."

Brands said this is a good chance for McDonough, noting that it was a huge test.

"We're fired up for this match," Brands said. "This is a big match."

Red-shirt freshman Derek St. John (11-2) has a couple big matches of his own this weekend, taking on Northwestern's No. 7 Jason Welch (20-2) and Penn State's third-ranked David Taylor (25-0).

"Big for him," Brands said about the road trip. "You have a chance to make a statement is an understatement."

St. John has claimed freestyle victories over both opponents. It does provide some confidence, even though wins came in a different style and environments.

"You go in there knowing you've them (and) it's definitely possible," St. John said.

The key will rely in a combination of mental and physical aspects. The two are dependent upon the other.

"It's going to be both," St. John said. "Just like any other time. You get yourself mentally ready to go you'll be ready physically."