DEKALB, IL – The Rider wrestling team suffered a heart-wrenching 20-19 loss to MAC rival Northern Illinois on Friday night in DeKalb, IL. Despite a remarkable comeback fueled by six consecutive victories in the middleweight bouts, the Broncs couldn't hold off the Huskies, who capitalized on a critical pin at 197 lbs and sealed the win with a decisive heavyweight bout.

Rider stumbled early, losing the first three matchups before No. 24 Sammy Alvarez sparked a rally at 149 lbs. Alvarez, a transfer from Oklahoma State, came out firing against Collin Arch, securing a takedown in the opening 70 seconds to establish control. Alvarez added another takedown in the second period, building a 6-0 lead. Despite pushing for a major decision, Alvarez settled for a 7-1 decision, putting Rider on the board.

No. 29 Colton Washleski kept the momentum going at 157 lbs in a dominant performance against Landen Johnson. Washleski opened with a flurry, scoring four takedowns in the first period alone to take a commanding 12-4 lead. Washleski added an escape and another takedown in the second period before finishing with a 17-7 major decision, giving the Broncs bonus points.

At 165 lbs, Enrique Munguia delivered one of the night's most exciting matches. Trailing 4-2 late in the third period against NIU's Brett Smith, Munguia dug deep, securing a takedown at the buzzer to snatch a 5-4 victory and electrify the Rider sideline.

No. 29 Michael Wilson (174 lbs) carried the momentum into his bout against Jake Evans. Wilson opened the scoring with a takedown in the final seconds of the first period and dominated the rest of the match. Evans started the second period in the bottom position and got an escape making it 3-1. Wilson would get his second takedown of the match making it 6-1 after two periods. Wilson started the final period in the bottom position and got an escape followed by a quick reshot and score extending his lead to 10-1. Wilson cut Evans to try and chase the tech fall. Two more takedowns by Wilson would make it 16-3 and with the riding time point, Wilson earned the 17-3 major decision. 

Reigning MAC East Wrestler of the Week No. 33 Isaac Dean added to the Broncs' streak with a commanding performance at 184 lbs against S Steiner. Dean overwhelmed his opponent from the start, tallying multiple takedowns en route to a 20-4 technical fall, giving the Broncs a 19-11 lead after six straight victories.

At 197 lbs, Steyn De Lange looked poised to extend Rider's streak as he took on Spencer Mooberry. De Lange led 4-2 entering the final period after a takedown and a series of escapes. Mooberry would not go away as he got in a deep shot and scored, making the score 5-4. Things would shift for the Huskies as De Lange would try to get an escape but caught himself on hit back in a dangerous scramble. Mooberry would capitalize and earn the pivotal pin to make it a 19-17 match going into the night's final bout. 

The match came down to the heavyweight bout between freshman Collin French and NIU's Jacob Christensen. After a scoreless first period, Christensen earned an escape in the second to take a 1-0 lead. French closed the gap with an escape of his own in the third period, but two costly stall calls gave Christensen a 3-1 decision victory, sealing the 20-19 win for the Huskies.

Quotes and Notes
"We had some good performances tonight from Sammy, Colton, Wilson, and Isaac but in dual meets it's a team sport at the end of the day. We have to stop giving up bonus points wins to teams if we want to win matches." – Rider Head Coach John Hangey

- This would mark the second consecutive year in which the Huskies and Broncs face a one-point decision.
- Washleski, Wilson, and Dean stay undefeated in dual matchups. 
- This is the first time in program history that the Broncs drop a match against NIU. 

Match Results vs. Northern Illinois
125: No. 24 Blake West (Northern Illinois) over Will Betancourt (Rider) (MD 8-0)
133: Markel Baker (Northern Illinois) over Nieko Malone (Rider) (MD 19-5)
141: Jacob Brya (Northern Illinois) over McKenzie Bell (Rider) (Dec 7-5)
149: No. 24 Sammy Alvarez (Rider) over Collin Arch (Northern Illinois) (Dec 7-1)
157: No. 29 Colton Washleski (Rider) over Landen Johnson (Northern Illinois) (MD 17-6)
165: Enrique Munguia (Rider) over Brett Smith (Northern Illinois) (Dec 5-4)
174: No. 29 Michael Wilson (Rider) over Jake Evans (Northern Illinois) (MD 17-3)
184: No. 33 Isaac Dean (Rider) over Spencer Steiner (Northern Illinois) (TF 20-4 6:41)
197: Spencer Mooberry (Northern Illinois) over Steyn De Lange (Rider) (Fall 6:05)
285: Jacob Christensen (Northern Illinois) over Collin French (Rider) (Dec 3-1)

Up Next
The Broncs have a quick turnaround as they stay on the road to take on Wisconsin in an out-of-conference matchup on Nov. 24.
Match is set for a 1 p.m. start.