Buckeyes bruise, batter Hoosiers in 11-point loss

Sunday's meet against No. 9 Ohio State was supposed to answer a lot of questions about how the IU wrestling squad measures up against Big Ten competition. Instead, the Hoosiers limped back from Columbus, Ohio with even more uncertainty than before.\nA laundry list of injuries has crippled the Hoosiers in the middle of their most difficult stretch of the season, beginning with their painful 22-11 loss to Buckeyes. While most of the team members insist the match was closer than the score reads, they've made it abundantly clear they're not satisfied with the results.\n"We know we're just as good as them, we just have to put it together," said junior Victor Sveda, whose recurring back problems couldn't prevent him from compiling two pins Saturday and a major decision against 16th-ranked Anton Talamantes of the Buckeyes. "I think we could have won if we had everybody healthy. Everybody has to wrestle to their abilities if we're going to beat a team like that."\nAssistant coach Pat Cassidy said he agreed.\n"They weren't quite as impressive as we expected them to be. Either they're not as good as everyone thought or we're better than we thought," Cassidy said. "We're banged up. I think a healthy IU team could beat that team. There's no doubt."\nSveda has been able to fight through his back troubles and remain productive. He's been practicing every day, although coach Duane Goldman insists that it's "only because he wanted to and not because it was the best thing." \nHis health is crucial to the Hoosiers' success, as the highest ranked individual on the team. \nSeventeenth-ranked 125-pound sophomore Greg Schaefer is also recuperating after a severe ankle sprain cut into his season. Schaefer was held out of the lineup last week against Illinois, but fought off the recurring pain to score a 13-3 major decision against the Buckeyes' Kore Sharpley. \n"Those things are one of the worst injuries you can get because they take forever to heal," Goldman said of Schaefer's ankle. The decision to start Schaefer against OSU came after he had been held out of full-contact practices all week. "They just aggravate so easy. They feel like you can walk around fine, then all of a sudden, they pop again. Greg looked pretty good this weekend but I know it hurt him while he was wrestling."\nSchaefer is likely to start against Minnesota this weekend, but coach Goldman said he believes the injury is far from behind him.\n"There's no doubt that it's affected his performance," Goldman said. "The ankle is not 100 percent, but we expect him to be ready to go. That's his only choice; he has to be ready to go. This is the Big Ten."\nThe Hoosiers came upon some more bad luck with ankle injuries Saturday afternoon when freshman Coyte Cooper sprained his ankle in a victory against Carson Newman's Bobby Bossardet. The Hoosiers went on to beat Carson Newman 43-6, but Cooper's ankle began to stiffen. He was barely able to walk, let alone wrestle against the Buckeyes Sunday. The result was a devastating forfeit at the 141-pound weight.\n"They had an All-American at that weight, but I really think Coyte could have beat him," Goldman said. "Just bad timing."\nBad timing indeed. Also among the walking wounded Sunday afternoon were starters junior Brian Smiley (elbow), senior Kevin Stanley (stomach virus) and freshman Jack Wade (shoulder).\n"We had five starters that were in some way or another beat up against Ohio State," Goldman said. "We just need to get healthy."\nAll starters are expected to start Friday.\nOne of the few matchups Sunday that was not hindered by injuries was the much anticipated clash between IU's Mike Dixon and the nation's top-ranked heavyweight, freshman Tommy Rowlands. The match ended in an 11-6 victory for Rowlands, but eight of Rowlands' 11 points came in the first period.\n"He's pretty darn good, especially for a freshman," Goldman said of Rowlands. "He's what you call a franchise player. There are no shoo-ins in this sport, but I'd say he's the closest thing to a shoo-in as a four time All-American as there is. Dixon probably gave him the best match he's had all year."\nSveda recalls wrestling against Rowlands in high school competition.\n"I saw him when he was a 119-pound freshman," Sveda said. "Needless to say, he's grown up. He's able to wrestle like a lighter weight, even though he's about 240 pounds. Dixon gave up a couple points in the beginning, but I think that had to do with the initimidation factor. He was hesitant at first. Hopefully, we'll get to see the rematch in the finals"