MATCH  NOTES

SETTING THE STAGE: The Northern State wrestling team (3-3-1, 0-2 NSIC) will host its first home dual of the season when they take on No. 3 Augustana (7-1, 1-0 NSIC) Thursday night at 7 p.m.

SIZING UP THE COMPETITION: Currently sitting at a threeway tie for first place in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Confercence(with Minnesota State, and Upper Iowa), No. 3 Augustana is coming off their first NSIC win when they defeated MSU Moorhead, 29-6, on Saturday in Sioux Falls. The Vikings boast six ranked individuals including No. 1 ranked Jay Sherer at 141 pounds.

LAST TIME OUT: Northern State started its NSIC schedule when they traveled to No. 6 Minnesota State and No. 11Upper Iowa this past weekend.

Minnesota State, Mankato handed NSU its first NSIC loss on Friday in a 22-13 decision. MSU took the first two wins at 125 and 133 pounds before Benton Crow earned a fall at 141 pounds tying the dual at six each. With the 19-6, Cale Cornemann earned a big win for the Wolves when he defeated third-ranked Aaron Norgren in a 6-5 decision after the match went to a fourth overtime. . No. 4 Matt Meuleners earned a final win for the Wolves on the night when he defeated Nate Haynes in a 9-0 major decision at 285 pounds.

Upper Iowa also proved too much for the Wolves who fell to the Peacocks in a 25-15 decision. Benton Crow earned the first Northern State win at 141 pounds by a 5-2 decision giving NSU its first points of the dual making the score 8-3. Beau Voegeli earned another win for the Wolves in the next match when he defeated Trevor Duke at 149 pounds in a 9-5 decision giving Northern three more points moving the score to 8-6. No. 4 Matt Mueleners notched a 6-0 decision win at 285 pounds over Zach Rosol while Cale Cornemann won by default at 184 pounds to NSU its final nine points of the dual.

THE SERIES: Augustana currently dominates the series against Northern State. Since the 1999- 2000 season the Vikings have blanked the Wolves earning a 11-0 record. Last season, Augie handed NSU a 34-3 loss on Jan. 30, 2010 in Sioux Falls.

MUELENERS EARNS NSIC HONOR: After earning four dual-meet bouts, Northern State University sophomore Matt Meuleners was named as the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Wrestler of the Week. NSIC officials made the announcement on Monday. Meuleners went 4-0 on the week, recording two pins and a pair of shutout decisions in the process. Meuleners pinned both his opponents on Wednesday, helping the Wolves to a pair of dominating non-conference victories over Sioux Falls (50-3) and Northwestern College (47-3). He then earned a 9-0 major decision win over Minnesota State's Nate Haynes on Friday night and a 6-0 victory over Upper Iowa's Zach Rosol less than 24 hours later. Meuleners, a returning All-American at 197 pounds, is now 16-2 on the season and ranked fourth in the nation in the heavyweight division.

WATCH THE WOLVES LIVE: Can't make it to Thursday's match? Watch the Wolves take on Augie from your computer via live webcasts through www.northernsun.org/live.cfm.

FOLLOW NSU: Get the latest updates on Northern State athletics at www.nsuwolvesathletics.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/northernstatewolves