By Andy Elder

For the Mirror

UNIVERSITY PARK — For the second week in a row, redshirt freshman 197-pounder Josh Barr engaged in a tense battle with an older, higher-ranked wrestler.

But this Friday night in the Bryce Jordan Center, Penn State’s fourth-ranked redshirt freshman found a way to come away with a win.

Barr’s 3-2 win over No. 2 Jacob Cardenas was the highlight of an otherwise routine Nittany Lion rout. No. 1 Penn State (11-0, 5-0 B1G) blanked No. 19 Michigan (5-5, 2-5 B1G) 39-0 in the final of three BJC dual meets. The win extended Penn State’s dual meet win streak to 67.

The Nittany Lions recorded two falls, by Luke Lilledahl (125) and Levi Haines (174), a technical fall from Carter Starocci (184), a major decision from Mitchell Mesenbrink (165) and decisions from Kyison Garcia (133), Beau Bartlett (141), Shayne Van Ness (149), Tyler Kasak (157) and Barr.

After dropping a 5-1 decision to No. 1 Stephen Buchanan of Iowa a week ago, Barr was paired with Cardenas in the marquee bout of the evening.

The pair swapped escapes and squared off like a pair of big cats on their feet, sometimes in a three-point stance, sometimes on all fours. But neither was able to get a deep penetrating shot as the match went to the sudden victory period. Again, neither was able to score a winning takedown but each had near misses in the overtime period.

In the first tiebreaker period, Barr deferred his choice and Cardenas chose bottom. Barr was able to ride him for 8 seconds before the Wolverine escaped. Barr went down in the second tiebreaker period and Cardenas erased all of Barr’s riding time as the pair went out of bounds. Barr needed an escape and takedown or a reversal and rideout to win.

“After we went out of bounds the first or second time, he was already up in riding time,” Barr said. “It was kind of like desperation mode at that point. (It was) just staying focused and I had to get a reversal to win. So, that’s just what I was focused on.”

As the clock ticked under 10 seconds, Barr stood, turned in and collapsed Cardenas to the mat, maintaining control with 4 seconds remaining to pull out the 3-2 win.

A crowd of 14,355 that didn’t have many reasons to get amped up finally had a reason to roar as the clock ran out and Barr stood and flexed.

“Honestly, I thought I could have wrestled a lot better tonight,” Barr said. “So, it’s just another opportunity to get better. (I’m) grateful for the opportunities the Big Ten brings.”

Sanderson, who watched his team tie a program record with its fifth shutout of the season, a mark the 2012-13 team established, seemed somewhat satisfied with the win.

“I think overall we wrestled fine. I think the guys went out and did what they needed to do. Michigan’s always got a tough team,” he said.

Penn State once again held a team without a takedown, while it piled up 20. That domination started at 125.

Lilledahl followed a predictable pattern that has emerged of late, slowly building a lead and then ratcheting up his intensity and scoring in the third. This time, he scored takedowns in the first and second period to build a 6-2 lead. In the third he escaped, scored a takedown and looked like he would allow Christian Tanefeu to escape but instead caught him in a crossface cradle and pinned the Wolverine in 5:38, the first fall of Lilledahl’s collegiate career.

Garcia subbed in for Braeden Davis, who missed his second consecutive dual. The Nittany Lion freshman from South Jordan, Utah, used an escape and takedown in the second period to fashion a 4-1 decision.

Sanderson said the decision about whether Davis would wrestle Sunday would come Saturday night or Sunday.

Bartlett expanded Penn State’s lead to 12-0 with a hard-fought 3-2 decision over No. 12 Sergio Lemley. Bartlett trailed 1-0 at the start of the third, but had accumulated 39 seconds of riding time. In the third, Bartlett scored a reversal and rode the Wolverine for 31 seconds to build a 1:10 advantage that was ultimately the difference in the win.

At 149, Van Ness picked up the fourth consecutive win for the Nittany Lions with a methodical 7-1 decision. He was able to pick up takedowns in each of the first two periods, along with an escape in a final that wasn’t as close as the score might indicate.

Kasak stepped on the mat for the first time as the nation’s top-ranked 157-pounder and he lived up to the ranking. He converted on two takedowns in the first period and added a point for 2:29 in riding time for a 7-2 win.

With Penn State leading 18-0 at the break, Mesenbrink did what he has done all year, come out and dominate. No. 10 Beau Mantanona made him work for every point, though. Mesenbrink scored five takedowns in an 18-4 major decision, his only contested decision.

Haines ran Penn State’s lead to 28-0 with a fall over No. 29 Joseph Walker at 174 in 2:37.

Starocci dominated No. 24 Jaden Bullock in just about every way possible in a 19-4 technical fall in 7:00.

Kerkvliet sent the fans home happy with a 6-0 shutout of No. 8 Josh Heindselman.

125: Lilledahl, PSU, pinned Tanefeu (5:38); 133: Garcia, PSU, dec. Wertanen, 4-1; 141 Bartlett, PSU, dec. Lemley, 3-2; 149: Van Ness, PSU, dec. Gilcher, 7-1; 157: Kasak, PSU, dec. Mattin, 7-2

165: Mesenbrink, PSU, major dec. Mantanona, 18-4; 174: Haines, PSU, pinned Walker (2:37); 184: Starocci PSU tech. fall Bullock, 19-4 (7:00); 197: Barr PSU dec. Cardenas, 3-2; 285: Kerkvliet PSU dec. Heindselman, 6-0.

Attendance: 14,355

Maryland at Penn State

SUNDAY

Start: 1 p.m., Rec Hall, University Park, Pa.

Records: Maryland (8-8 3-3 Big Ten); Penn State (11-0, 5-0 Big Ten)

TV: Big Ten Plus

Notable: Both teams were in action on Friday night. … The Terrapins have five wrestlers ranked by InterMat, including sixth-ranked Ethen Miller at 157 pounds. … Sunday will be Maryland’s 17th dual meet of the season. … Penn State will be on the road at Ohio State and Illinois next weekend before finishing up the dual meet schedule with a Feb. 21 home match with American. … Maryland lost 21-20 to Rutgers Friday night.

Mirror prediction: Penn State, 41-3

Mirror prediction record: 11-0

— Andy Stine