The University of Mary and Minot State battled back and fourth through all ten bouts Thursday evening at the Minot State dome, and the winner was not assured until the final seconds of the final bout of the evening.  In the end, Mary’s Ryan Stottler was able to hold off Je-Mario Jones for a 6-4 decision.  The win propelled Mary to a 20-18 win in what has been dubbed the Battle for the Barrel.  The traveling trophy is in its second year of existence, with the Marauders now 2-0.

The dual started perfectly for Minot State at 285, where Minot native Jordan Will scored a 4-1 decision to put the Beavers up 3-0.  A back and forth slugfest followed at 125 between familiar foes Dean Arevalo and Nate Humann.  The first period alone saw five total takedowns and an 8-7 score.  Things got even crazier from there as Arevalo matched Humann’s pace for all seven minutes and scored back points in the third for a 21-15 victory that gave Minot State a 6-0 start in the team race.

Mary’s #6 ranked Tate Barnhardt then stopped the momentum with a quick technical fall over Liam Hayden, by Minot State’s Jared Sublet countered right back with a decision at 141 over Marauder backup Noah Huff.  Sublet’s 9-2 victory made the team score 9-5 after four matches.  Mary’s starter at 141, Bismarck Century product Hunter Eckert, did not not weigh in as he is recovering from an injury sustained in practice.

At 149, Mary’s Max Bruss narrowed the dual score to 9-8 when he scored a 7-4 decision over Tanner Crissler.  Mary sent out freshman Devyn Sweem at 157, and Beaver Zach Berry took advantage.  Berry scored a first period fall that pushed Minot State’s lead to 15-8 with four matches remaining.  Mary won back to back bouts at 165 and 174, a decision from Austin Eichmann followed by a huge pin at 174 by #7 Phil Springsteen  that gave Mary its first lead of the match 17-15.

Keegan Berry put Minot State ahead 18-17 at 184 before Stottler’s heroics sealed it for the Marauders.