CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- When one thinks of Duke-North Carolina, one thinks of an intense rivalry, but in wrestling, the Tar Heels have dominated to the point that the matchup has held little importance. Until this year.
For the first time since the 1972-73 season, the Duke wrestling team defeated North Carolina, the defending ACC champion, winning a closely-contested match 21-13.
"I've been coaching these guys for (six years) and I've been telling my guys that we deserve to go with Carolina," head coach Clar Anderson said. "And it's finally taken root and they believe they can go with them. It's always great to beat Carolina."
Senior Andy Soliman set the tone for the Blue Devils in the first match of the night at the 149-pound weight class. With the bout tied at 4-4 late in the third period against Tar Heel Andrew Slack, Soliman scored a two-point takedown with just 35 seconds remaining to win 6-4, giving Duke a 3-0 team lead.
"I knew it was a big match, and I came back [from injury] basically for this match," Soliman said. "It was big tonight because I'm a senior. I knew I had to give it all out there in that last period."
North Carolina's Ashton Bushwell defeated Scott Doerr at 157 to tie it up at 3-3, but Duke senior captain Michael Mitchell responded immediately, earning a major decision at 165 to put the Blue Devils back on top 7-3.
"I really wanted to pin the guy, and I was trying to lock him up with a cradle but I didn't get that," Mitchell said. "The next alternative was a tech fall and I think I needed two more takedowns for that. My overall strategy was just to go out there and be aggressive and look for the bonus points."
Levi Craig won at 174, increasing Duke's lead to 10-3. But a dramatic four-overtime victory by UNC's Mark Canty at 184 sparked a Tar Heel run, as they won the next three bouts to pull ahead for the first time 13-10.
But even this stretch of UNC wins was a small victory for the Blue Devils. Only one of the bouts was won by a four-point major decision, and the other two were decided by a three-point minor decision.
"There was an awful lot of real close matches and we didn't give up any extra points," Anderson said.
In the 125-pound match, Duke's Christian Smith put an end to UNC's spurt. Scoring a key takedown with just five seconds left in the first period, Smith held on for a 3-2 victory over Drew Forshey, tying the team score at 13-13. The Blue Devils' Adam Benitez won by major decision at 133, and Daniel Schvartsman clinched the team victory in the final match, defeating Carolina's Travis Sickle 17-6.
Needless to say, it was a landmark victory for a Duke team that is trying to turn itself into a legitimate conference and possibly national contender.
"I'm real excited for this team," Anderson said. "It's finally getting the confidence and the wins to hopefully make a tradition."
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