In a hard-fought contest, No. 6 NC State wrestling knocked off No. 12 Cornell 20-18. The victory marks the Wolfpack’s highest-ranked win of the season and its second ranked road win of the year.

The Wolfpack (6-0) started with a 17-0 lead that it never relinquished. However, the Big Red (1-1) rallied in the back half of the match and nearly came back before the Wolfpack sealed the deal late.

The 174-pound bout proved to be the pivotal match, featuring No. 20 redshirt sophomore Matty Singleton and Cornell’s No. 11 Simon Ruiz. With just a 17-15 lead for the Wolfpack, Singleton fended off the highly ranked Ruiz in a narrow 6-5 decision. Entering the final period down 4-0, Singleton furiously stormed back late in an impressive comeback, totaling all six of his points in the third period. Tacking on three points for the Pack, Singleton’s win ultimately put Cornell away.

Just as important as Singleton’s win was No. 29 redshirt senior Christian Knop’s victory to set the tone early for the Wolfpack. The 197-pound bout between Knop and Cornell’s No. 25 Mikey Dellagatta was hotly contested throughout, with neither side backing down. A late takedown by Knop broke the tie, giving the Wolfpack a decision in Knop’s 5-2 upset victory.

The Wolfpack earned a crucial six points in the 133-pound bout. Redshirt senior Kai Orine, who primarily has competed at the 141-pound level this year, cut down and returned to his standard weight class from last season. Orine made short work of his opponent, Tyler Ferrara with a pin. Earning the pin proved to be crucial given the Wolfpack’s narrow margin of victory. With the win, all appeared well for NC State, who sat on a 17-0 lead heading into the 141-pound match.

The Big Red didn’t give up though. It furiously began its comeback in the 141-pound bout, securing its first points in a 4-3 decision. Cornell then tacked on another three points in the 149-pound bout, leaving the door open to an improbable comeback with its best wrestler on deck — No. 2 Meyer Shapiro.

The 157-pound bout was without a doubt the most anticipated of the day. While Cornell was represented by Shapiro, NC State brought its own top 10 wrestler in No. 10 senior Ed Scott. Shapiro opened the match quickly with a pair of takedowns, putting Scott in danger early. Before the match could finish, Scott was disqualified for stalling violations in the final period while Shapiro led 18-3. As Cornell tacked on six points to its team total, making the score 17-12, the Wolfpack’s once commanding lead became a slim five-point margin.

The Big Red took two of the final three matches of the evening, but Singleton’s victory kept NC State ahead till the end. The match showed that as talented as the Wolfpack is, there’s plenty of work to be done before the NCAA Tournament this spring. With five of its remaining seven matches against ranked opponents, NC State must be more consistent to maintain its undefeated record moving forward.

Next up, NC State will return to Reynolds Coliseum to face the Duke Blue Devils in its ACC opener. The Wolfpack is on a nine-match winning streak against Duke and has thoroughly dominated the all-time series with a 17-2 advantage. The dual meet will begin at 7 p.m. on Jan. 10.