It was a match of surprises for the Albert Lea wrestling team Thursday in its quarterfinal dual with Centennial in the Class 3A team tournament.

The No. 3-ranked Tigers (29-7) were the favorite entering the dual with the ninth-ranked Cougars (32-7) but the Albert Lea coaching staff expected it to be closer than the 40-13 thumping the Tigers delivered Centennial in the semifinals last season.

“We knew it was going to be an exciting dual,” said Albert Lea head coach Larry Goodnature. “I knew it was going to be a tough dual and I knew it was going to come down to bonus points.”

Albert Lea got some big victories from unusual sources in a 36-22 victory over the Cougars to advance to the semifinals. The Tigers will face Cambridge-Isanti in the semifinals as the Bluejackets handled Wayzata 41-15.

Trey Hable and Cory Hansen did their part, taking the Tigers to a 12-0 lead as both picked up victories by fall.

“We started out big,” Goodnature said. “With two falls and bonus points that was a big part of the dual.”

Dalton Westerlund and Alex Nielsen both came through with pivotal victories as the Tigers moved on in the tournament.

“A big match for us was Dalton Westerlund beating that state entrant,” Goodnature said. “Getting that was a boost for our team.”

Westerlund, a freshman, picked up arguably the biggest win of the afternoon with a 3-2 decision over No. 9-ranked Jesse Hylton at 119 pounds.

Westerlund’s match was one Centennial needed to have and Westerlund came through with a big victory, that spelled the beginning of the end for the Cougars.

Westerlund got a takedown in the second period following an escape to take a 3-0 lead. Hylton, who entered the tournament with a 29-3 record, scored an escape at the buzzer in the second, but Westerlund was able to hang on for the victory that gave Albert Lea a 15-0 lead.

“Dalton’s usually not that good on his feet, but he got that one takedown and he’s pretty tough on top,” Goodnature said. “We gambled a little bit and put him underneath and he came through for us. As a freshman he’s coming up here and making a statement.”

Adam Clark was able to give the Tigers an 8-1 decision victory at 125 pounds in his first action since Feb. 19 against Faribault in the first round of the Section 1AAA team tournament. Clark was close to grabbing a major decision in the third period but was only able to get the decision.

Getting ahead early in the lower weights was going to be an important piece for the Tigers against Centennial because the Cougars had four ranked wrestlers from 135 to 152, spots where Albert Lea has just one ranked wrestler.

The Cougars picked up four wins from 135 to 152 and two were by major decision. Mitch Hedgers, ranked No. 5 at 145, won by major decision 10-3 against Adam Kermes and Ryan Krause, ranked No. 8 at 152, followed with a 9-0 major decision against Connor Kortan to draw the dual to 21-14.

Centennial prevented three of Albert Lea’s top wrestlers from scoring bonus points in the dual and that kept the dual close.

Cody Hansen, ranked No. 3, scored just a 9-3 decision as he wasn’t able to find another takedown for a major decision. Logan Kortan, ranked No. 4 at 152, fell into the same trouble at 160 against Caleb Ahles and settled for a 10-3 decision. Matt Tiegs, ranked No. 5, came out strongly and grabbed two takedowns in the first period but could only find a 10-5 decision.

Tiegs’ victory at 171 essentially ended any chance of the Cougars getting back into the dual with the Tigers taking a 27-14 lead, but three weight classes remained and Centennial’s top wrestler Mitch Hrovat was on deck at 189.

Hrovat had pinned Albert Lea’s Jordan Holland last season in the semis and he did so once again, putting Holland on his back in 1 minute, 7 seconds to make the dual 27-20.

Albert Lea needed a victory at either 215 or 285 to officially close out the win and that’s when Goodnature decided to do some tactical shuffling on the fly.

Sophomore Alex Nielsen was seated when Goodnature called him up for action at 215 against state-entrant Patrick Hughes instead of the usual 215-pounder Ethan Reed. Nielsen had just an 8-22 record entering the match while Hughes was 32-12 on the year.

“I switched those two around because I knew their heavyweight wasn’t as good as their 215 and Alex went out and beat that kid and he’s a state entrant,” Goodnature said. “That was a big match for him and I’m very happy for Alex.”

Goodnature said he put Nielsen in at 215 because he is good at not giving up falls and that Centennial had two 215 pound wrestlers that they use at 215 and heavyweight.

The strategy paid off as Nielsen came through with a 4-3 decision to seal the win and give Albert Lea a 30-20 lead.

“I got more aggressive than I usually am,” Nielsen said. “In the second period I got the cradle on him and didn’t quite get the pin but I got three back points. I just feel good. I gutted it out.”

Ethan Reed came in and took care of Zach Vine with a fall in 32 seconds for the 36-20 win.

The Tigers defeated Cambridge-Isanti 42-15 back on Jan. 17 at the Kiffmeyer Duals and will face the No. 4-ranked Bluejackets Friday at noon.

Albert Lea 36, Centennial 20

103 – Trey Hable (AL) pinned James Stefonik, 4:54, 112 – Cory Hansen (AL) pinned Blake Solberg, 2:22, 119 – Dalton Westerlund (AL) dec. Jesse Hylton, 3-2, 125 – Adam Clark (AL) dec. Cory Moen, 8-1, 130 – Cody Hansen (AL) dec. Nolan Caya, 9-3, 135 – Brandon Haluptzok (C) dec. Trevor Rasmussen 2-0, 140 – Brandon Hertog (C) dec. Carter Kortan, 6-0, 145 – Mitch Hedgers (C) maj. dec. Adam Kermes, 10-2, 152 – Ryan Krause (C) maj. dec. Connor Kortan, 9-0, 160 – Logan Kortan (AL) dec. Caleb Ahles 10-3, 171 – Matt Tiegs (AL) dec. Jake Ahles, 10-5, 189 – Mitch Hrovat (C) pinned Jordan Holland, 1:07, 215 – Alex Nielsen (AL) dec. Patrick Hughes, 4-3, 285 – Ethan Reed (AL) pinned Zach Vine, 0:32.