Despite facing the Class AAA state runner-up in its first match of the season, the Albert Lea wrestling team left a tournament at Hastings on Saturday with a perfect record.

The Tigers, ranked No. 4 in the Guillotine’s Class AA polls, defeated No. 3 Class AAA Prior Lake 31-25 and continued with a 44-22 win over Stillwater and a 59-15 victory against Forest Lake.

“We’re not intimidated by teams that are ranked or placed in the previous year,” said Albert Lea coach Larry Goodnature about the win over Prior Lake. “We went out there and wrestled tough. I wasn’t surprised. I was pleased.”

Albert Lea began the opening match on a high note with the emergence of Joe Peterson at 106 pounds. He won a 1-0 tiebreaker over Prior Lake’s Curtis LeMair, the No. 6 wrestler in Class AAA, to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead.

“That was a big match for Joe,” Goodnature said. “It got us going and fired up. Then, he won against Forest Lake, too.”

Peterson, Zach Glazier and Ryleigh Bure competed in their first varsity matches and each wrestler went undefeated.

After a 10-7 decision by Albert Lea’s Garrett Aldrich — the defending state champion at 106 pounds — who moved to the 126-pound weight class, the Tigers led Prior Lake 9-6.

Prior Lake won the next three matches to take a 16-9 lead.

Albert Lea bounced back by winning the next four bouts. Devin Nelson pinned Wyatt Benson at 152 pounds in 4:35. Dereck Samudio won a 7-3 decision over Keaton Kaisersatt at 160 pounds. Chris Nelson won a 10-6 decision at 170 pounds, and Tim Christianson won a 14-6 major decision at 182 pounds to give Albert Lea a 25-16 advantage.

“The seniors really came through,” Goodnature said. “We went out there, we were intense and we competed.”

Prior Lake won a 5-2 decision at 195 pounds to cut its deficit to six points with two bouts left. With Prior Lake’s Rylee Streifel — ranked No. 3 in Class AAA — set to face Albert Lea’s Triston Westerlund — ranked No. 1 in Class AA — Goodnature decided to move Westerlund to 285 pounds. The strategy paid off. Streifel tied the match with a pin at 220, but Albert Lea won the match when Westerlund pinned Collin O’Brien at heavyweight in 57 seconds.

The Tigers have six home meets this season, and Goodnature encouraged veterans and members of the military to sign in and be recognized at each outing.

Freedom Night will be celebrated with the color guard at two home meets: Dec. 18 against Byron and Jan. 22 against Rochester John Marshall. On both evenings, veterans and members of the military get free admission.

Next, Albert Lea will host a triangular on Friday against Faribault and Waterville-Elysian-Morristown. Albert Lea will wrestle Faribault at 5 p.m., Faribault will wrestle Waterville-Elysian-Morristown at 6:30 p.m. and Albert Lea will compete against Waterville-Elysian-Morristown at 8 p.m.