Jan. 27, 2008
STATE COLLEGE, Pa.; - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, under the guidance of head coach Troy Sunderland, routed visiting Indiana today in a key Big Ten wrestling dual. No. 8 Penn State won seven of ten bouts to down the 17th-ranked Hoosiers 25-9. Sophomore Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) moved to 20-0 on the year with a win at 157 while Dave Rella (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) downed Indiana All-American Matt Coughlin at 165.
Bouncing back from a tough road loss two nights earlier and wrestling with out three-time All-American Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.), who was attending a family funeral, the Nittany Lions still thrilled over 4,000 fans in a packed Rec Hall with the dominating performance.
No. 16 David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) and No. 14 Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.) got Penn State out to an early lead with a major and a regular decision at 174 and 184 respectively. After IU got a win at 197, 15th-ranked John Laboranti (Pittston, Pa.) put Penn State up 10-3 with a decision at heavyweight. Indiana cut the Lion lead to just one with close wins at 125 and 133, but that would be it for the Hoosiers as the Lions would reel off four straight wins to close out the bout.
Junior All-American Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.), ranked No. 5 at 141, got a major decision at 141 and No. 6 Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) got a technical fall at 149. Those two wins put Penn State up 19-9 and set up the final two bouts. Vallimont remained unbeaten with a decisive 8-5 decision over returning All-American and No. 9 Brandon Becker at 157. While that win clinched the dual and moved Vallimont to 20-0, Rella posted the big upset of the bout, notching a 2-1 tie-breaker decision over No. 9 Matt Coughlin. Coughlin is also a returning All-American.
In addition to winning seven of ten bouts, Penn State won the battle of bonus points, getting four via two majors and Jenkins' technical fall.
The Nittany Lions are now 9-4, 1-2 in the Big Ten, while Indiana falls to 11-4, 0-2. Penn State will trek to No. 10 Northwestern and No. 15 Illinois next weekend. The Lions visit the Wildcats on Friday for an 8 p.m. (Eastern) dual and then visit the Illini on Sunday at 2 p.m. (Eastern).The Nittany Lions' next action will be at home when No. 6 Michigan comes to Rec Hall on Friday, Feb. 8, for a 7 p.m. dual. Tickets for all regular season duals are on sale now at the athletic department ticket office in the Bryce Jordan Center. Single-dual tickets are $5 for adults and seniors and $3 for students 18 and under. Penn State students with a proper student ID are admitted free! Fans can call 814-863-1000 or 800-833-5533 to order single-dual or season tickets. All Penn State duals will be broadcast locally on WBLF 970 AM and WKVA 920 AM and streamed live at www.GoPSUsports.com. All home duals will feature a live video webcast and live scoring at www.GoPSUsports.com as well.
#8 Penn State 25, #17 Indiana 9
Sunday, January 27, 2008 - State College, Pa.
174: #16 David Erwin PSU maj. dec. Trevor Perry IU, 13-3 4-0
184: #14 Phil Bomberger PSU dec. Marc Bennett IU, 12-10 7-0
197: Joe Fagiano IU dec. Jack Decker PSU, 4-0 7-3
HWT: # 15 John Laboranti PSU dec. Nathan Everhart IU, 7-3 10-3
125: #2 Angel Escobedo IU dec. #10 Mark McKnight PSU, 5-1 10-6
133: #10 Andrae Hernandez IU dec. Tim Haas PSU, 6-4 10-9
141: #5 Jake Strayer PSU maj. dec. Scott Kelly IU, 13-4 14-9
149: #6 Bubba Jenkins PSU tech. fall Kurt Kinser IU, 18-3 (7:00) 19-9
157: #4 Dan Vallimont PSU dec. #9 Brandon Becker IU, 8-5 22-9
165: Dave Rella PSU dec. #9 Matt Coughlin IU, 2-1 (TB) 25-9
Final Score: #8 Penn State 25, #17 Indiana 9
Attendance: 4,002
Records: Penn State 9-4, 1-2 Big Ten; Indiana 11-4, 0-2 Big Ten)
Up next: at #10 Northwestern, Friday, Feb. 1, 8 p.m. (Eastern)
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
174: The dual began at 174, where Penn State's David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio), ranked No. 16 at 174, met IU sophomore Trevor Perry. Erwin, aggressive out of the gate, used a driving double-leg to get his first takedown at the 2:17 mark. Putting together a very strong ride, the Nittany Lion sophomore maintained his control until Perry escaped at the :30 mark. Not content with just a two-point lead, Erwin finished a quick single leg to add another takedown as the period ended and led 4-1 (with 1:55 in riding time) after the first period. Perry chose down to start the second stanza and was allowed up by Erwin, cutting the lead to 4-2. Erwin continued to be aggressive, forcing Perry into a second stall warning to take a 5-2 lead. With :15 left, Erwin got in deep on Perry's left ankle and finished off the takedown with just :02 left to lead 7-2. Up by five, Erwin chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to an 8-2 lead. Erwin countered a slight Perry shot with a driving double-leg that put the Nittany Lion up 10-2 with :55 left in the bout. Perry did escape to cut the lead to 10-3, but Erwin added a final takedown as the bout ended to post a 13-3 major decision. The victory put Penn State up 4-0 early
184: Junior Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.), ranked No. 14 at 184, took on talented Indiana senior Marc Bennett at 184. Bennett got the bout's first takedown and led 2-0 early on. Bomberger escaped to cut the lead to 2-1 and then got in deep on Bennett's left leg and finished off the takedown with 1:42 left to take a 3-2 lead. Bennett escaped with 1:20 left to knot the score at 3-3. With :30 left, Bomberger used a strong double-leg to take Bennett to his back and then turned the Hoosier to his back for a three-point near fall, allowing the Lion junior to carry an 8-3 lead into the second period. Bennett chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to an 8-4 deficit. Bomberger again drove Bennett back with a double-leg, but this time Bennett managed to counter the move and force the action to the edge of the mat. Bomberger looked to complete a cradle but Bennett managed to work his way around Bomberger and get a takedown of his own to cut Bomberger's lead to 8-6. Bomberger escaped to up his lead to 9-6 and then notched yet another takedown with :20 left to up his lead to 11-6. Bennett managed to escape just as the period ended. Bomberger, leading 11-7, chose down to start the final period and escaped to a 12-7 lead. Bomberger got hit with a first stall warning as Bennett began pressuring the Nittany Lion towards the end of the mat. After a reset with :45 left, Bomberger got called for a second stall, giving Bennett a point and seeing his lead dip to 12-8. Bennett managed a takedown as time wound down but Bomberger still walked away with a hard-fought 12-10 win. The victory put Penn State up 7-0.
197: With three-time All-American Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.) and his perfect 12-0 record out as he attends a family funeral, junior Jack Decker (Roseland, N.J.) moved up a weight take on Indiana's Joe Fagiano at 197. Decker battled the bigger Hoosier evenly throughout the first period, sending action to the second period in a scoreless tie. Fagiano chose down to begin the middle stanza and, after Decker put together a strong ride for nearly a minute, managed to score a reversal and take a 2-0 lead. A two-point near fall with :18 left gave Fagiano a 4-0 lead after one period. Down by four, Decker needed takedowns and chose neutral to start the final period. Decker worked hard for an opening, but could not find any breaks in the bigger man's defenses, although Fagiano got hit with a stall warning. Decker shot low on Fagiano's right ankle and nearly got his takedown, but the Hoosier managed to force a stalemate. Fagiano managed a hard-fought 4-0 decision, cutting Penn State's lead to 7-3.
HWT: Junior John Laboranti (Pittston, Pa.), ranked No. 15 at HWT, met Indiana's Nathan Everhart. The duo battled evenly throughout the first three minutes of wrestling, with neither man mounting a serious threat. Tied 0-0 after the opening stanza, Everhart chose down to begin the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Everhart shot low on Laboranti, but the Nittany Lion junior countered the move and gained control of the Hoosier's shoulders on the edge of the mat. Working down on Everhart's legs, Laboranti got a key takedown with :50 left in the second period to take a brief 2-1 lead. Everhart quickly escaped to knot the score at 2-2. With action once again moving towards the outside of the circle, Laboranti grabbed Everhart's ankle and got a second takedown with :20 left to take a 4-2 lead. Laboranti then managed to ride the Hoosier grappler out to keep the two-point lead heading into the final period. Laboranti chose down to start the third period and steadily worked himself out to a 5-2 lead with an escape at the 1:28 mark. Laboranti faked low on Everhart's legs and then grabbed the Hoosier around the chest and got another takedown to lead 7-3 after letting Everhart up. The Nittany Lion junior maintained his lead for the final seconds and posted a 7-3 victory. The decision put Penn State up 10-3
125: In one of the dual's two bouts featuring a couple of ranked wrestlers, Penn State senior Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa.) faced Indiana's Angel Escobedo. McKnight was ranked No. 10 at 125 while Escobedo sported a perfect 18-0 mark coming in and was ranked No. 2. The duo traded early shots, with neither man giving an inch through the first 2:40. Escobedo nearly got an early go-ahead takedown with :15 left, but McKnight managed to scramble out of trouble and send the bout to the second period tied 0-0. Escobedo chose down and escaped to a 1-0 lead with 1:20 left in the period. Once again, Escobedo got in on McKnight's leg as the period ended and this time, after a long scramble, got the takedown with :04 left to lead 3-0. Down by three heading into the final period, McKnight chose down to start the final period. Escobedo maintained control until a McKnight escape at the 1:05 mark cut the Hoosier lead to 3-1. Needing a takedown to tie the bout, McKnight upped the offensive pressure. McKnight nearly gained control of Escobedo as the bout ended, but Escobedo managed to counter the last-second shot and get another takedown of his own, posting a hard-fought and exciting 5-1 decision. The victory cut Penn State's lead to 10-6 midway through the dual.
133: Senior Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.) took on Indiana's returning All-American, No. 10 Andrae Hernandez at 133. Hernandez got in on Haas' leg 2:30 into the bout and after a :30 struggle, got the takedown to lead 2-1 after a quick Haas escape. Haas battled Hernandez evenly for the rest of the period and trailed 2-1 after the opening three-minutes of action. Hernandez chose down to begin the middle period, but Haas put together a very strong ride, maintaining his control of Hernandez until the waning seconds of the period. Hernandez managed to get a two-point reversal and two quick back points as the second stanza ended to lead 6-1 after the period. Down by five, Haas chose down to start the final period and quickly reversed the returning All-American to cut the Hernandez lead to 6-3 with 1:25 left. Haas, who had a sizeable riding time edge, needed back points in order to pull off the upset victory. The Lion co-captain worked hard on top for a scoring combination, but Hernandez managed to stay off his back and escape with a hard-fought 6-4 win. The decision cut Penn State's lead to 10-9.
141: Junior All-American Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.), ranked No. 5 at 141, met Indiana's Scott Kelly. Strayer quickly got in on Kelly's left ankle, worked his way up to his led and finished off the takedown on the edge of the mat with 1:50 left in the opening period. Strayer let Kelly up after a reset and led 2-1. Kelly was called for a first stall warning with :42 left in the opening period. Strayer continued to set the tempo but could not break through the defensive Hoosier and carried the 2-1 lead into the second period. Kelly chose down to start action, but Strayer would not let the Hoosier escape until one minute had passed. With a 1:12 riding time edge, Strayer let Kelly up, tying the bout briefly at 2-2. But Strayer quickly added another takedown and, after cutting Kelly loose, led 4-3 with :35 left. Not letting up, the Nittany Lion All-American added a third takedown with :09 left and rode the Hoosier out to lead 6-3. Strayer chose down to start the final stanza and quickly escaped to a 7-3 lead. Looking for bonus points, Strayer got a takedown with 1:02 and, after cutting the Hoosier loose again, led 10-4. With a bonus point in hand, Strayer needed another takedown to secure a major decision. With :22 left, Strayer got in on Kelly's ankle and, after a brief scramble, got the decisive takedown with :04 left. Strayer's 13-4 major decision put the Nittany Lions up 14-9.
149: Nittany Lion Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) took to the mat at 149 where he met IU's Kurt Kinser. Kinser entered the bout with a 26-5 record. Jenkins, ranked No. 6, bolted out to an early 2-1 lead with a takedown right out of the gates. With :04 left, Jenkins used his strength to gain control of Kinser's shoulders and work the Hoosier to the mat for a second takedown and a 4-1 lead. Jenkins then got Kinser to his back for a three-point near-fall to lead 7-1 after the opening stanza. Kinser chose down to start the middle period and quickly escaped to a 7-2 deficit. Jenkins countered a Kinser attempt at a throw and turned the Hoosier to his back for a thrilling five-point move, getting the takedown and a three-point near-fall. Jenkins rode Kinser out to lead 12-2 (with 1:59 in riding time) after two periods. Jenkins chose down and was allowed up to a 13-2 lead. Looking for more than just a major, Jenkins continued to pressure the Hoosier wrestler. Kinser tried another throw, but Jenkins countered the move once again and got a two point takedown of his own. With a bonus point in hand, Jenkins had :35 to get another takedown and get the technical fall. With :17 left, Jenkins got the takedown to lead 17-3. He then managed to ride Kinser out to post an exciting 18-3 technical fall and put Penn State up 19-9.
157: In one of the dual's marquee match-up, No. 4 Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) put his perfect 19-0 mark on the line against All-American No. 9 Brandon Becker of Indiana at 157. Becker was coming off a win over No. 2 Craig Henning of Wisconsin on Friday night as well. Vallimont got in on Becker's right leg and got his first takedown with just :35 gone. The undefeated Lion then rode Becker for 1:20 until Becker scrambled out and tied the bout with a reversal. Vallimont, however, answered right back with a reversal of his own to lead 4-3. A Becker escape cut Vallimont's lead to 4-3 heading into the second stanza. Up by one, Vallimont chose down to start the period. After a reset at the 1:22 mark, Becker was called for a first stall warning. Becker briefly turned Vallimont to his back at the :35 mark, but the Nittany Lion sophomore managed to stave off any near-fall points. Becker, however, managed to ride the Nittany Lion out for the entire period. Down by one but with :51 in riding time, Becker chose top position in hopes of securing a bonus point and perhaps turning the Lion to his back. But Vallimont had other ideas and swiftly moved around behind Becker to notch an exciting two-point reversal just :04 into the period. The move put Vallimont up 6-3. After a long Becker injury timeout, the Hoosier All-American escaped after the reset to a 6-4 deficit with 1:35 left to wrestle in the bout. With just :50 left, Vallimont used an emphatic double-leg to send over 4,000 Nittany Lion fans to their feet and up his lead to 8-5 (after the Becker escape. Vallimont maintained his three-point lead and posted a convincing 8-5 win over the returning All-American, clinching the dual (now a 22-9 lead) for the Nittany Lions and keeping his record unblemished at 20-0.
165: Sophomore Dave Rella (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) took to the mat against Indiana All-American No. 9 Matt Coughlin at 165. Rella and Coughlin battled each other evenly throughout the first three-minutes, with each wrestler having small openings in which to score. But both men were equal to the task defensively and the bout went to the middle period in a 0-0 tie. Coughlin chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 1-0 lead at the 1:53 mark. A mad scramble midway through the period nearly resulted in a takedown for each wrestler, but no one got the points. Down by one heading into the final period, Rella chose down to start the dual's last stanza, needing an escape to tie the score. The Nittany Lion sophomore quickly broke free of Coughlin's grasp and knotted things at 1-1 with 1:49 left in the bout. Rella then used a forceful double-leg to nearly throw Coughlin to the mat, but the Hoosier managed to maintain his balance and keep the bout tied with 1:25 left to wrestle. With :40 left, Rella nearly managed a throw on the edge of the mat to grab the win, but once again Coughlin maintained himself long enough to send the bout to a sudden victory period. Each wrestler worked for control during the extra minute, but neither man could break through and the bout went to a tie-breaker. Rella chose bottom to start his :30 period and got his escape with :18 left, taking a 2-1 lead. Needing an escape to tie the bout, Coughlin chose down. But Rella maintained his control of the Hoosier through a frenzied scramble, forcing a reset with :11. Rella would not be denied and the Nittany Lion sophomore stunned the Hoosier All-American and walked off with a 2-1 (tb) win. The victory gave Penn State a 25-9 win.