Jan. 4, 2009
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 16 nationally, was the equal of No. 9 Lehigh in bout victories, but lost the battle of bonus points 2-1 as the Mountain Hawks avoided the upset and downed the Lions 17-16. Nittany Lion freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) and sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) led Penn State's effort in the close dual.
With action starting at 174, Wright, ranked No. 15, downed No. 14 Alex Caruso of Lehigh 7-5 (sv) to get Penn State off to a hot start. But Lehigh would win the next three bouts to lead 11-3 heading back up to 125. Two of the wins (at 184 and 197) were major decisions and those victories would prove critical in the dual.
Pataky dominated Lehigh's John McDonald, nearly getting a technical fall but settling for a 15-1 major decision. Senior All-American Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) followed that win up with a 6-1 victory over No. 20 Matt Fisk and Penn State had cut Lehigh's lead to 11-10. But at 141, Nittany Lion freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) was upset 3-2 by Lehigh junior Seth Ciasulli on the back of a second period reversal. Penn State All-Americans Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) and Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) each posted regular decisions at 149 and 157, but with Lehigh not giving up any more bonus points, Penn State led only 16-14 heading into the final bout. Lehigh's Mike Galante, ranked No. 17, posted a 9-4 win at 165 to give the Mountain Hawks the 17-16 victory.
Penn State had 11 takedowns to Lehigh's none in the first five weights (125 to 157) but Lehigh countered with a 16-2 edge in the final five. The win was Lehigh's 12th straight to start the season while Penn State fell to 4-3 with the loss.
Penn State returns to action on next weekend when it takes part in the 2009 NWCA National Duals. The two-day event pits 16 of the nation's top teams in a dual meet tournament. Northern Iowa's UNI Dome will be the site of the event on Jan. 10-11 in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Penn State's next home dual is set for Friday, Jan. 30, when Minnesota comes to town for a 7 p.m. dual in Rec Hall. Single event tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for youth. Penn State students get in FREE with a Penn State ID. All Penn State dual meets and post-season action can be heard live in the Centre Region on WRSC (1390 AM State College), WHUN (1150 AM Huntingdon) and live at www.GoPSUsports.com as part of the All-Access package.
#16 Penn State 16, #9 Lehigh 17
Sunday, January 4, 2009 - Rec Hall - State College, Pa.
| 174: #15 Quentin Wright PSU dec. #14 Alex Caruso LEH, 7-5 (sv) | 3-0 |
184: David Craig LEH maj. dec. Jack Decker PSU, 12-2 | 3-4 |
197: #19 Joe Kennedy LEH maj. dec. Clay Steadman PSU, 15-3 | 3-8 |
HWT: Zach Rey LEH dec. Cameron Wade PSU, 11-5 | 3-11 |
125: Brad Pataky PSU maj. dec. John McDonald LEH, 15-1 | 7-11 |
133: Jake Strayer PSU dec. #20 Matt Fisk LEH, 6-1 | 10-11 |
| 141: Seth Ciasulli LEH dec. #20 Frank Molinaro PSU, 3-2 | 10-14 |
149: #2 Bubba Jenkins PSU dec. #11 Trevor Chinn LEH, 7-2 | 13-14 |
157: #8 Dan Vallimont PSU dec. Sean Bilodeau LEH, 9-4 | 16-14 |
165: #17 Mike Galante LEH dec. Mark Friend PSU, 9-5 | 16-17 |
Final Score: #16 Penn State 16, #9 Lehigh 17
Attendance: 3,575
Records: Penn State 4-3, Lehigh 12-0
Up next: Penn State takes part in the 2009 National Duals on Jan. 10-11 in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
174: In a bout featuring two ranked men, Penn State true freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) met Lehigh's Alex Caruso at 174. Wright was ranked No. 15 while Caruso was ranked No. 14. Caruso gained control of Wright's left ankle for an initial takedown and an early 2-1 lead. The duo then battled evenly for the next minute-plus until Wright got his first takedown at the :30 mark to take a 3-2 lead. The Penn State freshman then rode Caruso out to carry that one point lead into the second period. Wright chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 4-2 lead. As the second period continued, Wright and Caruso scrambled off the mat and Caruso suffered a cut to his face. After a prolonged blood time out, action resumed and Wright nearly got another takedown with a solid high counter. But Caruso managed to step back out of trouble to stay within two points. Wright continued to press Caruso for the remainder of the period but could not break through the Mountain Hawk's defense. Caruso, trailing 4-2, chose down to start the final period and quickly escaped to a 4-3 deficit. Wright got in deep on Caruso's right thigh at the 1:15 mark and nearly got the takedown, but Caruso managed to work underneath the Nittany Lion freshman and took a 5-4 lead at the 1:00 mark. Wright quickly escaped to tie the score at 5-5 with :40 left. With :15 left, Caruso countered another Wright shot and nearly got the win. But Wright managed to fight off the late move and force overtime. The Nittany Lion freshman then thrilled the Rec Hall crowd by quickly completing a superb double-leg just :20 into the sudden victory period to post the 7-5 win. The victory gave Penn State an early 3-0 lead.
184: With senior Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.) out with an injury, senior Jack Decker (Roseland, N.J.) stepped in at 184 to battle Lehigh's David Craig. Craig got the bout's first takedown at the 1:56 mark to take an early 2-0 lead. Craig then built up a solid riding time edge by riding Decker out (he was, however, given his first stall warning). Craig chose down to start the second period and promptly reversed Decker to up his lead to 4-0 with 1:25 left in the period. He added a three-point near fall and with under 1:00 left, led 7-0. A two-point near fall gave Craig a 9-0 lead before Decker could escape to a 9-1 deficit. Decker chose neutral to start the third period. Decker battled Craig evenly for the first minute, but Craig answered with another takedown and took an 11-2 lead with :45 left after a Decker escape. The Lion senior had one solid chance to score as the period ended, but Craig held him off to post the 12-2 major decision and put Lehigh up 4-3.
197: Red-shirt freshman Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) took on No. 19 Joe Kennedy of Lehigh at 197. The young Nittany Lion battled the ranked Mountain Hawk evenly through most of the first period until Kennedy notched a late takedown with just :09 left. The late move allowed Kennedy to carry the 2-0 lead into the second period. Kennedy then chose down to start the second stanza and escaped to a 3-0 lead. Steadman then gave up a penalty point for a hand to the face and then was taken down on the edge of the mat to fall behind 6-0 with :55 left in the period. A Steadman escape cut Kennedy's lead to 6-1 with :35 left but Kennedy added another takedown to and three near fall points to lead 11-1 heading into the third period. Steadman chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to an 11-2 deficit. Kennedy notched another takedown and got a stall point to up his lead to 14-2 with :53 left in the bout. Steadman worked hard on the bottom and escaped with :15 left. Kennedy went on to post a 15-3 major decision and put the Mountain Hawks up 8-3.
HWT: Red-shirt freshman Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) met Lehigh's Zach Rey at heavyweight. Rey got the bout's first takedown at the 2:29 mark to take an early 2-0 lead. Wade escaped at the 1:43 mark to cut Rey's lead to 2-1 and action resumed in the middle of the mat. Wade took a quick shot at the :50 mark, but Rey managed to step back and keep his lead after one period. Rey chose down to start the middle stanza and quickly reversed Wade to lead 4-2 after a Wade escape. Neither wrestler mounted a serious challenge of the period's final minute and Wade trailed by two heading into the third period. Choosing down to start the last stanza, Wade quickly escaped to a 4-3 deficit with 1:45 left to wrestle. Wade took a low shot with 1:00 left, but Rey countered and moved behind Wade to take a 6-4 lead with :32 left after Wade escaped. Rey then countered two more Wade shots with two takedowns to post an 11-5 win and put Lehigh up 11-3 after four bouts.
125: Penn State sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) met Lehigh's John McDonald at 125. Pataky wasted no time in breaking out to a lead, taking McDonald down just seconds into the bout to lead 2-1 (after a McDonald escape). A textbook low double gave Pataky a 4-1 lead at the 1:12 mark. Pataky then put together a strong ride, dominating McDonald from the top position and riding the Mountain Hawk out to keep that 4-1 lead (with 1:45 in riding time) heading into the second period. Pataky chose down to start the second period. McDonald proceeded to hang on Pataky's shoulders for over a minute. But the strategy did not pay off as Pataky steadily worked his way out from underneath the Lehigh grappler for a reversal at the :55 mark. Leading 6-1, Pataky then began working for a tilt on top. McDonald was hit with a first stall warning and then Pataky added two near fall points right as the period ended to lead 8-1. McDonald chose down to start the third period but could not break free of another dominating Pataky ride. The talented Lion freshman then added three more back points (nearly pinning McDonald in the process) to up his lead to 13-1. A near tilt and pin gave Pataky two more back points and the Nittany Lion led 13-1 with just :37 left. After a reset, Pataky looked for the technical fall by turning the Mountain Hawk. A late stall point gave Pataky another point and the riding time point gave the Penn Stater a resounding 15-1 major decision. The victory cut Lehigh's lead to 11-7.
133: Senior All-American Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) returned to action at 133 for Penn State where he met Lehigh's Matt Fisk, who was ranked No. 20. In one of three bouts featuring two ranked wrestlers, Strayer wasted no time in setting the tone. The Lion senior gained control of Fisk's shoulders and nearly got his first takedown at the 2:35 mark, but action moved off the mat and the bout remained scoreless. Fisk then gained control of Strayer's right ankle for an early scoring chance, but Strayer forced a stalemate at the 1:55 mark. With Strayer taking the bulk of the shots, the Nittany Lion forced a first stall warning at the :10 mark and then quickly used a solid high double-leg to take Fisk down and lead 2-0 after one period. Strayer chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. The 2007 All-American gained control of Fisk's right thigh and looked to add another takedown, but Fisk managed to work his way out of bounds to keep the bout close at the 1:01 mark. Undaunted, Strayer continued to shoot, gaining control of Fisk's ankles and, after a short tussle, adding a second takedown with :18 left to up his lead to 5-0. A short ride-out allowed the Penn Stater to carry that five point lead into the final period. Fisk chose down to start the third period and was allowed up by Strayer to a 5-1 deficit as the Penn State co-captain began looking for bonus points. A second Lehigh stall gave Strayer a 6-1 lead and the Penn State senior had 1:15 to post a major decision. Strayer continued to shoot and Fisk continued to back away. Strayer went on to post a resounding 6-1 decision, cutting Lehigh's lead to 11-10.
141: Red-shirt Freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), ranked No. 20 at 141, took on Mountain Hawk Seth Ciasulli. Ciasulli took the first shot quickly and Molinaro countered with a near score of his own. But one minute into the bout, the score remained 0-0. Molinaro worked his way in on a double-leg at the 1:00 mark, lifted Ciasulli off the mat and then set him down, looking to finish the takedown. Ciasulli managed to force a stalemate at the :35 mark. Molinaro continued to pressure the Lehigh junior, gaining control of his right ankle off a restart, but could not finish the move. Tied 0-0 after a frenzied first period, Molinaro chose down to start the second period. Ciasulli worked on Molinaro's shoulders, hanging long enough to pick up a stall warning. The Mountain Hawk managed to maintain control of Molinaro for nearly the full period, but a second stall warning gave Molinaro a 1-0 lead with just :12 left in the period. A frenzied effort by Molinaro to escape did not work, however, and the Lion freshmen led just 1-0 heading into the final period. Ciasulli chose down to start the third period and quickly reversed Molinaro to take a 2-1 lead. A quick Penn State escape tied the score, but Ciasulli had massive riding time edge. Molinaro continued to shoot while Ciasulli played defense. With the scored tied at the 1:00 mark, Molinaro need a takedown to avoid the loss. Molinaro frantically looked to score, but Ciasulli simply played defense on every Molinaro shot and managed a 3-2 victory without a takedown. The upset win put the Mountain Hawks up 14-10 with three bouts left.
149: In one of two bouts featuring ranked grapplers, Nittany Lion All-American Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) met Lehigh's Trevor Chinn. Jenkins was ranked No. 2 and Chinn was ranked No. 11. Jenkins wasted no time in breaking out to a 2-0 lead with a takedown at the 2:44 mark. Chinn escaped to a 2-1 deficit quickly thereafter and action resumed in the middle of the mat. Jenkins pressured Chinn towards the edge of the mat but Chinn managed to keep the Lion senior from scoring until just :02 left. Jenkins hit Chinn with a textbook cement mixer and had the Mountain Hawk pinned but time expired before any back points could be awarded and the Lion led just 4-1 after the opening period. Jenkins chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 5-1 lead. Jenkins continued to set the tone offensively, looking to add to his lead and pick up what could be vital bonus points. But with Chinn on the defensive and action taking place on the edge of the mat, scoring was hard to come by. Trailing 5-1, Chinn chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 5-2 deficit. Chinn had his first real scoring chance with :45 left, gaining control of Jenkins' right leg and pulling the Nittany Lion down. But Jenkins managed to avoid the takedown and maintained his lead. Jenkins added a late takedown to post a 7-2 win and cut Lehigh's lead to 14-13.
157: Penn State All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 8 at 157, met LU's Sean Bilodeau. Vallimont quickly took Bilodeau down to lead 2-1 just :30 in after the Mountain Hawk scrambled out of trouble for an escape. The returning All-American added a second takedown at the 1:25 mark and then rode Bilodeau long enough to build up a 1:05 riding time edge and a 4-2 lead after one period. Vallimont chose neutral to start the second period. Bilodeau got his first stall warning at the 1:25 mark and then Vallimont added a third takedown with a solid low single to lead 6-3 after cutting Bilodeau loose. With bonus points needed, Vallimont began looking for an opening to notch another takedown. But Bilodeau's defense allowed him to trail only 6-3 heading into the third period, where the Mountain Hawk chose down to start the stanza. Vallimont rode Bilodeau long enough to add to his riding time point before allowing the Lehigh grappler up to a 6-4 deficit. Vallimont got another takedown at the :48 mark, upping his lead to 8-4. With a riding time point assured, the Nittany Lion senior looked to turn Bilodeau for back points but could not. The 9-4 decision put Penn State up 16-14 heading into the final bout.
165: Penn State senior Mark Friend (Libertyville, Ill.) took to the mat at 165 to take on No. 17 Mike Galante of Lehigh. Galante countered Friend's first shot to take an early 2-0 lead at the 2:24 mark. Friend steadily worked his way out of Galante's control to a 2-1 deficit with 1:30 left in the opening period. Galante then gained control of Friend's shoulders and worked his way around behind the Nittany Lion senior for a second takedown and a 4-2 lead after a quick Friend escape. Trailing 4-2, Friend chose down to start the second period. He escaped to a 4-3 deficit but Galante had 1:23 in riding time. A flurry of shots at the 1:30 mark culminated with a Galante takedown and a 6-3 lead for the LU grappler. A Friend escape at the 1:00 mark cut Galante's lead to 6-4. The duo battled evenly for the rest of the period and Galante, leading 6-4 with a 1:53 time advantage, chose neutral to start the final period. Friend looked to gain control of Galante's shoulders and toss the Mountain Hawk, but Galante managed to back out of trouble each time. While Galante gave up a riding time point, Friend still trailed 6-5 with :18 left. Needing one takedown, to force a tie, Friend frantically looked to score but could not break through Galante's defense. A late Galante takedown on a late Friend shot, made the final score 9-5, and allowed the Mountain Hawks to avoid the upset and post a 17-16 win.