Feb. 12, 2010
STATE COLLEGE, Pa.; February 12, 2010 - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, under the guidance of head coach Cael Sanderson, downed visiting Michigan State 26-12 in its home finale. Once again, over 4,000 fans filled Rec Hall to watch No. 10 Penn State win seven of ten bouts and coast to their fourth straight win.
Junior Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), ranked No. 13 nationally, put Penn State up early with a 21-5 technical fall over Michigan State's Brenan Lyon. Defending National Champion Franklin Gomez countered at 133, pinning PSU's Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.) at the 5:25 mark to give the Spartans a 6-5 lead after two bouts. Senior Adam Lynch (Mifflinburg, Pa.) thrilled the Penn State faithful with a superb third period comeback. Trailing 6-4, Lynch rode Michigan State's Dan Osterman for the entire third period, adding two back points and picking up the riding time point to post a 7-6 win and put the Lions up 8-6. The win improved Lynch's Big Ten dual record to 6-1.
All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) then picked up a win in the only bout pitting two ranked foes against each other. The fourth-ranked Lion posted a convincing 11-6 win over No. 12 David Cheza of Michigan State. All-American Cyler Sanderson (Heber City, Utah) notched his fourth straight Big Ten dual meet pin, this time over Anthony Jones at the 2:28 mark. The fall gave the Nittany Lions a 17-6 lead at the intermission.
All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 7 at 165, picked up his 100th win as a Nittany Lion with a 3-1 decision over MSU's Kyle Bounds to put the Lions up 20-6 before Michigan State's Ian Hinton got a 4-2 win over Lion freshman Justin Ortega (Oxford, Pa.) at 174. Nittany Lion senior David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) added a 2-1 win over Nick Palmieri to put Penn State up 23-9. Michigan State got its final win of the night when Tyler Dickenson posted a hard-fought 6-5 win over sophomore David Crowell (Easton, Pa.) at 197. Sophomore Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), ranked No. 11 at heavyweight, capped off the night with a 6-1 win over Alan O'Donnell to give Penn State the 26-12 victory.
The Nittany Lions won seven of ten bouts and won the takedown battle 15-10. The Nittany Lions had five bonus points to three for MSU.
Penn State is now 13-5-1 on the year, 5-2 in Big Ten duals, and riding a four-dual win streak. Michigan State now sits at 8-6-1, 2-4 Big Ten. The Nittany Lions close out the regular season at No. 5 Minnesota on Friday, Feb. 19, in an 8 p.m. (Eastern) dual in Minneapolis. All Penn State events will once again air live on Forever Broadcasting's WRSC?(1390 AM) or 3WZ (95.3 FM) and on www.GoPSUsports.com as well. The 2009-10 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline.
#10 Penn State 26, Michigan State 12
February 12, 2010 - Rec Hall - State College, Pa.
| 125: #13 Brad Pataky PSU tech. fall over Brenan Lyon MSU, 21-5 (TF; 5:56) | 5-0 |
| 133: #4 Franklin Gomez MSU pinned Bryan Pearsall PSU, WBF (5:25) | 5-6 |
| 141: Adam Lynch PSU dec. Dan Osterman MSU, 7-6 | 8-6 |
| 149: #4 Frank Molinaro PSU dec. #12 David Cheza MSU, 11-6 | 11-6 |
| 157: #7 Cyler Sanderson PSU pinned Anthony Jones MSU, WBF (2:28) | 17-6 |
| 165: #7 Dan Vallimont PSU dec. Kyle Bounds MSU, 3-1 | 20-6 |
| 174: Ian Hinton MSU dec. Justin Ortega PSU, 4-2 | 20-9 |
| 184: #10 David Erwin PSU dec. Nick Palmieri MSU, 2-1 | 23-9 |
| 197: Tyler Dickenson MSU dec. David Crowell MSU, 6-5 | 23-12 |
| 285: #11 Cameron Wade PSU dec. Alan O'Donnell MSU, 6-1 | 26-12 |
Attendance: 4,408
Records: Penn State 13-5-1 (5-2 Big Ten); Michigan State (8-6-1, 2-4 Big Ten)
Up Next for Penn State: at #5 Minnesota, Friday, February 19, 8 p.m. Eastern
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
125: Junior Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), ranked No. 13 at 125, took on Spartan Brenan Lyon. Pataky wasted no time in getting the bout's first takedown, using a high double to take a 2-0 lead just seconds into the bout. The Nittany Lion junior rode Lyon for a minute, cut him loose and then took him down again to open up a 4-2 lead after another cut. Pataky added a third takedown and then added three back points with just :18 left to lead 9-2 at the end of the first period. Pataky chose neutral to start the second period and quickly took Lyon down to lead 11-3 (after another cut). Dominating the match from his feet, Pataky tacked on a fifth takedown with 1:26 left in the period, cut him loose at the 1:10 mark, and then used a mixer to notch another takedown to lead 15-4. Continuing to rack up the back points, Pataky added three more as the period ended to lead 18-4 with 3:35 in riding time after two periods. Lyon chose down to start the third period and escaped to an 18-5 deficit with 1:23 left. Pataky picked up a stall point with 1:21 left and then cemented the technical fall at the 5:56 mark, getting a takedown to post the 21-5 win.
133: Penn State freshman Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.) faced defending national champion Franklin Gomez at 133. Gomez entered the dual ranked No. 4. Gomez notched the first takedown at the 1:36 mark and then put together a strong ride, building up a 1:00 riding time before Pearsall worked his way free to an escape. Gomez then countered a Pearsall shot, worked his way around the Lion freshman and notched a second takedown to lead 4-1 after the first period. Gomez chose down to start the second period and reversed Pearsall to open up a 6-1 lead. Gomez then added two back points before a Pearsall escape cut the lead to 8-2. Gomez tacked on another takedown with :08 left to lead 10-2 after two periods. Pearsall chose down to start the final period but found himself the victim of a Gomez cradle. Gomez finished off the move for a pin at the 5:25 mark to put the Spartans up 6-5.
141: Senior Adam Lynch (Mifflinburg, Pa.) made his Rec Hall farewell against talented Spartan Dan Osterman at 141. Osterman entered the bout with an 18-10 mark. Lynch nearly scored the first takedown on the edge of the mat, but Osterman was able to roll out of bounds at the 1:45 mark to keep the bout scoreless early on. Osterman got in deep on Lynch's right thigh, but the senior was able to roll through and force a scramble that killed the clock in the first period. Lynch chose down and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead in the second period. He then gained control of Osterman's right leg and looked to score, but Osterman scrambled through and worked his way to the bout's first takedown and a 2-1 lead at the 1:00 mark. Lynch quickly escaped to tie the score at 2-2 and action resumed in the center circle. Lynch shot again and was countered once more by Osterman, who got a second takedown to lead 4-3 after another quick Lynch escape. Up 4-3 with :10 left, Osterman was awarded a third takedown by the officials and Lynch escaped to trail 6-4 at the end of the second period. Osterman chose down to start the third period and Lynch began trying to turn him. Lynch rolled the Spartan to his back for two quick near fall points to tie the score at 6-6 with 1:03 left. Lynch then maintained control of the Spartan long enough to build up a minute-plus in riding time. Needing a ride out to win the match, Lynch dominated the Spartan until a stall warning forced a reset with :17 left. With a riding time point assured, Lynch then maintained control of Osterman for the final seconds to post a thrilling 7-6 win. The decision put Penn State up 8-6.
149: Sophomore Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), ranked No. 4 at 149, met No. 12 David Cheza in the only bout of the night featuring two ranked opponents. Cheza got the first takedown, using a high double to open up a 2-1 lead at the 2:28 mark. Molinaro then settled in and stormed through Cheza's waist for his first takedown to lead 3-2 with 1:55 on the clock. Molinaro then dominated Cheza from the top, building up a 1:50 riding time edge with the ride out. Leading 3-2, Molinaro chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 4-2 lead. The Lion All-American added another takedown at the 1:00 mark to up his lead to 6-2 and then began working for back points once again. While not managing to pick up any back points, another ride out gave Molinaro the 6-2 lead with 2:50 of riding time at the end of the period. Cheza chose neutral to start the third period. Cheza worked his way through a scramble for a takedown at the :58 mark to cut Molinaro's lead to 6-4 but Molinaro had secured a riding time point. The Penn State sophomore escaped to a 7-4 lead with :40 left but was taken down once more to cut Molinaro's lead to 8-6 after a late Molinaro escape. Molinaro added one final takedown to notch the 11-6 win and put Penn State up 11-6.
157: Senior Cyler Sanderson (Heber City, Utah), ranked No. 7 at 157, met Michigan State junior Anthony Jones. Sanderson and Jones battled through an even minute before the Lion senior used an ankle pick to control Jones and get a quick takedown. Two near fall points put Sanderson up by four and then another two point turn gave him a 6-0 lead at the 1:10 mark. Sanderson then locked up a cradle, turned Jones to his back and pinned the Spartan a the 2:28 mark. The fall gave Penn State a 17-6 lead heading into the break.
165: Senior Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 7 at 165, took to the mat to battle Spartan senior Kyle Bounds, who entered the bout with a 25-12 record. Looking to pick up his 100th career win, Vallimont battled Bounds evenly until taking a 2-0 lead with a late takedown and ride out. Leading by two, Vallimont chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. The Penn State All-American was the aggressor for the rest of the period, taking numerous shots but not finding away to break through Bounds' defense to score again. Trailing 3-0, Bounds chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 3-1 deficit. Vallimont continued to look for an opening to score, but Bounds was able to step back from every shot and keep things close in the third period as well. Vallimont got called for a first stall warning with :25 left and then killed the clock to post the 3-1 win. The victory, Vallimont's 100th, put Penn State up 20-6.
174: Freshman Justin Ortega (Oxford, Pa.) faced off with MSU's Ian Hinton at 174. Hinton got the first takedown early in the period, taking a 2-0 lead at the 2:45 mark. Ortega escaped to cut the lead to 2-1 and then turned into Hinton, looking for a chance to score. The Penn State freshman could not find an opening and trailed 2-1 after one period. Ortega chose down to start the second period forced Hinton into a first stall warning. Ortega escaped to tie the score at 2-2 but Hinton had built up a 1:34 riding time edge. Tied 2-2 but with 1:34 of time to his advantage, Hinton chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 3-2 lead. Ortega pressured Hinton over the final minute, but the Spartan was able to fight off every Ortega attempt. With the bonus point, Hinton posted the 4-2 win and cut Penn State's lead to 20-9.
184: Senior David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio), ranked No. 10 at 184, met Spartan senior Nick Palmieri. Erwin looked to score right out of the games, but the veteran Spartan countered the first Erwin shot to keep the bout scoreless early on. Erwin's offensive pressured forced Palmieri into an early stall but the first period ended in a scoreless tie. Erwin chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Palmieri then worked in on a low single, but Erwin forced a scramble and broke free of the hold to keep his slim lead. The Nittany Lion senior continued to shoot, forcing Palmieri into a defensive posture for the second part of the period. But neither wrestler managed a takedown and Erwin led 1-0 heading into the final period. Palmieri chose down to start the third period but found himself the victim of a solid Erwin ride. Erwin maintained control of the Spartan senior while trying to turn him for back points. He first build up a minute-plus in riding time, then clinched the riding time point at the :23 mark, and used that riding time point to post a 2-1 win after a late Palmieri escape. The win put the Lions up 23-9.
197: With sophomore Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) nursing a slight injury, classmate David Crowell (Nazareth, Pa.) got the call at 197 to face Tyler Dickenson. Crowell shot low on Dickenson, getting underneath the Spartan at the 1:30 mark and forcing a scramble in front of the Penn State bench. Crowell spent the next minute working to gain control of Dickenson's feet and got the takedown at the :23 mark. Dickenson managed a late escape to cut Crowell's lead to 2-1 after one period. Crowell chose down to start the second stanza but could not break free of a solid Dickenson ride. The Spartan managed to maintain control of Crowell until the Lion sophomore scrambled to an escape and a 3-1 lead with :09 left in the period. Dickenson, trailing by two but with 1:37 of riding time to his advantage, chose down to start the final period and quickly reversed Crowell to tie the score. Crowell escaped to a 4-3 lead, but Dickenson had 1:38 in riding time. Crowell then got in deep on Dickenson's right foot, looking to notch a takedown. Dickenson countered, forced a scramble and then worked his way behind Crowell for another takedown and a 5-4 lead with 1:00 left in the bout. With the riding time point secured, Dickenson maintained control until a Crowell escape tied the bout at 5-5 with :32 left. Crowell worked in on a double leg, but Dickenson was able to force a stalemate at the :20 mark. Dickenson then held on to Crowell's shoulders for the rest of the bout and escaped with a 6-5 win. The decision cut Penn State's lead to 23-12.
HWT: Sophomore Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), ranked No. 11 at heavyweight, took on Spartan senior Alan O'Donnell. Wade spent the first half of the period pushing O'Donnell to the outside circle, looking for a chance to score and chasing the Spartan around the mat. No stall warning was given and the bout moved to the second period tied 0-0. O'Donnell chose down to start the second period and escaped :30 in, but Wade quickly worked his way around the Spartan for the bout's first takedown and a 2-1 lead. O'Donnell got called for his first stall warning at the :28 mark and Wade spent the rest of the period trying to turn the Spartan. The ride-out allowed Wade to lead by one (with 1:43 in riding time) heading into the final period. Wade chose down and quickly escaped to a 3-1 lead. The Lion sophomore iced the bout with a takedown at the :20 mark and, with the riding time point, posted the 6-1 win. The victory gave PSU a 26-12 win.