Feb. 7, 2010
STATE COLLEGE, Pa.; February 7, 2010 - Head coach Cael Sanderson's Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 11 nationally, dominated visiting Michigan in Big Ten dual meet action, rolling to a 29-10 win. Over 4,500 fans watched Penn State win seven of ten bouts with two pins on its way to a third straight win.
13th-ranked Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) put Penn State on top early, getting a 13-0 major over Michigan's Sean Boyle. Michigan's Zac Stevens withstood a furious Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.) comeback in the third period to post a hard-fought 13-9 win at 133, cutting the Lion lead to 4-3. Senior Adam Lynch (Mifflinburg, Pa.) was strong in a 9-5 win over Michigan's Marc Weber at 141 and All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) posted a 25-11 major over UM's Mark Boyer at 149, putting Penn State up 11-3. Senior All-American Cyler Sanderson (Heber City, Utah) then pinned Michigan's Dave Johnson at the 2:46 mark to send Penn State into the locker room leading 17-3.
All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) got an 8-7 win over Aaron Hynes at 165 before Michigan broke the Lions momentum. Wolverine Justin Zeerip got a 7-2 win over PSU's Justin Ortega (Oxford, Pa.), cutting Penn State's lead to 20-6. No. 11 David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) fought his way to a 12-9 win over UM's Hunter Collins at 184 before Michigan's Anthony Biondo, ranked No. 9 at 197, got a major over sophomore David Crowell (Easton, Pa.) before sophomore Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) pinned UM's Ben Apland at the 4:16 mark to give Penn State a 29-10 win.
The Nittany Lions have now won three straight duals and are 4-2 in the Big Ten. Penn State won the takedown battle with a 26-17 edge. The Nittany Lions had an 8-1 advantage in bonus points as well. Over the course of the weekend, Penn State won 14 of 20 bouts and outscored its two Big Ten foes 66-20. Penn State collected five pins, three majors and a technical fall in the two wins as well. The Nittany Lions notched 46-26 takedown advantage in the two duals.
Penn State is now 12-5-1 on the year, 4-2 in Big Ten duals. Michigan is now 4-12, 0-5 Big Ten. The Nittany Lions continue their home stand by welcoming Michigan State to Rec Hall on Friday, Jan. 12, for a 7 p.m. meeting. Single event tickets will cost $8 for adults and $5 for youth. Group sales are available once again for groups of 15 people or more. Group prices are $4 in advance and $5 walk-up. Fans can purchase tickets by calling 1.800.NITTANY between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays. 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.
#11 Penn State 29, Michigan 10
February 7, 2010 - Rec Hall - State College, Pa.
| 125: #13 Brad Pataky PSU maj. dec. Sean Boyle UM, 13-0 | 4-0 |
| 133: Zac Stevens UM dec. Bryan Pearsall PSU, 13-9 | 4-3 |
| 141: Adam Lynch PSU dec. Marc Weber UM, 9-5 | 7-3 |
| 149: #4 Frank Molinaro PSU maj. dec. Mark Boyer UM, 25-11 | 11-3 |
| 157: #7 Cyler Sanderson PSU pinned Dave Johnson UM, WBF (2:46) | 17-3 |
| 165: #7 Dan Vallimont PSU dec. Aaron Hynes UM, 8-7 | 20-3 |
| 174: Justin Zeerip UM dec. Justin Ortega PSU, 7-2 | 20-6 |
| 184: #11 David Erwin PSU dec. Hunter Collins UM, 12-9 | 23-6 |
| 197: #9 Anthony Biondo UM maj. dec. David Crowell PSU, 15-5 | 23-10 |
| 285: #11 Cameron Wade PSU pinned Ben Apland UM, WBF (4:16) | 29-10 |
Attendance: 4,511
Records: Penn State 12-5-1 (4-2 Big Ten); Michigan (4-12, 0-5 Big Ten)
Up Next for Penn State: Home vs. Michigan State, Friday, Feb. 12, 7 p.m.
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
125: Junior Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) put his No. 13 ranking at 125 on the line when he met Michigan's Sean Boyle. Pataky wasted no time in getting on top of Boyle, taking the Wolverine down for a 2-0 lead just seconds into the bout. Once he gained control of Boyle, Pataky put together a strong ride, looking for a chance to turn the Boyle. He turned Boyle four two near fall points at the 1:20 mark to up his lead to four and then rode him out to end the period with 2:48 in riding time. Pataky chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 5-0 lead. He then used a strong hid double to gain control of Boyle, but the Wolverine was able to scramble his way to a stalemate with 1:30 on the clock. The Nittany Lion junior controlled the pace, taking numerous shots while Boyle was on defense for the entire period. Trailing 5-0 and faced with 2:43 in riding time, Boyle chose neutral to start the third period. Pataky looked to score again, forcing Boyle to the edge of the mat. Pataky got his second takedown with 1:05 left, gaining control of Boyle's ankle and working his way around for the score. Leading by seven, Pataky then turned Boyle for two more near fall points, upping his lead to 9-0 with a riding time point secured. Another three point turn and the bonus point gave Pataky a 13-0 major and put Penn State up 4-0.
133: Freshman Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.) took on Wolverine Zac Stevens at 133. Stevens broke into the scoring column with a takedown at the 1:50 mark. He then turned Pearsall for two back points to take a 4-0 lead at the midway point. Stevens added another two point turn before Pearsall escaped to a 6-1 deficit with :18 left. Leading by five with 1:40 in riding time, Stevens chose neutral to start the second period. He then scrambled his way to a second takedown with 1:30 on the clock to lead 8-2 after a Pearsall escape. Pearsall got in on Stevens' right leg and notched his first takedown with :15 left. The solid score cut Stevens' lead to 8-4 heading into the final period. Pearsall chose down to start the third period and quickly worked his way around Stevens for a reversal, cutting his lead to 8-6. Pearsall cut Stevens loose at the 1:18 mark and began looking for another takedown. Pearsall added another takedown and cut at the 1:00 mark, making the score 10-8 with :51 left. Stevens still had 1:08 in riding time. The Wolverine then scored off the reset to up his lead to 12-8 and clinching the bonus point. Pearsall escaped but the riding time point gave Stevens a 13-9 decision, cutting Penn State's lead to 4-3.
141: Senior Adam Lynch (Mifflinburg, Pa.) met talented Michigan sophomore Marc Weber at 141. Weber took the first shot, but Lynch calmly countered the move, worked his way around Weber for a 2-0 lead with 1:32 left in the opening period. Weber got hit for a first stall warning with :45 left as Lynch worked to roll the Wolverine over for back points. Weber was able to escape at the :07 mark, cutting Lynch's lead to 2-1 after one period. Lynch, with well over a minute in riding time, chose down to start the second period and worked his way to an escape and a 3-1 lead with 1:10 in time. The surging Lion senior added a second takedown to up his lead to 5-1, shooting through a high double with 1:20 left in the second. A second Weber stall put Lynch up 6-1. A strong Lynch ride-out gave the Nittany Lion a 6-1 lead with 2:27 in riding time heading into the third period. Weber chose down and Lynch cut him loose to a 6-2 lead. But Weber notched his fist takedown, cutting the lead to 6-4. Lynch, undeterred, calmly reversed the Wolverine to lead 8-4 and secure the riding time point. A final Weber escape made the final score 9-5 in Lynch's favor and put Penn State up 7-3.
149: Sophomore Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), ranked No. 4 at 149, battled Mark Boyer. Boyer exploded out of the gates, catching Molinaro off the opening whistle for a takedown. But Molinaro quickly reversed the Wolverine to tie the score. The Nittany Lion All-American cut Boyer loose to a 3-2 deficit and began looking for a go ahead takedown. Molinaro countered a quick Boyer shot to take a 4-3 lead with 1:55 left in the opening period. Another Molinaro cut briefly tied the score, but Molinaro turned a low single into a double leg takedown and a 6-4 lead with 1:20 on the clock. A punishing ride-out gave Molinaro a 6-4 lead with 2:04 in riding time heading into the second stanza. Molinaro chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 7-4 lead. A strong high double allowed Molinaro to lift Boyer off the mat and the takedown and cut gave the Lion a 9-5 lead. Molinaro then cut Boyer loose with 1:00 left, used the same high double and lift for another takedown and cut with :35 left. Molinaro got his fourth takedown of the period with :20 left and led 15-7 with a guaranteed riding time point at the end of the period. Boyer chose down to start the third and Molinaro cut him loose. The Lion sophomore added three more takedowns and picked up a stall point at the :25 mark to lead 22-11. A fourth takedown with :11 left made the final score 25-11 with riding time and the major put Penn State up 11-3.
157: Senior Cyler Sanderson (Heber City, Utah), ranked No. 7 at 157, took the mat for Penn State to face off against Michigan's Dave Johnson. Sanderson got a quick takedown and cut Johnson loose to lead 2-1 just seconds into the bout. The Lion senior then used a nifty counter move, working his way underneath a Johnson shot for a second takedown and a 4-1 lead with 1:50 on the clock. Sanderson nearly finished off a cradle at the 1:10 mark, but Johnson fought loose and escaped, only to give up another takedown on a fast high double by Sanderson. The Lion senior then finished off Johnson with a cradle, putting the Wolverine to his back at the 2:46 mark and sending Penn State into the locker room leading 17-3.
165: Senior Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 7 at 165, battled Wolverine Aaron Hynes. Vallimont gained control of Hynes' ankle off an early reset and looked to score early, but Hynes was able to force a stalemate and a reset with 1:40 left. Vallimont, however, scored off the ensuing reset to take a 2-1 lead after a Hynes escape. The duo then battled evenly for the rest of the period. Vallimont chose down to start the second period and quickly reversed Hynes to lead 4-1. Hynes escaped and then quickly took Vallimont down to tie the bout with 1:20 left on the clock. Not to be undone, however, Vallimont reversed Hynes again and led 6-5 after the Wolverine escape with :20 left. Hynes chose down to start the final period and escaped to tie the bout. But Vallimont notched another takedown and led 8-7 after a Hynes escape at the 1:00 mark. Neither wrestler would score over the remaining seconds and Vallimont escaped with a hard-fought 8-7 win, putting Penn State up 20-3.
174: Nittany Lion freshman Justin Ortega (Oxford, Pa.) faced off against talented Wolverine sophomore Justin Zeerip at 174. Zeerip got on the board early, taking Ortega down at the 2:22 mark for a 2-0 lead. Zeerip then rode Ortega for over a minute, forcing Ortega into a stall warning before cutting him loose to a 2-1 lead. Ortega worked to fight off another late Zeerip shot, but the Wolverine was able to gain control of the Lion freshman and notch a second takedown to lead 4-1 with 1:29 in riding time after three minutes of wrestling. Zeerip chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 5-1 lead. Neither wrestler mounted a serious attack for the rest of the period and Zeerip led 5-1 with 1:30 in riding time heading into the final period. Ortega chose down to start the second period but Zeerip was able to control the Lion long enough to secure the riding time point and then forcing Ortega into giving up a stall point. Leading 6-1, Zeerip cut Ortega loose to a 6-2 score. Ortega upped the tempo but could not break through for a score and Zeerip went on to post a 7-2 win, cutting Penn State's lead to 20-3.
184: David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio), ranked No. 11 at 184, met Michigan's Hunter Collins. Erwin was relentless out of the gates, getting two quick takedowns to lead 4-1 before settling into a strong ride and looking for back points. Erwin finally cut Collins loose at the :55 mark to lead 4-2. Erwin added a third takedown at the buzzer to lead 6-2 with 1:16 in riding time after three minutes of action. Erwin chose down to start the second and quickly escaped to a 7-2 lead. The Lion senior then turned back into Collins' direction and used a strong high double to get his fourth takedown to up his lead to 9-2. Collins was able to reverse Erwin before Erwin escaped to a 10-4 lead with :20 left in the period. Trailing 10-4, Collins chose down to start the third and Erwin cut him loose to a 10-5 score. Erwin maintained a 1:41 riding time edge. Collins gained control of Erwin's left thigh at the :55 mark and turned it into a takedown, cutting the lead to 10-7 with :30 left. Erwin escaped to take an 11-7 lead, but Collins was able to add another takedown before the bout ended. A riding time point for Erwin gave the Lion senior a 12-9 win and put Penn State up 23-6.
197: Penn State's David Crowell (Easton, Pa.) took to the mat at 197 to take on Michigan's Anthony Biondo, who entered the dual ranked No. 9 at 197. Biondo got the first takedown of the bout, taking Crowell to the mat and then riding the Nittany Lion for over a minute before taking an injury time out to stop action. Biondo cut Crowell loose after the reset and then took the Lion sophomore down again to lead 4-1 with 1:25 on the clock. Crowell escaped and then turned in on Biondo, looking to score on a high double. But Biondo was able to counter the move and notched his third takedown as the period ended to lead 6-1 with 2:20 in riding time after the opening period. Biondo chose down to start the second stanza. Crowell was able to ride Biondo for nearly a minute, but the ranked Wolverine notched an escape to lead 8-3 before a Crowell escape. Crowell nearly got his first takedown in front of the Penn State bench, but action rolled out of bounds with :40 on the clock. The Lion sophomore continued to shoot but could not break through on offense and trailed 8-3 after two periods. Crowell chose neutral to start the third period and continued firing off shots. Crowell countered one at the 1:40 mark and got another takedown to lead 10-4 after cutting the Lion loose. Biondo added two more takedowns and picked up the riding time point to post 15-5 major decision. The win cut Penn State's lead to 23-10.
HWT: Nittany Lion big man Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), ranked No. 11 at heavyweight, met Michigan's Ben Apland. Wade got the opening takedown, working his way around Apland to take a 2-0 lead just seconds into the bout. Wade then looked to turn the Wolverine and picked up three near fall points at the 1:48 mark. Leading 5-0, Wade reset and worked to turn Apland again. The Lion sophomore added three more with :40 left to lead 8-0 and then nearly pinned Apland at the buzzer. The third tilt gave Wade an 11-0 lead with 2:50 in riding time after one period. Wade chose neutral to start the third but Apland was able to get his first takedown out of the gates. Wade was undeterred, however, and quickly reversed Apland to lead 13-2 with 1:25 on the clock.