Dec. 11, 2016
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team (4-0, 0-0 B1G) shut-out visiting Binghamton (1-2, 1-1 EIWA) in sold out Rec Hall. Head coach Cael Sanderson's squad picked up its fourth straight dual meet win to start the year, this one in front of the 31st straight Rec Hall sellout for the Nittany Lions.
Penn State roared to the win thanks to three pins and a dual meet debut victory from Nittany Lion sophomore George Carpenter (Chapel Hill, N.C.) at 133. Penn State won all ten bouts, nine with bonus points.
The dual began at 125 where true freshman Nick Suriano (Paramus, N.J.), ranked No. 4 nationally, stayed unbeaten with a 12-2 major decision over Binghamton's Steve Bulzomi. With sophomore Jered Cortez (Carol Stream, Ill.), ranked No. 15 nationally, banged up, classmate Carpenter made his dual meet debut for Penn State. Carpenter took advantage of the opportunity and thrilled the Rec Hall sell-out crowd with a dominating 17-2 technical fall (getting the 17th point off 2:04 in riding time). Carpenter's dual debut victory put Penn State up 9-0 early.
Senior Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.), ranked No. 13 at 141, dominated Binghamton's Dylan Caruana, posting a 12-3 major with 3:29 in riding time. Junior Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 149, improved to 9-0 on the year with his eighth straight pin. Retherford posted the first period fall over BU's Parker Kropman at the 2:39 mark. Sophomore Jason Nolf (Yatesboro, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 157, sent Penn State into the halftime break with a 25-0 lead by pinning BU's Tristan Rifanburg at the 3:48 mark. The fall was Nolf's sixth of the year.
Red-shirt freshman Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh, Pa.), ranked No. 9 at 165, opened up the second half with a 10-5 decision over Binghamton's Vincent DePrez. Senior Geno Morelli (DuBois, Pa.) got the call at 174 and dominated Binghamton's Anthony Lombardo, posting a 22-9 major decision with 2:07 in riding time to put the Nittany Lions up 32-0. Sophomore Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), ranked No. 2 at 184, thrilled the Rec Hall crowd with a dominating win the dual's marquee bout. Nickal controlled the action from start to finish in an 18-7 major over No. 13 Steve Schneider.
Junior Matt McCutcheon (Apollo, Pa.), ranked No. 13 at 197, dominated Mark Tracy as well, rolling to a 9-1 major decision with 3:01 in riding time. Sophomore Nick Nevills (Clovis, Calif.), ranked No. 8 at 285, closed out the dual with a dominating win over Connor Calkins. Nevills bolted out to an 11-1 lead before turning the Bearcat for the pin at the 3:57 mark. The win gave Penn State the 46-0 shut-out, its second shut-out of the year (45-0 at Army on 11/11/16).
Penn State dominated the match, posting a 45-3 takedown edge. Sanderson's squad picked up 15 bonus points off three pins (Retherford, Nolf, Nevills), a tech fall (Carpenter) and five majors (Suriano, Gulibon, Morelli, Nickal, McCutcheon). Retherford, 9-0 on the year and riding a streak of eight straight falls, is 16th on Penn State's all-time pins list with 27. Nolf, also 9-0 on the season, has six pins this year and 21 for his career. Nevills has three pins on the year.
The Nittany Lions are now 4-0 on the year and have won 21 straight duals dating back to the end of the 2014-15 campaign. Binghamton falls to 1-2. The sellout crowd of 6,319 is Penn State's 34th sellout in its last 36 home duals including four in the near-16,000 seat Jordan Center. The Nittany Lions are riding a streak of 31 straight sellouts in Rec Hall.
Penn State will head to Reno, Nev., next weekend for the 2016 Reno Tournament of Champions. The event begins on Sunday, Dec. 18, at 12 p.m. Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific (local). Penn State's next home dual is set for Friday, Jan. 13, when Rutgers invades Rec Hall for a 7 p.m. Big Ten dual. All Rec Hall dual meets are sold out, but a very limited number of Standing Room Only tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-NITTANY. Penn State Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at @pennstateWREST, on Penn State Wrestling's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/pennstatewrest. The 2016-17 Penn State wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline. This is PENN STATE. WRESTLING lives here.
#3 Penn State 46, Binghamton 0
December 11, 2016 -- Rec Hall -- University Park, Pa.
125: #4 Nick Suriano PSU maj. dec. Steve Bulzomi BU, 12-2 / 4-0
133: George Carpenter PSU tech fall Ian Lupole BU, 17-2 (TF; 7:00) / 9-0
141: #13 Jimmy Gulibon PSU maj. dec. Dylan Caruana BU, 12-3 / 13-0
149: #1 Zain Retherford PSU pinned Parker Kropman BU, WBF (2:39) / 19-0
157: #1 Jason Nolf PSU pinned Tristan Rifanburg BU, WBF (3:48) / 25-0
165: #9 Vincenzo Joseph PSU dec. Vincent DePrez BU, 10-5 / 28-0
174: Geno Morelli PSU maj. dec. Anthony Lombardo BU, 22-9 / 32-0
184: #2 Bo Nickal PSU maj. dec. #13 Steve Schneider BU, 18-7 / 36-0
197: #13 Matt McCutcheon PSU maj. dec. Mark Tracy BU, 9-1 / 40-0
285: #8 Nick Nevills PSU pinned Connor Calkins BU, WBF (3:57) / 46-0
Attendance: 6,319 (SELL OUT; 31 straight sell-outs in Rec Hall, 34 of 36 sellouts including four duals in BJC)
Records: Penn State 4-0, 0-0 B1G; Binghamton (1-2, 1-1 EIWA)
Up Next for Penn State: at Reno Tournament of Champions, Sunday, Dec. 18, 12 p.m. Eastern
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
125: True freshman Nick Suriano (Paramus, N.J.), ranked No. 4 at 125, took on Binghamton sophomore Steve Bulzomi. Suriano and Bulzomi battled evenly for the opening period with neither wrestler mounting a charge. Tied 0-0, Suriano chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. He then immediately turned a single into a takedown to up his lead to 3-0 quickly in the period. Bulzomi escaped to a 3-1 score at the 1:08 mark and Suriano went back to work on offense. The Lion freshman muscled his way to a second takedown and 5-1 lead. He cut Bulzomi loose and immediately took him down again for a 7-2 lead after two periods. Bulzomi chose down to start the final period and Suriano went to work on top, looking to turn the Bearcat. He finished off a four-point move, readjusted and then turned his shoulders nearly flat. Bulzomi was able to keep from getting pinned and Suriano walked away with a 12-2 major decision, including 3:15 in riding time.
133: With sophomore Jered Cortez (Carol Stream, Ill.), ranked No. 15 at 133, banged up, sophomore George Carpenter (Chapel Hill, N.C.) stepped in to make his Penn State dual meet debut. Carpenter met Bearcat Ian Lupole. Carpenter worked his way in on an early shot but Lupole was able to counter the move and take a 2-0 lead with Binghamton's first takedown. Carpenter fought off a quick turn attempt and steadily worked his way to an escaped with :20 left. Carpenter then used a swift shot at the waist for his first takedown to lead 3-2 after the opening period. Carpenter chose neutral to start the middle period and quickly worked his way in on a low single. The Lion sophomore forced a scramble that ended with another takedown and a 5-2 Carpenter lead at the 1:10 mark. Carpenter turned Lupole for a one-count but could not get the near fall. With :30 on the clock, Carpenter reset himself and finished the period chest-to-chest with a four-point near fall. Trailing 9-2, Lupole chose neutral to start the third period but Carpenter continued to work his offense. The Nittany Lion upped his lead to 11-2 with another takedown with 1:20 left on the clock. Carpenter turned the Bearcat for another four point fall to up his lead to 15-2. He finis
141: Senior Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.), ranked No. 13 nationally, met BU senior Dylan Caruana at 141. Gulibon was strong out of the gates, taking the Bearcat down and immediately turning him. Caruana fought off the near fall by quickly rolling through and Gulibon led 2-1 after an escaped midway through the opening stanza. Gulibon used a clinical takedown right away to up his lead to 4-1. He then went to work on top, building up over 1:00 in riding time while looking for a chance to turn the Bearcat. The period ended with Gulibon up 4-1. Caruana chose down to start the second and escaped to a 4-2 score. But Gulibon continued with strong offense, taking Caruana down to up his lead to 6-2 with 1:00 left in the period. Gulibon cut the Bearcat loose to a 6-3 score with :35 left and immediately went to work, looking for a fourth takedown. The Lion added the takedown and finished on top to lead 8-3 after two. Gulibon chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 9-3 lead. He added another takedown and led 11-3 with 1:00 left to wrestle. Gulibon ended the match on top and posted the 12-3 major with 3:29 in riding time.
149: Junior Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 149, tangled with BU freshman Parker Kropman. Retherford picked up a quick takedown and led 2-1 within the first :30, cutting Kropman loose. He picked up a second takedown right away, widening his lead, and cut Kropman loose again. Leading 4-2, Retherford scrambled his way to a third takedown and a 6-2 lead with 1:08 on the clock. Retherford cut Kropman to a 6-3 score and then blasted through the Bearcat for a fourth takedown. This time, worked Kropman's shoulders to the mat for another fall, his eighth straight, at the 2:39 mark.
157: Sophomore Jason Nolf (Yatesboro, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 157, faced off against Binghamton freshman Tristan Rifanburg. Nolf muscled his way to an early 2-1 lead with his first takedown. Nolf forced a scramble in front of the scorer's table that ended with a reset at the 1:24 mark. The Lion sophomore scored quickly off the reset, upping his lead to 4-2 by tossing Rifanburg to the mat. A strong double leg gave the Lion sophomore a third takedown and a 6-3 lead with :45 on the clock. Nolf deftly blew through a low double for a fourth takedown and an 8-3 lead after one period. Nolf chose down to start the second stanza. Nolf reversed Rifanburg at the 1:30 mark and immediately turned him to his back. Nolf got the fall at the 3:48 mark, his sixth pin of the year.
165: Red-shirt freshman Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh, Pa.), ranked No. 9 at 165, met Bearcat junior Vincent DePrez. Joseph controlled the tempo from the onset, forcing DePrez backwards for over a minute before turning a single leg into a 2-0 lead. DePrez escaped to a 2-1 score with 1:20 on the clock. Joseph forced DePrez into a first stall warning and then finished off a high single for a 4-1 lead. The Lion finished the period on top and carried that lead into the second period. Joseph chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 5-1 lead. DePrez tried to connect on two single legs over the next minute but Joseph was able to defend the efforts. DePrez notched his first takedown as the period ended to cut the Lion lead to 5-3 after two periods. DePrez chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 5-4 score. Joseph immediate worked his way into a high single and finished off the takedown at the 1:40 mark, upping his lead to 7-4. Building up over 1:00 in riding time with a strong ride, the Lion freshman controlled the action from the top position until cutting DePrez loose at the :45 mark. Joseph picked up a final takedown and, with 1:39 in time, posted the 10-5 decision.
174: Senior Geno Morelli (DuBois, Pa.) faced off against Binghamton's Anthony Lombardo at 174. Morelli exploded out of the gates with a fast takedown. The Lion senior went to work on top, trying to find an opening to turn Lombardo to his back. He cut the Bearcat loose to a 2-1 score, fought off a slight Lombardo shot and worked his way around for a takedown of his own and a 4-1 lead. Morelli cut Lombardo loose. He countered a slight BU shot off a reset for his third takedown and led 6-3 after another cut. Morelli scrambled to a fourth takedown with just :05 left and carried an 8-3 lead with 1:49 in riding time into the second period. Lombardo chose top to start the second period and Morelli quickly escaped. He took Lombardo down just seconds later and led 11-3 less than :20 into the middle period. Morelli scored again after a Lombardo escape and led 13-5 after another cut. Morelli added two more takedowns and led 17-6 with nearly 3:00 in riding time after two periods. Morelli chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to an 18-6 lead. Lombardo countered a Morelli shot for his first takedown to cut the lead to 18-8. Morelli escaped to a 19-8 score and continued to press Lombardo. Morelli picked up one more takedown and the riding time point to post the 22-9 major with 2:07 in time.
184: Sophomore Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), ranked No. 2 at 184, tangled with No. 13 Steve Schneider in the dual's most anticipated match-up. Nickal wasted no time taking Schneider down, turning a low single into an early 2-0 lead. Schneider escaped quickly but Nickal went back to work on offense. His pressure led to a second takedown and a 4-2 lead. Schneider forced a quick scramble with a low shot but Nickal countered nicely for a third takedown and a 6-2 lead. Nickal cut Schneider loose on the reset and pulled the BU grappler down as the period ended to lead 8-3. Nickal chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 9-3 lead. Nickal took Schneider down again, leading 8-3 at the 1:00 mark. He went to work on top, looking for a chance to turn the Bearcat. Schneider escaped with :20 on the clock and Nickal led 11-4 with 1:26 in riding time after two periods. Schneider chose down to start the final period and Nickal cut him to an 11-5 score. Nickal quickly took Schneider down to lead 13-5 and forced Schneider into a first stall warning. He cut the Bearcat loose at a reset to lead 13-6 with a clinched riding time point. He picked up two more takedowns and rolled to the 18-7 major decision with 2:05 in riding time.
197: Junior Matt McCutcheon (Apollo, Pa.), ranked No. 13 at 197, took on Binghamton's Mark Tracy. The duo battled evenly for over two minutes before McCutcheon notched the bout's first takedown to lead 2-0. The Nittany Lion junior then controlled the action from the top, building up a sizeable riding time edge and killing the clock. Leading 2-0, McCutcheon chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. He forced a slight scramble with a low single and upped his lead to 5-1 after a takedown and cut. McCutcheon picked up a penalty point between second and third periods and led 6-1 heading into the third. Tracy chose down to start the third period and McCutcheon went to work on top. McCutcheon broke Tracy down, picked up two near fall points and finished the period on top, posting the 9-1 major with 3:01 in riding time.
285: Sophomore Nick Nevills (Clovis, Calif.), ranked No. 8 at 285, battled BU sophomore Connor Calkins. Nevills wasted no time taking a lead, turning a low single into a takedown and a 2-0 lead less than :40 into the bout. Nevills picked up a second takedown at the 1:00 mark and worked his way into control of Calkins' shoulders. The Lion sophomore turned the Bearcat big man to the mat for four near fall points and led 8-1 after one period. Nevills chose down to start the second stanza, quickly escaped and then took Calkins down again to lead 11-1. Nevills then locked up Calkins' shoulders, turned him to the mat and picked up the pin, Penn State's third of the match, at the 3:57 mark.