Jan. 28, 2018
PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- The Penn State Nittany Lions (11-0, 7-0 B1G) took care of home standing Rutgers (5-5, 1-4 B1G) today for a Big Ten road. The Nittany Lions came back from an early deficit and a tough injury default loss to post a 25-15 win, winning seven of ten bouts. The dual was wrestled in front of a RAC sellout crowd of 8,321 at Rutgers and was Penn State's final road dual of the year.
The dual began at 125 where red-shirt freshman Devin Schnupp (Lititz, Pa.) was pinned by Rutgers' Nick Suriano. Senior Corey Keener (Schuylkill Haven, Pa.) battled No. 19 Scott Delvecchio tough but dropped a 6-2 decision after giving up a late counter takedown on a last-second effort to tie the bout. Rutgers led 9-0 after two hard-fought opening bouts.
True freshman Nick Lee (Evansville, Ind.), ranked No. 7 at 141, got things started by handling Michael Van Brill in a 5-2 decision. Senior Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 149, dominated No. 13 Eleazor DeLuca 14-2, picking up the major as DeLuca got hit for multiple unsportsmanlike penalties in the bout. Junior Jason Nolf (Yatesboro, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 157, was beating No. 17 John Van Brill early in the second period when the Lion was injured after a stalemate/potentially dangerous call and unable to continue, giving Rutgers a lead at intermission. Nolf had won 46 straight before the injury default. Penn State lost a team point due to a bench unsportsmanlike after the Lion coaches reacted to the call's timing.
Sophomore Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 165, took care of No. 11 Richie Lewis, nothing the only takedowns in a 5-4 win to cut Rutgers' lead to 15-9. Sophomore Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.) continued Penn State's comeback with a dominant 24-9 technical fall over Rutgers' Joe Grello, including ten takedowns. Hall's win cut the Rutgers lead to 15-14.
Junior Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), ranked No. 1 at 184, gave Penn State its first lead with a hard-fought 6-5 win over No. 12 Nicholas Gravina. Sophomore Anthony Cassar (Rocky Hill, N.J.), wrestling at 197 for Penn State in his home state, rolled over Anthony Messner in a 16-5 major decision to extend Penn State's lead to 21-15. Junior Nick Nevills (Clovis, Calif.), ranked No. 6 at 285, finished off the Penn State comeback victory with a dominant 21-7 major over Ralph Normandia. Penn State remained unbeaten on the year with the 25-15 win.
Penn State posted a lopsided 38-13 takedown advantage in the victory. The win moves Penn State's dual meet win streak to 42 straight, dating back to the 2014-15 season. Retherford stays at 15 pins on the year and 51 for his career, just two shy of tying Penn State's all-time record of 53. Retherford now has 115 career wins, 17th all-time at Penn State. Penn State is now 11-0, 7-0 in the Big Ten. Rutgers falls to 5-5, 1-4 B1G.
Penn State will battle the Ohio State Buckeyes in Rec Hall in yet another BTN national telecast. The dual will begin at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3. The Ohio State dual next week and the Iowa dual in the BJC on Feb. 10 are sold out but a limited number of Standing Room Only (SRO) tickets may be available for the Buffalo dual on Feb. 18. Call 1-800-NITTANY for information or to purchase tickets.
The 2017-18 Penn State wrestling season is sponsored by The Family Clothesline. 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. This is PENN STATE. WRESTLING lives here.
#2 Penn State 25, #13 Rutgers 15
January 28, 2018 -- RAC -- Piscataway, N.J.
125: #1 Nick Suriano RU pinned Devin Schnupp PSU, WBF (6:41) / 0-6
133: #19 Scott Delvecchio RU dec. Corey Keener PSU, 6-2 / 0-9
141: #7 Nick Lee PSU dec. Michael Van Brill RU, 5-2 / 3-9
149: #1 Zain Retherford PSU maj. dec. #13 Eleazor DeLuca RU, 14-2 / 7-9
157: #17 John Van Brill RU inj. def. #1 Jason Nolf PSU, inj. def. (3:33) / *6-15
165: #1 Vincenzo Joseph PSU dec. #11 Richie Lewis PSU, 5-4 / 9-15
174: #2 Mark Hall PSU tech fall Joe Grello RU, 24-9 (TF; 7:00) / 14-15
184: #1 Bo Nickal PSU dec. #12 Nicholas Gravina RU, 6-5 / 17-15
197: Anthony Cassar PSU maj. dec. Anthony Messner RU, 16-5 / 21-15
285: #6 Nick Nevills PSU maj. dec. Ralph Normandia RU, 21-7 / 25-15
* Penn State loses team point for unsportsmanlike conduct
Attendance: 8,319
Records: Penn State 11-0, 7-0 B1G; Rutgers 5-5, 1-4 B1G
Up Next for Penn State: home vs. Ohio State, Saturday, Feb. 3 in Rec Hall, 8 p.m. (BTN)
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
125: Redshirt freshman Devin Schnupp (Lititz, Pa.) took to the mat at 125 to face top ranked Nick Suriano. The Scarlet Knight scored quickly, taking Schnupp down to lead 2-1 at the 2:30 mark. The Lion freshman was taken down a second time with 1:50 on the clock to trail 4-1. He escaped at the 1:00 mark but was taken down again and trailed 6-2 after one period. Suriano chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 7-2 lead. Schnupp worked the middle of the mat, fighting off a shot but getting taken down on a quick reshot to trail 9-2 at the 1:20 mark. Schnupp escaped but was taken down again and trailed 11-4 with :40 left on the clock. Trailing 13-4, Schnupp chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 13-5 deficit. Schnupp was taken down two more times and then pinned at the 6:41 mark.
133: Senior Corey Keener (Schuylkill Haven, Pa.) faced off against No. 19 Scott Delvecchio at 133. The duo battled evenly for over a minute with neither wrestler breaking through on offense. Delvecchio connected on a single leg and finished off the takedown at the 1:03 mark to lead 2-0. Keener fought for an escape for the next minute but could not break free and trailed by two after the opening period. Delvecchio chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 3-0 lead. The Lion senior blew through a high double, lifting Delvecchio up and setting him down for a takedown and a cut the lead to 4-2 after a Knight escape. Keener chose neutral to start the third period, looking for a chance to tie the bout with a takedown. Keener could not break through Delvecchio's defense and the ranked Knight was able to hold on for a 6-2 win after a last second counter takedown.
141: True freshman Nick Lee (Evansville, Ind.), ranked No. 7 at 141, took on Michael Van Brill. Lee set the pace early, shooting multiple times as he tried to break through Van Brill's defense. He forced Van Brill into a first stall and then used a solid single leg to take a 2-0 lead with a takedown at 1:36 mark. Van Brill escaped and Lee continued to move in on offense. Lee muscled through a second high single and took a 4-1 lead with just :25 left in the period. Trailing 4-1, Van Brill chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 4-2 score but Lee had 1:03 in riding time. Lee continued to shoot and force Van Brill backwards but the Knight was able to play defense without giving up a second stall. Leading by two, Lee chose down to start the third period but Van Brill was able to control the action for the first minute before Lee escaped to a 5-2 lead. Lee worked in on a high single but Van Brill was able to fight off the shot to keep the score close. Lee settled for a 5-2 decision.
149: Senior Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 149, faced off against No. 13 Eleazar DeLuca. Retherford set the pace early, shooting numerous times while DeLuca swiped at the Lions' head. The Lion senior broke through for a takedown at the 1:00 mark, cut the Knight loose and then quickly took him down a second time to lead 4-1 at the :40 mark. Retherford then worked for a turn but DeLuca fought the move off and Retherford led 4-1 after one. Retherford chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 5-1 lead. DeLuca gave up a penalty point for yet another unsportsmanlike and Retherford led 6-1. Retherford then blew through a fast double to up his lead to 8-1 with :45 on the clock. Retherford cut DeLuca loose after a reset at the :35 mark and then DeLuca got hit for a second and third unsportsmanlike to give Retherford an 11-2 lead after one period. DeLuca chose neutral to start the third period and Retherford blew through a strong shot at the :35 mark to up his lead to 13-2. A 1:41 riding time edge gave the Lion a 14-2 major decision.
157: Junior Jason Nolf (Yatesboro, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 157, tangled with No. 17 John Van Brill. Nolf fought off an early Van Brill low single as the Knight battled for a takedown for over a minute before getting the nod for a 2-0 lead. Nolf worked his way to an escape and a 2-1 deficit at the 1:20 mark and quickly got in on a low single. He forced a scramble and picked up the takedown at the :50 mark, cut Van Brill loose and then used a low shot for another takedown with :25 on the clock. A rideout gave the Lion a 5-3 lead after the opening period. Van Brill chose down to start the second period and Nolf cut him to a 5-4 score. Nolf quickly shot low and forced a scramble that ended with Nolf taking injury timeout after a late stalemate call with 1:27 on the clock. Nolf was unable to continue and dropped the injury default, his first loss of the year.
165: Sophomore Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 165, took on No. 11 Richie Lewis. Joseph quickly took Lewis down for an early 2-0 lead and the controlled the action for :30 before Lewis escaped to a 2-1 score. Joseph continued to press on offense but Lewis was able to play defense for the rest of the period and Joseph led 2-1 after one. Joseph chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-1 lead. Joseph continued to press on offense but the Rutgers wrestler was able to play defense for the entire period and Joseph led 3-1 after two. Lewis chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 3-2 Joseph lead. The Lion sophomore rolled through a strong takedown at the 1:00 mark to take a 5-3 lead after a quick Lewis escape. Joseph was called for pulling the head gear at the :19 mark, cutting the lead to 5-4 but the Penn State bench called for a review. The call stands and Joseph led by one. The Lion sophomore held on for the 5-4 victory.
174: Sophomore Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.), ranked No. 2 at 174, met freshman Joe Grello. Hall dominated the opening part of the bout, notching two takedowns in the first :90 to open up a 4-1 lead. The Lion sophomore built up over 1:00 in time before he cut Grello loose and then picked up a quick third takedown to lead 6-2 with 1:8 in riding time after one period. Hall chose down to start the second period and steadily worked his way through a Grello turn for a reversal to lead 8-2 with 1:26 on the clock. Rutgers challenged the call, asking for near fall points on the turn. The call stood and Hall led 8-2. The Lion cut Grello loose with 1:10 on the clock and then fought off a solid Grello shot to get the counter takedown and lead 10-3 at the :31 mark. He cut Grello loose again and added another late takedown to lead 12-4 with 1:58 in riding time after two periods. Grello chose down to start the third and Hall cut him loose to a 12-5 score. He blazed through three more quick takedowns and lead 18-7. With 1:00 left, Hall cut Grello loose again and then added two more takedowns and a stall point. He picked up the tech fall off 2:27 in riding time thanks to a final late takedown and posted the 24-9 tech at the 7:00 mark.
184: Junior Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), ranked No. 1 at 184, battled No. 12 Nicholas Gravina. Nickal looked to finish off an early throw in the opening minute but settled for a takedown and a 2-1 lead. Nickal spent the next two minutes working to break through Gravina's defense but the Scarlet Knight was able to hold firm until Nickal bulled his way through a second takedown as the period ended. Leading 4-1, Nickal chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 5-1 lead. Nickal shot low, forcing a scramble in the middle of the mat but Gravina countered for a takedown to cut Nickal's lead to 5-3. Nickal rolled his way to an escape and led 6-3 after two periods. Gravina chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 6-4 score at the 1:30 mark. The Lion gained control of Gravina's ankle but could not finish off the takedown with a stalemate called at the 1:00 mark. Nickal fought off a late Gravina attempt to score and, while giving up a stall point, was able to post the 6-5 win.
197: Sophomore Anthony Cassar (Rocky Hill, N.J.) got the nod at 197 and took on Anthony Messner. Cassar wasted no time taking the lead, using a fast low double to open up a 2-1 advantage in the opening :40. Cassar used a strong high double to up his lead to 4-1 with 1:00 on the clock and then he went to work on top, building up 1:28 in time with a rideout. Messner chose down to start the second period and Cassar cut him loose over :30 into the period. He slid behind the Knight for another takedown and cut and led 6-3. The Lion sophomore picked up a fourth takedown with :50 on the clock and then rode Messner out to lead 8-3 after two. Cassar chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 9-3 lead. He picked up another quick takedown to up his lead to 11-3 with 1:20 on the clock, clinching the riding time point in the process. Cassar added one more takedown with :50 on the clock and then a final one with :04 left to post a 16-5 major with 3:16 in riding time.
285: Junior Nick Nevills (Clovis, Calif.), ranked No. 6 at 285, faced Scarlet Knight Ralph Normandia. Nevills took Normandia down early, getting a takedown at the 2:05 mark. He then went to work on top, looking for a turning combination. Normandia got hit for a first stall at the :55 mark and then Nevills cut him loose with :40 on the clock. Nevills turned a low single into a takedown and two near fall points to up his lead to 6-1 with 1:48 in riding time after one period. Normandia chose down to start the second period and Nevills controlled the action. Normandia escaped to a 6-2 score with 1:10 on the clock but Nevills quickly took him down again to up his lead to 8-3. Nevills added two more takedowns and a rideout to lead 12-4 with over 3:00 in time after two periods. Nevills chose neutral to start the third period and continued to dominate the action. He picked up four more takedowns and, with 4:02 in riding time, rolled to a 21-7 major decision.