PITT WRESTLING FALLS IN A 22-13 LOSS TO LOCK HAVEN
Feb. 9, 2007
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - The Pitt wrestling team traveled to Lock Haven this evening
for its fifth EWL matchup of the season. A pin at 197 pounds secured the win for
the Bald Eagles (7-4, 2-2 EWL) as they defeated the Panthers (7-6, 2-3 EWL) by a
score of 22-13. The Panthers earned bonus points in only one match at 141
pounds.
At 125 pounds, Brad Gentzle (Easton, Pa./Easton) took on No. 11 Obenson Blanc,
the EWL champion in this weight class last season. Gentzle entered this evening,
13-10, and Blanc came in at 24-5. The two met earlier this season at the
Southern Scuffle where Blanc won a 10-2 major decision. In the first period,
Blanc had two takedowns and a three-point near fall for a 7-1 lead. Another
takedown and near fall in the second gave Blanc a 12-1 lead heading into the
final period. Blanc jumped to a 16-2 major decision, and Lock Haven took a 4-0
lead.
Next up at 133 pounds was true freshman Jimmy Conroy (South Plainfield,
N.J./South Plainfield) against Lock Haven's Danny Lopes. Conroy entered the bout
after a win at Clarion and a third-place finish at the Edinboro Open. He held an
11-6 record, and Lopes entered at 23-10. Lopes scored first on a takedown, and
Conroy had an escape to make the score 2-1 with Lopes in the lead. In the second
period, Conroy had a takedown after and escape from Lopes to tie it up at three.
Conroy came through for the Panthers in the final period and scored on an escape
and takedown. With a point for riding time, he won a 7-3 decision and gave Pitt
three team points. The Bald Eagles now held the lead by one point, 4-3.
Pitt's Joe Ciampoli (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) faced Lock Haven's Zach Kell at 141
pounds. Ciampoli entered this evening's match with an 11-12 record, and Kell
came into tonight, 8-10. With two takedowns, Ciampoli had a 4-1 lead after the
first period. He had an escape and another takedown in the second for a 7-1
lead, and in the final period he had one more takedown and riding time for the
10-2 major decision. Pitt moved into a 7-3 lead.
At 149 pounds, Pitt freshman Mark Generalovich (Pittsburgh, Pa./Thomas
Jefferson) wrestled Lock Haven's Donnie Ament. Going into this match,
Generalovich held a 2-11 record, and Ament stood at 10-10. Ament had a takedown
in the first for a 2-0 lead, and he maintained that lead as both wrestlers were
scoreless in the second. Things got moving in the final period with Ament
scoring a penalty point, reversal and a takedown. With a point for riding time,
he won an 8-2 decision. The team scored was tied at seven.The most highly
anticipated match of the night was at 157 pounds as Pitt's No. 11 Matt Kocher
(State College, Pa./State College) took on Lock Haven's No. 8 Seth Martin. The
two went head-to-head at the WVU Open this year where Kocher won with a fall at
the 7:35 mark. Kocher entered tonight's match with a 20-4 record, and Martin
entered with a 30-3 record. Martin was the first to score with a takedown, and
Kocher came back with an escape. The second period was scoreless, keeping Martin
with a one-point lead going into the third. In the final period, Martin had two
escapes, and Kocher had one takedown. With riding time, Martin won the 5-3
decision to put Lock Haven back in the lead, 10-7.
At 165 pounds, Sean Richmond (Emmaus, Pa./Easton) took on Lock Haven's Landis
Wright. Richmond held a 20-10 record entering the bout, and Wright came in at
18-10. The first period was scoreless. Wright had an escape in the second to
take a one-point lead. The two tied it up at three in the third to send the
match into overtime. Wright scored quickly on a takedown for the 5-3 sudden
victory. The Bald Eagles moved ahead, 13-7.
Pitt's No. 2 Keith Gavin (Factoryville, Pa./Lackawanna Trail) faced Lock Haven's
Michael Metzger at 174 pounds. Gavin came into tonight with a 19-3 record, and
Metzger entered at 10-6. In the first period, Gavin took an early 6-2 lead with
two takedowns and a near fall. Gavin had an escape in the second to move ahead,
7-2. In the third, he had another takedown and with a point for riding time, won
a 9-4 decision. Lock Haven now held a three-point lead, 13-10.
Next at 184 pounds was Pitt's Kyle Deliere (Cecil, Pa./Canon-McMillan) against
Lock Haven's Tom Kocher. Deliere recently became the starter at this weight
class and entered tonight with a 6-11 record, and Kocher came in at 14-10.
Kocher took a 4-1 lead in the first period with two takedowns while holding
Deliere to one escape. In the second, Kocher had a takedown and Deliere had
another escape to make it 6-2 going into the final two minutes. Kocher scored on
an escape in the third, and Deliere had a takedown. With riding time, Kocher won
an 8-4 decision. The Bald Eagles increased to a 16-10 lead.
At 197 pounds, Pitt's Eric Cassidy (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) wrestled
Lock Haven's Jeremie Cook. Cassidy came into tonight with a 8-10 record, and
Cook had a 12-12 record. In the first period, Cassidy took a 2-1 lead after a
takedown, but Cook came back in the second winning with a fall at the 4:08 mark.
His victory clinched the dual meet win for the Bald Eagles with one bout
remaining.
The final match of the evening was between Pitt's Zach Sheaffer (Carlisle,
Pa./Cumberland Valley) and Lock Haven's Ben Hepburn. Sheaffer held a 24-9 record
entering tonight's dual, and Hepburn had a 10-8 record. The first period was
scoreless, and Sheaffer gained a 2-1 lead in the second. Hepburn tied it up at
two in the final period, but Sheaffer earned a point for riding time, giving him
the 3-2 victory. Lock Haven won the dual, 22-13.
Pitt has one dual meet remaining this season as they'll travel to Edinboro next
Friday. The meet is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Lock Haven 22, Pitt 13
125: Obenson Blanc (LH) maj. dec. Brad Gentzle (Pitt),
16-2 [4-0, LH]
133: Jimmy Conroy (Pitt) dec. Danny Lopes (LH),
7-3
[4-3, LH]
141: Joe Ciampoli (Pitt) maj. dec. Zach Kell (LH),
10-2
[7-3, Pitt]
149: Donnie Ament (LH) dec. Mark Generalovich (Pitt),
8-2 [7-7]
157: Seth Martin (LH) dec. Matt Kocher (Pitt),
5-3
[10-7, LH]
165: Landis Wright (LH) dec. Sean Richmond, 5-3 sv
[13-7, LH]
174: Keith Gavin (Pitt) dec. Michael Metzger (LH),
9-4
[13-10, LH]
184: Tom Kocher (LH) dec. Kyle Deliere (Pitt),
8-4
[16-10, LH]
197: Jeremie Cook (LH) WBF Eric Cassidy (Pitt),
4:08
[22-10, LH]
HWT: Zach Sheaffer (Pitt) dec. Ben Hepburn (LH),
3-2 [22-13, LH]