No. 19 Wrestling Loses Heartbreaker To Bloomsburg
12/10/1999 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
No. 19 Wrestling Loses Heartbreaker To Bloomsburg
12/10/1999
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Wrestling travels to 11th-ranked Lehigh Friday night. |
BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The 19th-ranked Pittsburgh (1-1) wrestling team lost a close 18-17 match at Bloomsburg on Dec. 9 in what was both teams' first Eastern Wrestling League action of the season.
The match began at 141 pounds on a good note for the Panthers. Sophomore Blaise Mucci (Blairesville, Pa./Derry Area), in just his first dual match start of the season, upset 11th-ranked Brett Tullo by a close score of 7-6. However, Pittsburgh's Justin Giovinco (Norristown, Pa./Plymouth- Whitemarsh) and 18th-ranked Mike Ziska (North Huntingdon, Pa./Norwin) surrendered the 149 and 157-pound weight classes to the Huskies, one by a pin, to trail Bloomsburg, 9-3, after three matches.
The Panthers rebounded to tie the score at 9-9 when 12th-ranked Carl Fronhofer (Salem, N.Y./Salem) defeated Hunter Guenot (3-2), and 18th-ranked Nick Mengerink (Upper Sanduskey, Ohio/Carey) decisioned Cassidy Shults (5-2) in the next two bouts. The Huskies then took the lead again when Kris Smith defeated Panther sophomore Josh McCullough (Sharon, Pa./Sharon), 8-2, in his first career dual match for Pittsburgh. Fellow sophomore Dan Stine (Queensbury, N.Y./Queensbury) then lost a close 4-3 decision to Bloomsburg's 14th-ranked Todd Hochenbroch at 197 pounds, giving the Huskies a 15-9 lead.
Senior heavyweight Matt Mueller (North Patchogue, N.Y./Patchogue-Medford) claimed a 10-2 major decision over Pat Spirelli that gave the Panthers four match points, drawing them within two. However, a 9-5 come-from-behind victory by Bloomsburg's Brock Hite (125 pounds) late in the third period over James Thornton (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg) forced Pittsburgh into a five-point deficit heading in to the last match of the evening. Though Pittsburgh's 11th-ranked Rob Loper (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) won an 11-3 major decision at 133 pounds, it was not enough for the Panther victory as they fell one point shy.
The Panthers travel to 11th-ranked Lehigh tonight at 7:30 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Bloomsburg
Nelson Field House
Dec. 9, 1999
Final Score: Bloomsburg 18
Pittsburgh 17
BU P
141 Blaise Mucci (Pitt) dec. #11 Brett Tullo (BU), 7-6 0 3
149 #16 George Carter (BU) dec. Justin Giovinco (Pitt), 7-4 3 3
157 #10 Ed Hockenberry (BU) WBF #18 Mike Ziska (Pitt), 5:25 9 3
165 #12 Carl Fronhofer (Pitt) dec. Hunter Guenot (BU, 3-2 9 6
174 #18 Nick Mengerink (Pitt) dec. Cassidy Shults (BU), 5-2 9 9
184 Kris Smith (BU) dec. Josh McCullough (Pitt), 8-2 12 9
197 #14 Todd Hockbroch (BU) dec. Dan Stine (Pitt), 4-3 15 9
HWT Matt Mueller (Pitt) maj. dec. Pat Spirelli (BU), 10-2 15 13
125 Brock Hite (BU) dec. James Thornton (Pitt), 9-5 18 13
133 #11 Rob Loper (Pitt) maj. dec. Justin Haupt (BU), 11-3 18 17
Bloomsburg: 1-0, 1-0 EWL
Pittsburgh: 1-1, 0-1 EWL
Attendance: N/A
WTF: Won by Technical Fall
WBF: Won by Fall
