Pitt
Missouri
Pitt Wrestling Suffers 29-9 Loss in Home Opener
12/19/2005 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Dec. 19, 2005
PITTSBURGH -
It was a tough battle for the Panthers in their home opener at the Petersen Events Center. The No. 13 Missouri Tigers clinched the first six bouts of the evening, earning them a 19-0 lead going into the 174-pound match. The Panthers, facing a number of injuries to many of their starters knew they had tough competition ahead, and after this evening's loss drop to 0-2 overall and 0-1 in the Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) Conference.
"Missouri's a good team. They wrestled us hard, and I felt we could wrestle harder," said Head Coach Rande Stottlemyer. "I know we have some injuries, but every team has injuries. We can't make excuses. We can do better, and we're going to do better."
At 125, the matchup was between Pitt's Brad Gentzle (Easton, Pa./Easton) and Austin DaVoe of Missouri. DaVoe put the Tigers on the board early in the first period with a two-point takedown. Gentzle came back with an escape nearing the end of the period. DaVoe maintained his lead, adding nine more to make it 11-1 entering the third period. He went on to win the match by a 12-2 major decision, putting Missouri in the lead 4-0.
The 133 bout was between Pitt's Mike Ciotti (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe) and Missouri's Tyler McCormick. McCormick was the first to score late in the first period with a two-point takedown followed by an escape in the second to give him a 3-0 lead going into the third period. Scoring four more points in the last period, McCormick left Mike Ciotti scoreless with a 7-0 decision. Missouri stayed in the lead 7-0.
Wrestling at 141 was Pitt's Ronald Tarquinio (McDonald, Pa./West Allegheny) and Chris McCormick for the Tigers. McCormick gained an early lead for Missiouri, closing out the second period 5-0. Tarquinio was able to score an escape point in the third, but McCormick's three points, gave him the 8-1 win and putting Missouri up 10-0 after three matches.
The 149 match was between Brandon Smith (Columbia, Pa./Columbia) of Pitt and Josh Wagner of Missouri. Wagner scored two points early in the second with a reversal and added two more near fall points. Smith fought back in the third period, earning a point for an escape, but Wagner took a 5-1 win, giving Missouri a 13-0 lead.
At 157 was Sean Richmond (Emmaus, Pa./Easton) for the Panthers and Michael Chandler for the Tigers. Chandler earned a two-point takedown at the end of the first period to put him in the lead. Richmond's first point came as a penalty in the second, but Chandler responded with an escape early in the third and a takedown to put the score at 5-1. Richmond came back with an escape, but Chandler made a comeback with a takedown winning 8-2 and securing Missouri's spot 16-2.
The 165 bout was a battle of ranked opponents with Pitt's Justin Nestor (Transfer, Pa./Reynolds) and Missouri's Matt Pell. Pell took the early lead 2-0, but Nestor's escape put him on the board in the first period as well. Pell came back in the second with an escape, giving him a 3-1 lead going into the third period. He maintained his lead with a near fall, taking the match 6-1. Missouri stayed in the lead 19-0.
Wrestling at 174 was Nick Padezan (Irwin, Pa./Penn Trafford) for the Panthers and Joey Garrity for the Tigers. Padezan was the first Panther to take the lead in a bout, earning an escape in the second period. He kept the lead with a three-point near fall in the third. Garrity fought back with an escape, but Padezan kept the momentum alive with a two-point takedown. His 7-1 win put the Panthers on the board for the first time, making the overall score 19-3.
The 184 match was a tough one for Pitt as Kyle Deliere (Cecil, Pa./Canon-McMillan) took on Missouri's Ben Askren, ranked first nationally. Askren scored early in the first period with a takedown, but Deliere responded with an escape. Still, Askren dominated again with a takedown and a pin at the 1:28 mark. His fall gave Missouri a 25-3 lead going into the final two bouts of the evening.
At 197 was Pitt's Mike Heist (Orefield, Pa./Parkland) and Missouri's Raymond Jordan. Jordan dominated the first period 4-1 and managed to maintain his lead over Heist 6-2 in the second. Heist fought back, earning two points in the third, but Jordan's 12-3 major decision increased Missouri's lead to 29-3.
Not willing to give up, Pitt's Lou Thomas (Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg) garnered Pitt's second win of the evening over Missouri's Sean Connole at heavyweight. Thomas earned two points in the first period, securing a win by pinning Connole at the 1:42 mark. Thomas' fall put the Panthers on the board again, but it wasn't enough to overcome the 29-9 defeat.
The Panthers are on the road next as they travel to Greensboro, N.C. at the end of the month for the Southern Scuffle. The team will compete in the hyped tournament on Thursday, Dec. 29, and Friday, Dec. 30. More details are to come at pittsburghpanthers.com.
125: Austin DeVoe (Missouri) maj. Dec. Brad Gentzle (Pitt), 12-2 [4-0 Missouri]
133: Tyler McCormick (Missouri) dec. Mike Ciotti (Pitt), 7-0 [7-0 Missouri]
141: Chris McCormick (Missouri) dec. Ron Tarquinio (Pitt), 8-1 [10-0 Missouri]
149: Josh Wagner (Missouri) dec. Brandon Smith (Pitt), 5-1 [13-0 Missouri]
157: Michael Chandler (Missouri) dec. Sean Richmond (Pitt), 8-2 [16-0 Missouri]
165: Matt Pell (Missouri) dec. Justin Nestor (Pitt), 6-1 [19-0 Missouri]
174: Nick Padezan (Pitt) dec. Joey Garrity (Missouri), 7-1 [19-3 Missouri]
184: Ben Askren (Missouri) WBF Kyle Deliere (Pitt), 1:28 [25-3 Missouri]
197: Raymond Jordan (Missouri) maj. dec. Mike Heist (Pitt), 12-3 [29-3 Missouri]
HWT: Lou Thomas (Pitt) WBF Sean Connole (Missouri), 1:42 [29-9 Missouri]
