Pitt
Lehigh
Panthers Fall to No. 23 Lehigh, 27-9
11/15/2008 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Nov. 15, 2008
PITTSBURGH -- The University of Pittsburgh wrestling team dropped its season opener, 27-9 to Lehigh University in the Petersen Events Center Saturday night. The Mountain Hawks broke a 6-6 tie with five consecutive wins, including two pins to improve to 2-0 on the year.
Freshman Chris Albright started off the night with a 6-4 win in the 125-pound match, giving the Panthers the early 3-0 lead. Albright and John McDonald traded takedowns and escapes in the first period, entering the second period knotted at 3-3. Albright earned the only points of the second period through an escape to take the 4-3 lead. McDonald opened up the third with an escape of his own, tying the match at 4-4. Then, with time winding down and the crowd on their feet, Albright secured a takedown with two seconds remaining on the clock for the decision.
The Panthers and Mountain Hawks traded the ensuing three matches, bringing the overall score to 6-6.
Lehigh's No. 19 ranked Matt Fisk earned a 4-3 decision over No. 20 Jimmy Conroy in the 133-pound match, scoring a takedown with 44 seconds left in the match for the decision. At 141, redshirt freshman Tyler Nauman jumped out to a 2-0 lead after two periods and allowed just one point - a Seth Ciasulli escape - late in the third. Nauman's 4-1 decision gave Pitt its final lead of the night at 6-3.
Senior Mark Powell pushed the No. 14 ranked wrestler Trevor Chinn to the edge, nearly pulling off the upset with seconds remaining in the third period. Powell cut Chinn's two point lead to 3-2 with an escape in the final 15 seconds of the match, and narrowly missed a takedown in the closing seconds. Chinn's 3-2 decision tied the match at 6-6.
Lehigh rolled through the next five matches, taking a commanding 27-6 lead before the Panthers would strike again. At 157, Sean Bilodeau pinned freshman Adam Counterman at 2:36 into the first period, putting the Mountain Hawks up 12-6. No. 20 Ethan Headlee fell 4-3 to Mike Galante in the 165-pound match. Galante escaped to take a 4-3 lead with just over a minute remaining in the final period and held on for the decision.
No. 13 Alex Caruso carded a takedown less than ten seconds into the first period and never lost the lead, earning a 6-2 decision over David Sullivan in the 174-pound match. Up 5-2 with less than a minute to go in the match, No. 17 David Craig was able to pin freshman Zac Thomusseit in the 184-pound match. Joe Kennedy rounded out the scoring for Lehigh in the 197-pound match, defeating junior A.J. Hunte 12-6, putting Lehigh up 27-6.
After a scoreless first period, No. 7 ranked Zach Sheaffer escaped three seconds into the second period to take the 1-0 lead and held on for the 2-1 decision over Zach Rey in the heavyweight matchup.
The Panthers will be in action again Wednesday, Nov. 19 at the Fitzgerald Field House. Pitt will square off against EWL rival Bloomsburg at 7 p.m.
125 Chris Albright (Pitt) dec. John McDonald (Lehigh) 6-4 19
133 Matt Fisk (Lehigh) dec. Jimmy Conroy (Pitt) 4-3
141 Tyler Nauman (Pitt) dec. Seth Ciasulli (Lehigh) 4-1
149 Trevor Chinn (Lehigh) dec. Mark Powell (Pitt) 3-2
157 Sean Bilodeau (Lehigh) Fall Adam Counterman (Pitt) 2:27
165 Mike Galante (Lehigh) dec. Ethan Headlee (Pitt) 4-3
174 Alex Caruso (Lehigh) dec. David Sullivan (Pitt) 6-2
184 David Craig (Lehigh) Fall Zac Thomusseit (Pitt) 5:20
197 Joe Kennedy (Lehigh) dec. A.J. Hunte (Pitt) 12-6
285 Zach Sheaffer (Pitt) dec. Zach Rey (Lehigh) 2-1
