THE RUNDOWN
- Final Scores: Seton Hill 18, No. 24 Gannon 17 (SHU wins on criteria) | Mercyhurst North East 28, Gannon (B) 24
- Records: Gannon (3-5, 1-1 PSAC) | Seton Hill (4-3, 3-0 PSAC)
- Location: Hammermill Center — Erie, Pa.
GAMEDAY MEDIA CENTER
KEY SEQUENCE
- Gannon ripped off five consecutive wins to jump back in front heading into the final bout of the night, but Seton Hill's Jake Beistel got just enough points at the end. The heavyweight got a 13-6 decision, pushing the Griffin's over the Golden Knights by the narrowest of margins, as the guests took the match on Criteria C.
HOW IT HAPPENED
125
Paul Cantafio (West Seneca, N.Y./West Seneca West) stepped into the lineup with
Jacob Dunlop (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon) still not quite ready to return, but region-ranked Frank Bonura got the Griffins off to a strong start. Three takedowns in the first period along with six back points got him out to an early lead, and he capped the technical fall with a nearfall midway through the second.
133
Vincent Distefanis slipped around for a takedown in the final seconds of the first period, and it would prove to be the difference. Hertel got in deep on a single midway through the third, but Distefanis popped out of the scramble unharmed, and held on for a 3-1 decision.
141
Nick Young (Batavia, N.Y./Alexander) got the opening takedown, but Tyler Kenney reversed him then reversed again and added a takedown in the second. Young rolled through for his own reversal in the first 10 seconds of the third period and nearly took Kenney to his back, but he had to cut him late and Kenney fought off the late attempts at a tying takedown to hold on 7-5.
149
In a matchup of nationally ranked opponents, SHU's Austin Shaw got the opening takedown.
Dom Means (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic) nearly had him reversed near the edge, but couldn't corral Shaw in bounds. Shaw went up 6-1 midway through the second, but Means reversed him back then got an escape and takedown in the third to tie it 6-6. Shaw had the riding time point locked up though, and Means had to cut him to go for the takedown, which Shaw held off to give the guests a 14-0 lead.
157
Evan Fisler (Sewell, N.J./Washington Township) got right to work, getting the opening takedown then turning Logan McKoy for four near the edge of the mat. A 10-1 leader after one, Fisler spun around for another takedown near the end of the second, then added another on his way to a 15-3 major that flipped the momentum of the match.
165
Scoreless through the opening three minutes,
Alex Farenchak (Painesville, Ohio/Riverside) turned it on starting with a single that he worked into a takedown 45 seconds into the second. He turned the bout against fellow regionally ranked Sean Hoover into a takedown clinic in the third, wrapping up three off them to go with two stall points and a riding time to get a second straight major, 12-4.
174
Luigi Yates (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) surrendered the first takedown, but bounced back with a vengeance, scrambling for a reversal that put Alec Shaw straight to his back. Yates nearly got the pin, but had to settle for a six-point move. Shaw got a takedown to tie it with 30 seconds left in the match, but cut Yates to go for the winning takedown. Yates wouldn't allow it, getting the Golden Knights within three at 14-11.
184
After a feeling out period through the first,
Joel Leise (Transfer, Pa./Reynolds) got out from bottom 30 seconds into the second. He then picked an ankle to get the first takedown in the final moments of the second for a 3-0 lead. Seton Hill's Joey Romjue chose neutral headed to the third, but it was Leise that got the next two, tossing Romjue by and spinning around for the final points of a 5-0 decision to tie the match.
197
Freddie Nixon (Buffalo, N.Y./St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute) continued the strong run for Gannon at 197. He twice trailed — first after a second-period takedown from Billy Bowlen then again after Bowlen escaped early in the third — but got to Bowlen's knee with 20 seconds left in the bout and pulled it in for a 4-3 lead. One return to the mat with eight seconds left, and the Knights took their first lead of the night at 17-14.
285
Facing a size disadvantage,
Gehrig Hutchison (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) faced Beistel for the match, but Beistel picked up two takedowns in each of the first two periods to hold a 9-4 lead. Beistel got a stall point late and added a riding time point to secure the 13-6 decision.
MATCH NOTES
- In a match that was tight throughout, the tiebreaker cruised past the first two criteria — most bouts won (tied 5-5) and most six-point wins (tied 0-0). Criteria C is most bout points scored in non-six-point matches (decisions, major decisions and tech falls), and Seton Hill earned a 66-65 edge there to sneak away with the win in the dual.
- There were four head-to-head matchups between regionally ranked opponents, with Gannon winning three. Farenchak (3rd) topped Hoover (4th) at 165, Leise (4th) bested Romjue (5th) at 184, and Nixon (1st) got by Bowlen (3rd) at 197. Austin Shaw (2nd regionally, 10th nationally) topped Means (3rd regionally, 11th nationally) at 149.
- Fisler won his fourth straight, and is 11-2 against non-Division I opponents this season.
- In the B Team dual against Mercyhurst North East, the first seven bouts ended short of seven minutes. Reese Vollmer (Port Allegany, Pa./Port Allegany) and Nicolas Marsico (Kennedy Township, Pa./Montour) each picked up falls early in the second period as the two teams went back and forth.
- The Knights also won two of the final three bouts, with Brian Zehe and Brad Crislip (Ravenna, Ohio/Ravenna) each putting up impressive seven-point decisions.
UP NEXT
- The Golden Knights are back home Friday, hosting Shippensburg in a PSAC dual back at the Hammermill Center. Five seniors — Faris Messai (Jamestown, Pa./Jamestown), Giovanni Ciotti (Erie, Pa./General McLane), Anthony Williamson (Moorestown, N.J./Moorestown), Patrick Walker (Hatboro, Pa./Upper Moreland) and Darnell Parker (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva) — will be honored prior to the Senior Day match, with first whistle at 7 p.m.
