THE RUNDOWN

• Final Score: No. 21 Gannon 32, No. 11 Mercyhurst 11
• Records: Gannon (8-5, 5-1 PSAC) | Mercyhurst (10-5, 1-3 PSAC)
• Location: Mercyhurst Athletic Center — Erie, Pa.

GAMEDAY MEDIA CENTER

• Box Score: Click here
• Webcast Replay: Click here
• PSAC Scoreboard: Click here
• PSAC Standings: Click here
• Don Henry Rapid Reaction: Click here
• Updated Gannon Statistics: Click here

 
KEY SEQUENCE

• Mercyhurst cut into an early Gannon lead with its first bout win, but the Golden Knights stormed back with four straight bonus point wins to put it away. The first two of those came with Dom Means (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic) finishing off a pin in the second period at 149, followed by Evan Fisler (Sewell, N.J./Washington Township) decking his opponent in the first to swing momentum back in favor of the Knights.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
125
Jacob Dunlop (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon), wrestling just his second match since early January, got the match off to a strong start, getting a takedown one minute in and riding out the period. He added an escape and takedown in the second, then rang up two more takedowns and a four-point tilt in the third to earn a 14-4 major over another regionally ranked wrestler in Mercyhurst's Jacob Ruggeri.
 
133
A flurry of action throughout the opening period resulted in no points between Austin Hertel (Rochester, N.Y./Hilton) and Mercyhurst's Eric Bartos. The two traded escapes early in the second and third, and looking for a winning takedown or heading to overtime, Hertel took advantage. He countered a shot from Bartos, grabbed his head and snapped, spinning around to grab an ankle and secure the other to earn the winning points with 10 seconds left.
 
141
Two first-period takedowns earned Mercyhurst's Alexis Soriano a quick lead, but Nick Young (Batavia, N.Y./Alexander) slipped out of both, then added another escape to start the second to make it a one-point match. Soriano stretched that to 5-3 with an escape in the third, and fended off a number of shots from Young to hold on to a 5-3 decision.
 
149
Dom Means (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic) surrendered the opening takedown against Hurst's Alex Samson when the latter won a scramble, but Means didn't allow anything the rest of the way. Going back to an arm bar time and time again, Means turned Samson once in the first period after getting his own takedown, then ran him over midway through the second to finish off the pin in 4:21.
 
157
Evan Fisler (Sewell, N.J./Washington Township) got the first takedown and took Mike Clark directly to his back in the first period. Clark managed to roll out of that threat, but after a restart, Fisler took advantage. With Clark stitting down looking to break grip for an escape, Fisler pounced, locking up a cradle and holding on to tighten it up and record the fall in 1:20.
 
165
Using heavy hands in neutral, Alex Farenchak (Painesville, Ohio/Riverside) started a takedown clinic early. He repeatedly got Jason Breeden's head near the mat, and was able to spin around for the first takedown in the first period, and four more in the second. Farenchak used a power half to turn Breeden with a minute left to get a tech fall in his sights, but Breeden fought him off to hold on to an 18-4 major.
 
174
Connor Day (Elma, N.Y./Iroquois Central) would allow the opening takedown, but he wrangled out of a mat return to get a reversal and went to work from there. Using legs and an arm, he turned Mercyhurst's Nick Konyk, and readjusted his weight to get his own fall in 1:39.
 
184
Joel Leise (Transfer, Pa./Reynolds) used a slick single-let just 20 seconds in to notch the first takedown, a move that would prove to be decisive in the bout. Hurst's Trever Begin escaped on the next restart, but neither wrestler could score again other than escapes from bottom to start periods. Leise had a nice counter to a shot midway through the third and held on for a 3-2 win.
 
197
In a matchup of two nationally ranked wrestlers, Freddie Nixon (Buffalo, N.Y./St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute) and Mercyhurst's Luke McGonigal battled to a scoreless first three minutes despite plenty of action. Nixon nearly had the match's first takedown midway through the second, burying McGonigal's head and spinning, but he couldn't grab the far leg to gain control, and eventually gave up a counter to McGonigal. Needing a takedown to tie it, Nixon got a front headlock with 1:15 left, but McGonigal managed to grab a leg and finish his own takedown for a 6-1 decision.
 
285
Facing yet another nationally ranked opponent, Gehrig Hutchison (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) fought off some attempts from Mercyhurst's Jacob Robb, and pushed the action himself, but Robb got a pair of takedowns in the first and a reversal in the second. A couple nearfalls in the third upped Robb's lead, and a riding time point at the end made it a 16-1 tech fall.
 
MATCH NOTES

• Gannon ran its dual winning streak to five straight. It snapped the streak of the Golden Knights winning at least eight bouts in four straight duals, although the guests still won seven.
• Fisler continued his impressive run, winning his ninth in a row.
• Hertel has had an incredible run of tight matches. Tuesday's win in the final seconds was his fifth in his last seven that was decided in the final minute of the third or in overtime. He's 3-2 in those five, including two wins over Bartos.
• Six of the 10 weights featured both wrestlers ranked in the top six in the Super Region 1 coaches poll. Gannon went 4-2 in those matchups.
• Through six PSAC duals this season, Gannon is outscoring opponents 197-59. Dating back to last season, each of the Knights' past 10 PSAC duals have either been decided by one point or a 20-plus-point Gannon win.
• With the win, the Golden Knights will go into Saturday's dual at No. 4 Pitt-Johnstown with a shot at a second straight PSAC championship.

 
UP NEXT

• The Golden Knights close their dual season with a de facto PSAC title match at No. 4 Pitt-Johnstown Saturday evening. The 7 p.m. dual will feature live video.