The match started at 125 pounds and sophomore Whitt Dunning earned a 13-2 major decision verdict versus Steve Gambino. After falling behind, 2-0, Dunning reeled off 13 unanswered points on the strength of two takedowns and a pair of near falls.
Freshman Matthew Kyler gave Army a 7-0 advantage in the team scoring after taking a 6-0 decision from Matt Swallow. Kyler parlayed a pair of takedowns into the shutout victory.
East Stroudsburg cut Army's advantage to 7-3 when Sean Carr defeated Austin Milster, 11-5, at 141 pounds.
The Black Knights regained their seven-point cushion, however, as sophomore Brian Rowan got past Alex Bimes, 8-3, in the 149-pound bout. The three-point decision gave Army a 10-3 lead. Daniel Geib increased Army's advantage to 13-3 as the sophomore seized an 8-2 decision versus Ben Bishop at 157 pounds. Geib accumulated two takedowns and scored a key reversal in the third period to take control of the bout.
Army's streak of wins continued in the 165-pound bout, where sophomore John Drew earned a hard-fought 4-2 decision. Drew trailed, 2-1, after the first period, but he was able to come from behind to earn the victory and put the Black Knights in front, 16-3.
East Stroudsburg pulled to within 16-12 after Shane Mallory defeated Ryan Mergen, 5-2, at 174 pounds, and David Williams pinned Richard Starks in 2:34 at 184 pounds.
Mallory led the 174-pound bout, 2-1, heading into the third period, but Mergen knotted the score at 2-2 following an escape. Mallory pulled out the win when he took Mergen to the mat in the final 10 seconds.
At 184 pounds, Williams scored a pair of takedowns before finally recording the pin near the conclusion of the first period.
Senior co-captain Connor Sanders was credited with a win via forfeit at 197 pounds to clinch the match for Army. The six-point decision gave the Black Knights a 22-12 lead with just one bout remaining.
Nathan Thobaben closed out the scoring for Army, registering a 2-0 decision over Charles Deighton in the heavyweight bout.
Army head coach Chuck Barbee was pleased with the performance of his improving squad.
"I was really happy to get the win," remarked Barbee. "The guys wrestled hard. I don't think it was our best performance, but they showed some fight out there and got the job done.
"Matt Kyler keeps putting forth workmanlike performances out there, added Barbee. "He felt a little rusty after wrestling seven matches on Sunday, but he fought it out and beat a pretty tough competitor. Whitt Dunning did a nice job in his bout. He racked up quite a few points in the third period and got a good major decision for us."
Army is idle now until January, when the Black Knights begin the second half of their season against Franklin & Marshall on Jan. 4 at 7 p.m. at Christl Arena.
The time off will give Barbee time to reevaluate his team.
"It's good to have the break now," mentioned Barbee. "We have to reassess (the team) and look at our starting lineup. We have a lot of improvement to make between now and January. I think we've made some good headway, and we've identified some weaknesses that we need to address."
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