"We got some great effort out there tonight, and I can't say anything but praise for our guys," said LHU head coach Rocky Bonomo. "We turned around some decisions from earlier this season, and I loved our hustle in these matches."
Facing their seventh ranked team of the 2005-06 season, the Bald Eagles nearly stole a win from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Champion Fighting Scots.
LHU got wins from sophomore Obenson Blanc (Naples, Fla./Lely) at 125, sophomore Brian Ellis (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty) at 141, junior Seth Martin (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove) at 157 and junior Carlos Ponce (Hialeah, Fla./Hialeah Miami Lakes) at 174.
The night started at 125, a rematch of Blanc's bout with No. 20 Ricky Deubel at the Southern Scuffle. On Dec. 30, Deubel got the better of Blanc to the tune of a 16-0 tech fall, but Blanc wasted no time turning the tables tonight. Heading into the second period up 2-1, No. 15 Blanc picked up the pace with a 4-2 period, eventually getting the 12-6 win, Blanc's third over ranked opponents this season.
At 133, sophomore Casey Moore (Beech Creek, Pa./Central Mountain) drew a tough assignment in No. 1 Shawn Bunch. Bunch earned bonus points with a 12-4 major decision.
Ellis put the Bald Eagles back up 4-3 with an 8-5 decision over PSAC runner-up Rick McLaughlin. The deciding period was the second, 5-1 in Ellis' favor. In another bout featuring two ranked grapplers, No. 8 Gregor Gillespie picked up more bonus points for the Scots with a 15-0 tech fall over No. 17 Joshua Medina (Las Vegas/Pima C.C.).
No. 17 Martin evened the match at 9-9 with a 4-3 win over Matt Hill at 157, and did it in an exciting fashion. Up 2-1 entering the third period, Hill chose down, getting an escape in the first 25 seconds. Hill, with a 3-1 lead, didn't bring the fight to Martin, and gave up a stalling point with 24 seconds left to make it 3-2. Martin made a late shot near the edge of the circle that failed, but skirted around Hill and grabbed control for a takedown with one second on the clock for a dramatic 4-3 win.
At 165, freshman Jacob Lauffenburger (Russell, Pa./Warren) met the Scots' Deonte Penn. Fresh off a PSAC title in which he pinned all three of his opponents, Penn had all he could handle with Lauffenburger, nearly getting pinned on a pair of occasions in the first period. Lauffenburger ended the first period up 6-4, but Penn rallied for the 7-6 win on a riding time point.
The Bald Eagle 174-pounder Ponce got his revenge on Eric Ring for a 4-2 defeat last week, taking down Ring in the last 17 seconds for a 4-2 win of his own. The win brought the match to a 12-12 tie, but EUP would get the final three matches for the win.
Junior Derrick Morgan (Media, Pa./Athens) battled No. 17 Alex Clemsen for the first time this season, dropping a 6-1 bout. At 197, junior Michael Metzger (Shillington, Pa./Governor Mifflin) moved up a class to face Edinboro's Joe Fendone, a 10-6 loss to the PSAC Champion. Senior heavyweight Tim Meyers (Mill Hall, Pa./Central Mountain) dropped a 7-2 decision to Jeremy Mosely for the 21-12 final.
Bonomo, Blanc, Ellis, Martin, Ponce, Moore, Medina, Lauffenburger, Morgan, Metzger, Meyers and the rest of the Bald Eagles are back in action tomorrow, Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m. when they host Cleveland State University (5-4, 1-0 EWL).
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