Freshman Andrew Welton earned a 3-0 decision win in the heavyweight bout, lifting the eighth-ranked Mercyhurst University wrestling team to a 23-15 victory at 15th-ranked Pitt-Johnstown and giving the Lakers their second consecutive PSAC title – the first two Division II dual titles in the history of the conference.
It was Mercyhurst's 12th consecutive victory as it finishes the regular season with an 18-1 overall record and a perfect 7-0 mark against PSAC opponents. The Mountain Cats had their 12-match winning streak snapped, dropping to 13-2 overall and 5-2 in the conference. It was also the first time that head coach Mike Wehler has beaten Pitt-Johnstown since joining Mercyhurst in 2007. The Lakers improved to 2-12-1 lifetime against UPJ.
In the first match of the night, redshirt junior Ryan Bohince was pitted against eighth-ranked Dave Fogle of Pitt-Johnstown. After a quick takedown by Fogle, Bohince countered with an escape to cut the lead to 2-1. Moments later, Fogle earned another takedown for a 4-1 advantage. Another escape by Bohince proved to be the final point of the first period.
Bohince escaped to start the second, cutting the Fogle lead to 4-3. The Laker junior scored a takedown late in the period to take a 5-4 advantage and then rode him out to close out the period. Fogle escaped to start the third period and then picked up a quick takedown to go back in front 7-5 with a minute left. Those would prove to be the final points of the 125-pound bout as Fogle claimed an 8-5 decision with the riding time point.
At 133, redshirt sophomore Kody Young battled Pitt-Johnstown's Luke Palamides. After a slow first two minutes, Young made a quick move to score a takedown and a three-point nearfall to jump in front 5-0 after the opening period. Young countered a move by Palamides in the second period to turn it into a takedown and a 7-0 lead after five minutes.
Young chose bottom to start the third and was nearly pinned early but was able to get out and pick up an escape point for an 8-0 advantage. Palamides countered with a takedown, but Young picked up an escape for a 9-2 lead and then scored a two-point takedown in the final second to get the major decision 11-2 victory and a 4-3 Laker advantage.
Seventh-ranked sophomore Dylan D'Urso was up next at 141 against UPJ sophomore Sam Hanau. Hanau had D'Urso in trouble early but the Laker sophomore forced a stalemate. After the whistle, D'Urso scored a quick takedown for a 2-0 lead. Hanau later countered with a reversal to tie the bout at 2-2 after the opening three minutes.
Hanau scored a quick escape to start the second period, taking a 3-2 advantage on D'Urso. But, the number two wrestler in the region countered with a takedown late in the second to take a 4-3 lead after two.
D'Urso was in a world of trouble early in the third period but was able to weather the storm to earn a stalemate. After the whistle, D'Urso picked up an escape for a 5-3 advantage and then, in the final seconds, earned a takedown for 7-3 win and a 7-3 lead for the Lakers.
The win extended D'Urso winning streak to 16 straight and 34 consecutive victories in dual action. He improved to 25-2 on the season.
The highlight of the night was, arguably, at 149 where redshirt sophomore Jeremy Landowski was pitted against his cousin, Cole Landowski of UPJ. It was a scoreless first period, but both took shots to attempt to grab early points.
UPJ's Landowski grabbed a 2-0 lead midway through the second on a foul and an escape. The Lakers' Landowski scored a takedown in the final seconds of the middle stanza to tie the bout.
The Laker sophomore picked up a reversal after choosing bottom to start the third to grab a 4-2 advantage. He, then, was able to ride out his cousin until the final second, picking up a riding time point in the process for a 5-3 victory.
It was Landowski's 14th consecutive victory as he improved to 18-4 on the season.
At 157, redshirt freshman Francis Mizia battled UPJ's Heath Coles and, after a scoreless first two minutes, Mizia scored a takedown for a 2-0 lead and then added a two-point nearfall for a 4-0 advantage after one period.
Coles grabbed an escape to start the second, cutting the Mizia lead to 4-1. But, Mizia countered with a takedown late in the second to hold a 6-1 lead after two periods. The Laker freshman chose bottom to start the third and drew an escape for a 7-1 advantage. A late takedown and an added riding point gave Mizia a 10-1 major decision victory and a 14-3 Mercyhurst lead.
Mizia improved to 24-4 on the season.
Redshirt senior Clint Schaefer was pitted against UPJ senior Gary Lantz, ranked fourth in the region, at 165 to begin the second half of the night. After a scoreless first period, Lantz scored a quick escape to start the second to take a 1-0 lead. He added a takedown to build his lead to 3-0, but Schaefer added an escape to cut Lantz' lead to 3-1 after two periods.
Lantz added a takedown to start the third, building his lead to 5-1. A stalling point and a riding time point gave Lantz a 7-1 victory, cutting the Mercyhurst lead to 14-6.
Redshirt sophomore August Mizia took a quick 5-0 lead on John Blankenship at 174, scoring a takedown and a three-point nearfall in the opening minute. Mizia quickly turned it into a pinfall just 90 seconds into the match for a 20-6 Laker lead.
It was Mizia's seventh fall of the season as he improved to 22-4 on the season.
Freshman Dakota DesLauriers attempted for the major upset when he took the mat at 184 against third-ranked Travis McKillop of UPJ. McKillop earned a takedown midway through the first period to take a 2-0 lead. McKillop added a two-point nearfall for a 4-0 lead after one.
McKillop added an escape midway through the second for a 5-0 margin. McKillop scored a takedown past the midway mark of the third period and then added a riding point for an 8-0 win over DesLauriers. The four team points cut the Mercyhurst lead to 20-10.
Redshirt sophomore Brian Beattie allowed an early takedown to UPJ's Zac Bennett to start the 197-pound bout. Bennett added a three-point nearfall late in the period and then a stalling point for a 6-0 advantage after three minutes.
Beattie was nearly pinned on two different occasions in the second period, but was able to turn it into a reversal to keep from allowing six points. However, Bennett held a 15-2 lead after two periods. Bennett scored two points on a nearfall early in the third to score the technical fall, setting up the heavyweight showdown.
Welton took center stage against the Mountain Cats' Josh Duplin in the final bout of the night with the Lakers clinging to a five-point lead. After a scoreless opening period, Welton chose bottom to start the second and drew an early escape for a 1-0 lead. Welton would add a takedown late in the third to seal the victory.
Mercyhurst heads back to Johnstown on March 1 and March 2 for the NCAA Division II Super Region I Championships. The tournament determines qualifiers for the NCAA Tournament later in the month.
Results:
125 lbs. #8 Dave Fogle (UPJ) decision over Ryan Bohince (MU), 8-5
133 lbs. Kody Young (MU) major decision over Luke Palamides (UPJ), 11-3
141 lbs. #7 Dylan D'Urso (MU) decision over Sam Hanau (UPJ), 7-3
149 lbs. #8 Jeremy Landowski (MU) decision over Cole Landowski (UPJ), 5-3
157 lbs. Francis Mizia (MU) major decision over Heath Coles (UPJ), 10-1
165 lbs. Gary Lantz (UPJ) decision over Clint Schaefer (MU), 7-1
174 lbs. August Mizia (MU) fall over John Blankenship (UPJ), 1:30
184 lbs. #2 Travis McKillop (UPJ) major decision over Dakota DesLauriers (MU), 8-0
197 lbs. Zac Bennett (UPJ) technical fall over Brian Beattie (MU), 17-2
285 lbs. Andrew Welton (MU) decision over Josh Duplin (UPJ), 3-0
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