The match began at 141, where Nittany Lion senior DeWitt Driscoll (Connellsville, Pa.) facing Cornell's Matt Easter. Driscoll, ranked 12th nationally, Driscoll opened up the match with a take down :50 in and added two near fall back points. Easter got a point for a Driscoll illegal hold before Driscoll added two more back points. Up 6-1 heading into the second, Driscoll chose down to start the second. After an early escape, he notched another take down and two more back points. Driscoll continued to dominate action for the remainder of the period and, after a stall point, entered the third up 12-1. Easter notched a take down a minute into the final period in an effort to fight off a technical fall. Driscoll escaped quickly and upped his lead to 13-3. With a riding time point, Driscoll posted a 14-3 win and gave PSU an early 4-0 lead and improved his record to 9-4.
Senior James Woodall (St. Dupont, Pa.) sparred with Cornell's Keith Dickey at 149. Woodall, ranked No.9, scored a take down, nearly pinning Dickey in the process, a minute in but managed no back points. A Dickey escape would send the bout to the second with the score 2-1. Dickey chose down to begin the second an escaped to knot the bout at 2-2. Woodall would take Dickey down and nearly pin him again, only to get reversed in the process. With the score tied 4-4, Woodall found himself down and giving up two back points to trail 6-4. Dickey, strong on top, would hold Woodall down to carry a 6-4 lead heading into the third. Woodall chose neutral to start the third and took Dickey down with :30 left. The Nittany Lion let him up immediately and within seconds took Dickey down a final time, rode him out, and posted a thrilling 8-7 win. The victory improved Woodall's mark to 5-2 and upped the early Lion lead to 7-0.
Nittany Lion Nathan Galloway (State College, Pa.) faced Cornell's Dustin Manotti at 157 in a battle or ranked wrestlers. Galloway entered the bout ranked 15th while Manotti had a lofty No. 2 ranking. Manotti began the bout with a takedown 1:10 into the bout. Galloway posted an escape :30 later but was taken down soon after to fall behind 4-1. Galloway escaped again and trailed 4-2 heading into the second. Galloway chose down to start the second and closed to within one with an escape. Neither wrestler could manage another point and the bout went to the third with Manotti holding a slim 4-3 lead. The Cornell wrestler chose down to start the third. An escape gave him a 5-3 lead. Manotti fought off a Galloway take down attempt and held that lead with 1:25 left. Galloway continued to supply the offensive pressure, putting Manotti on his heels, but the Big Red senior was able to hold the Nittany Lion junior off steal a hard-fought 5-3 win. Penn State's lead was cut to 7-3 with the loss and Galloway fell to 8-7.
Nittany Lion true freshman David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) opened up his bout with 11th-ranked Steve Anceravage of Cornell with a quick take down and over a minutes worth of riding time. Anceravage, a sophomore from Bloomsburg, escaped but was quickly taken down again by the Lion true freshman. Up 4-1, Erwin let Anceravage up and fought off a solid Anceravage shot to carry a 4-2 lead into the second period. Anceravage chose down to start the second and escaped to cut the lead to 4-3. Erwin fought off another close Anceravage attempt at the end of the second and rode that 4-3 lead into the third. Choosing down to begin the final period, Erwin would escape in time to maintain a 1:14 riding time edge and a 5-3 lead. Erwin would control the remaining time and, with riding time, post an impressive 6-3 win over the ranked Anceravage. Penn State was up 10-7 and Erwin improved to 17-4 with the win.
At 174, 12th-ranked James Yonushonis (Philipsburg, Pa. defeated Cornell's Luke Hogle. Yonushonis and Hogle would battle evenly throughout the first three minutes, but neither would score, sending the bout to the second tied at zero. Yonushonis chose down to begin the second and escaped to a 1-0 lead in :15. Yonushonis got a takedown with just :12 left in the second and rode Hogle out to take a 3-0 lead into the final two minutes. Hogle began the third down and escaped quickly. The Nittany Lion junior quickly posted another take down and continued to dominate the action. Yonushonis would post yet another takedown and grab an important 7-3 win. The victory put Penn State up 13-3 and improved Yonushonis' record to 12-3.
Making his 2006 Rec Hall debut, Nittany Lion Eric Bradley (Plaistow, N.H.) would tangle with Cornell's Dan Miracolo. Bradley, ranked No. 1 in the nation and a winner in his season debut on Friday night, would notch the bout's first takedown halfway through the first period. Bradley would not let Miracolo up and headed into the second up 2-0 with 1:42 in riding time. Bradley chose down to start the second and escaped in short order to increase his lead to 3-0. Bradley scored another take down and let Miracola up. Trailing 5-1, Miracola began the third down and was allowed up by Bradley, who immediately applied the offensive pressure, getting another takedown shortly thereafter. Working for bonus points, Bradley let Miracola up again and scored again on the edge of the mat to go up 9-3. The Nittany Lion All-American would get the key take down with :20 left and rode Miracola out, getting the riding time point and the 12-4 major decision. Bradley moved to 2-0 with the win while pushing Penn State's lead to 17-3.
In a marquee match-up of ranked grapplers, Nittany Lion All-American Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.) met Cornell's Jerry Rinaldi. Davis entered the bout ranked No. 6 while Rinaldi was No. 9. The bout would go scoreless through the first three minutes and Davis chose down to start the second. Davis escaped just :16 in to take a 1-0 lead. The duo would end the second with each nearly scoring off a late Rinaldi shot, but still no takedowns and the match entered the third with Davis holding the slim one point lead. Rinaldi chose down to begin the third but could not fight off Davis. Cornell was hit with a stall call giving Davis a 2-0 lead and the Nittany Lion sophomore continued to ride Rinaldi, amassing a riding time edge and working towards an impressive 3-0 win. Davis' victory upped Penn State's large lead to 20-3 and improved his mark to 10-3.
Senior Joel Edwards (Upper Darby, Pa.) got the call at heavyweight and took Cornell's Zach Hammond down just second into the bout. On his way to clinching the dual, Edwards would continue to Hammond throughout the first period. He took a 4-1 lead and 2:40 riding time into the second period. Edwards chose down to begin the second and quickly escaped to go up 5-1. Hammond would answer with a takedown to cut the Edwards lead to 5-3 with a minute left in the second. But Edwards would quickly escape and notch another takedown to take an 8-3 lead into the final period with a guaranteed riding time point. Hammond chose neutral to start the final period. Edwards quickly posted another takedown. Two stall points later and Edwards would notch a 13-3 major decision, pushing the Nittany Lion lead to 24-3 and clinching the dual. Edwards improved his record to 9-2.
Sophomore Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.) met 5th-ranked Troy Nickerson at 125. Nickerson, with a perfect 16-0 mark heading into the bout, took Haas down a minute in. Haas would escape, but not until 1:09 of riding time had accrued. Nickerson would get another takedown to carry a 4-1 lead into the second period. Haas chose down to begin the middle stanza and was let up by Nickerson. Haas would tie the bout with a takedown :30 in. But a Nickerson escape would give the Cornell grappler a 5-4 lead. Nickerson would answer with another takedown to up his lead to 7-4 entering the final period. Nickerson began the third on the bottom and escaped to an 8-4 lead. Nickerson would post another takedown and two back points, with the riding time point, would post an impressive 15-5 major. Penn State led 24-7 and Haas fell to 13-4.
The final bout featured two of the nation's top 133-pounders in Penn State's Jake Strayer (South fork, Pa.), ranked No. 13, and Cornell's Mike Mormile, ranked No. 10. Strayer would nearly get the first takedown on the edge of the mat, but Mormile would fight off the attempt to keep the bout scoreless midway through the first. Strayer, setting the tempo and not to be denied, would get the first takedown shortly thereafter and ride Mormile for the remainder of the first to lead 2-0 entering the second. Strayer chose down to start the second and escaped in just :15 seconds. He would continue to force the issue and get another takedown to up his lead to 5-0. Mormile would get his first point off an escape, but not until Strayer had posted a 1:17 edge in riding time. Strayer led 5-1 entering the final period. Mormile chose neutral to start the third and nearly got a takedown, but the Nittany Lion freshman held of the Cornell senior to maintain his edge. Leading in his upset bid, Strayer continued to dictate the bout's tempo and would not allow Mormile another offensive chance. Strayer would post the 6-1 win and give the Lions the 27-7 win. Strayer improved to 13-1 with the win.
Penn State improved to 7-2 with the win while Cornell fell to 0-2. The Nittany Lions have now won four straight and are 5-2 vs. ranked opponents. The Lions outscored Lehigh and Cornell 51-21 in the weekend's two duals. Also, prior to the match, two-time national champion Andy Matter was honored as one of Penn State's three two-time champions. Strayer was named the dual's Ridge Riley Award winner for Most Outstanding Wrestler.
Penn State treks to Lock Haven on Wednesday night in its next dual. Match time in Thomas Fieldhouse begins at 7 p.m. Penn State's next home duals are slated for Jan. 27 and 29. Penn State hosts Michigan State on Friday, Jan. 27, at 7:30 p.m. and Minnesota on Sunday, Jan. 29, at 1 p.m. Single match tickets can be purchased by visiting the Bryce Jordan Center Ticket Center or by calling 814-865-5555 or 800-863-3336. Prices are $5 for adults and $3 for youth and senior citizens.
Dual Summary
#12 Penn State 27, #10 Cornell 7
January 8, 2006 - State College, Pa. - Rec Hall
141: #12 DeWitt Driscoll PSU
maj. dec. Matt Easter CU, 14-3 4-0
149: #9 James Woodall PSU
def. Keith Dickey CU, 8-7 7-0
157: #2 Dustin Manotti CU
def. #15 Nathan Galloway PSU, 5-3 7-3
165: David Erwin PSU
def. #11 Steve Anceravage CU 6-3 10-3
174: #12 James Yonushonis PSU
def. Luke Hogle CU, 7-3 13-3
184: #1 Eric Bradley PSU
maj. dec. Dan Miracola CU, 12-4 17-3
197: #6 Phil Davis PSU
def. #9 Jerry Rinaldi CU, 3-0 20-3
HWT: Joel Edwards PSU
maj. dec. Zach Hammond CU, 13-3 24-3
125: #5 Troy Nickerson CU
maj. dec. Tim Haas PSU, 15-5 24-7
133: #13 Jake Strayer PSU
def. #10 Mike Mormile CU 6-1 27-7
Records: Penn State 7-2, Cornell 0-2
Attendance: 2,233
Next up for PSU: Visits Lock Haven on Wed., Jan. 11 at 7 p.m.
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