University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
2006 Clarion University Duals
#5 Wrestlers Go 1-2 Against Division I Teams at Clarion Duals
12/17/06...Head Coach Pat Pecora and the #5-ranked Mountain Cat wrestlers battled three more Divison I teams at Sunday's 2006 Clarion University Duals and came away with a 1-2 record. Pitt Johnstown opened with 22-12 and 21-16 losses to Kent State (OH) University and Lock Haven University, before finishing the day with a 25-15 win over the host school. The Mountain Cats are now 4-4.
The Mountain Cats took a 6-4 lead over Kent State after three matches on decision wins by Brandon Reasy (133 lbs.) (New Enterprise, Pa.) and Shane Valko (141 lbs.) (Windber, Pa.). However, Kent State took a lead it would never give up with a major decision victory at 149 lbs. and a decision win at 157 lbs. Pitt Johnstown added six more points on Albert Miles' (165 lbs.) (Canonsburg, Pa.) and Mike Corcetti's (184 lbs.) (Export, Pa.) decisions.
In Sunday's second match, Lock Haven jumped out to an 18-0 lead after five matches and held off a stong Pitt Johnstown comeback for a 21-16 win. After falling behind, the Mountain Cats rallied for four wins in the last five matches, but it wasn't enough. Miles (165 lbs.) and heavyweight Jon Neese (Chambersville, Pa.) won by decision, while Corcetti (184 lbs.) earned a 15-6 major decision over Tom Kocher at 184 lbs., and Mike Fowler (Carrolltown, Pa.) pinned Dustin Pine at 3:57 at 197 lbs.
Pitt Johnstown wrapped up the day with an impressive 25-15 win over Clarion. Derrek Bosso (125 lbs.) (Pequea, Pa.) started the match with a 6-4 win over Patrick Feeley, before the Golden Eagles took a 9-3 lead with decision victories in the next three matches. However, Pitt Johnstown came roaring back. Joe Strittmatter (157 lbs.) (Ebensburg, Pa.) quickly tied the score with a fall over Lucas Christopher at 2:49. Clarion took the lead again with a 3-2 win at 165 lbs., but Eli Garshnick (Armagh, Pa.) and Corcetti gave the Mountain Cats the lead for good with falls at 174 and 184 lbs. Garshnick pinned Scott Joseph at 2:56, and Corcetti, who ended with day with three wins, followed with a fall over Brian Thomason at 2:33. Fowler then picked up a 13-2 major decision over Dixon Jordan to put Pitt Johnstown up 25-12. Clarion's A.J. Brooks set the final score at 25-15 in favor of Pitt Johnstown when he defeated Chris Dempsey (Sewickley, Pa.), 6-1, in the heavyweight bout.
The Mountain Cats will break for the holidays, before traveling to the Wilkes Open on December 28.
Last Reviewed: December 17, 2006