Buffalo, N.Y. – Mercyhurst sophomore Josh Shields ended as the runner-up at 165 pounds and five other Lakers placed at the Buffalo Open Sunday to begin the 2008-09 wrestling season.

 

Ranked No. 13 in the NCAA Division II preseason poll, the Mercyhurst wrestling team got the season started in impressive fashion. Along with Shields' result, Bryan Wolff placed third at 184, Andy Lamancusa (157) and Mike Sullivan (heavyweight) finished fifth, and Michael Baxter (133) and Brian Pogel (149) placed sixth.

 

Shields, seeded second, advanced to the semifinals by defeating Wilmington's Andrew Place 7-1 and Ohio State's AJ Agazarm 5-4. He then beat Clarion's Travis Uncapher, the No. 3 seed, 2-0 to meet top-seeded Colt Sponseller of Ohio State. Sponseller had outscored his first three opponents 60-29 but found the going a bit tougher against Shields, edging out the Lakers' only returning All-American 8-4.

 

Wolff started the tournament well, defeating No. 5 seed Tom Kocher, of Lock Haven, in his opening round match 7-3. After barely losing to top-seeded Mickey Moran, of Buffalo, 5-3, he defeated Bloomsburg's Jacob Dabishinsky 8-5 for third place.

 

Seeded fourth at 157, Lamancusa won five matches, including a victory over teammate Kevin Hardy, the No. 6 seed at that weight class. He defeated Buffalo's Desi Green 3-2 to take fifth place.

 

Sullivan was unseeded at heavyweight but picked up a couple of early wins before losing to second-seeded Frank McGrath of Gannon. He bounced back to advance to the fifth place match and defeated Ohio State's John Hiles, seeded fifth, in a thrilling 3-1 overtime tilt.

 

Competing in his first collegiate wrestling event, freshman Michael Baxter opened by defeating Gannon's Chris Santucci 7-6. He was defeated by the top seed, Reece Humphrey of Ohio State, and the No. 6 seed Ian Paddock, but still advanced to the fifth place match by defeating Navy Prep's Ben Levin and Gannon's Ethan Swope. He was defeated by Bethel Park's John Flemming, the No. 3 seed, 6-2.

 

Pogel, seeded sixth, picked up a couple of early wins before losing to No. 3 seed Jared Kusar, of Ohio State. He bounced back to defeat Clarion's Chris Lascari 7-1 but defaulted a pair of match to finish sixth.

 

Although he did not place, Eric Fulmer upset the No. 2 seed at 184, Rutgers' McPaul Ogbanna 4-3.

 

Mercyhurst will be back in action Saturday when the Lakers host the National Catholic Invitational in the Mercyhurst Athletic Center, beginning at 9 a.m.

 

125 Pounds

Payne Lint def. Rocco Rosso (Niagara CCC) 16-2

#6 Dan Bishop (Buffalo) def. Payne Lint 7-2

#5 Pat Harrington (Ohio State) def. Payne Lint 4-2

 

133 Pounds

Michael Baxter def. Chris Santucci (Gannon) 7-6

#1 Reece Humphrey (Ohio State) def. Michael Baxter 25-10

Michael Baxter def. Ben Levin (Navy Prep) F 6:12

Michael Baxter def. Ethan Swope (Gannon) 5-2

#6 Ian Paddock (Unattached) def. Michael Baxter forfeit

Fifth place match – #3 John Flemming (Bethel Park) def. Michael Baxter 6-2

 

Ethan Swope (Gannon) def. James Henderson 8-6

James Henderson def. Chris Santucci (Gannon) F 6:42

Kevin Green (Niagara CCC) def. James Henderson 7-5

 

141 Pounds

Shawn Klemm def. Brock Banse-Fay (Jamestown CC) F 0:58

Shawn Klemm def. Tim Brown (Wilmington) F 2:00

#1 Garrett Scott (Edinboro) def. Shawn Klemm F 2:31

Kareem Naguib (Binghamton) def. Shawn Klemm 17-2

 

Zach Kell (Lock Haven) def. Lance Pitcel F 4:38

Lance Pitcel def. Tim Brown (Wilmington) 14-11

Lance Pitcel def. Matt Metzler (Finger Lakes) 10-8

Lance Pitcel def. Derrick Adams (Niagara) default

A.J. Milanak (Gannon) def. Lance Pitcel 13-5

 

149 Pounds

#6 Brian Pogel def. P.J. Barch (Bloomsburg) 5-3

#6 Brian Pogel def. Brad Marquet (Lock Haven) F 2:15

#3 Jared Kusar (Ohio State) def. #6 Brian Pogel 17-5

#6 Brian Pogel def. Chris Lascari (Clarion) 7-1

#4 Josh Roosa (Bloomsburg) def. #6 Brian Pogel default

Fifth place match – Don Vinson (Binghamton) def. Brian Pogel default

 

157 Pounds

Jordan Shields def. Isac Fagbuyi (American International) F 4:28

#1 Jason Johnstone (Ohio State) def. Jordan Shields 13-1

Jordan Shields def. Dustin Tancredi (Bloomsburg) 2-1

Jordan Shields def. Dan Foley (Ohio State) 3-2

Zach Basich (Navy Prep) def. Jordan Shields 5-3

 

#4 Andy Lamancusa def. Desi Green (Buffalo) 5-3

James Flemming (West Mifflin) def. #4 Andy Lamancusa 5-2

#4 Andy Lamancusa def. Joe Goyette (Jamestown CC) 17-1

#4 Andy Lamancusa def. Justin McCrillis (Clarion) 16-5

#4 Andy Lamancusa def. #6 Kevin Hardy 8-6

#4 Andy Lamancusa def. Zach Basich (Navy Prep) 12-10

James Flemming (West Mifflin) def. #4 Andy Lamancusa forfeit

Fifth place match - #4 Andy Lamancusa def. Desi Green (Buffalo) 3-2

 

#6 Kevin Hardy def. Dustin Tancredi (Bloomsburg) 4-0

#6 Kevin Hardy def. Joe Bockmore (Edinboro) F 4:26

#3 Darryl Cocozzo (Unattached) def. #6 Kevin Hardy 2-1

#4 Andy Lamancusa def. #6 Kevin Hardy 8-6

 

165 Pounds

#2 Josh Shields def. Andrew Place (Wilmington) 7-1

#2 Josh Shields def. A.J. Agazarm (Ohio State) 5-4

#2 Josh Shields def. #3 Travis Uncapher (Clarion) 2-0

Championship - #1 Colt Sponseller (Ohio State) def. #2 Josh Shields 8-4

 

174 Pounds

#1 David Rella (Ohio State) def. Pat Leahy F 1:02

Matt Gregg (Duquesne) def. Pat Leahy 12-4

 

Brian Sheehan (Unattached) def. Kyle Raber 9-6

Kyle Raber def. Eric Giles (Alfred) F 2:03

Kyle Raber def. Brent Teague (Navy Prep) F 2:57

Jeremy Sanders (Ohio State) def. Kyle Raber 7-4

 

Pat Carter def. Derrick Caldwell (Lock Haven) 9-1

T.C. Pendleton (Ohio State) def. Pat Carter 12-5

Pat Carter def. Joe Boykan (Navy Prep) F 6:27

Matt Gregg (Duquesne) def. Pat Carter 6-5

 

184 Pounds

Andrew Buck (Navy Prep) def. Eric Lundgren 16-11

Eric Lundgren def. Yaakov Bloch (American International) 14-2

#2 McPaul Ogbanna (Rutgers) def. Eric Lundgren 13-9

 

Bryan Wolff def. #5 Tom Kocher (Lock Haven) 7-3

Bryan Wolff def. Kadeem Samuels (Lehigh) 7-4

#1 Mickey Moran (Buffalo) def. Bryan Wolff 5-3

Bryan Wolff def. Clint Podish (Clarion) forfeit

Third place match – Bryan Wolff def. Jacob Dabishinsky (Bloomsburg) 8-5

 

Eric Fulmer def. Matt Place (Southern State CC) 9-0

Eric Fulmer def. #2 McPaul Ogbanna (Rutgers) 4-3

Jacob Dabishinsky (Bloomsburg) def. Eric Fulmer 4-3

#5 Tom Kocher (Lock Haven) def. Eric Fulmer 4-2

 

285 Pounds

#1 Corey Morrison (Ohio State) def. Nathan Sharp 15-9

Nathan Sharp def. Rob Weidel (Wilmington) F 0:49

Nathan Sharp def. #6 John Weakley (Ohio State) default

Nathan Sharp def. Kelvan Valencia (American International) 3-2

Nathan Sharp def. Michael Horton (Edinboro) default

#5 John Hiles (Ohio State) def. Nathan Sharp 3-2

 

Kenny Bluska def. David Christopher (Niagara CCC) F 3:32

Michael Horton (Edinboro) def. Kenny Bluska 2-0

Kenny Bluska def. Phil Catrucco (Clarion) 10-5

Sam Cervantes (Navy Prep) def. Kenny Bluska F 2:50

 

Mike Sullivan def. Sam Cervantes (Navy Prep) 7-3

Mike Sullivan def. Gabe Murtoff (Lock Haven) 9-5

#2 Frank McGrath (Gannon) def. Mike Sullivan F 2:21

Mike Sullivan def. Pat Walsh (Ohio State) 9-1

Mike Sullivan def. Sam Cervantes (Navy Prep) 6-0

#4 Sean Dedeyn (Rutgers) def. Mike Sullivan forfeit

Fifth place match - Mike Sullivan def. #5 John Hiles (Ohio State) 3-1ot