ERIE, Pa. – Eleventh-ranked Mercyhurst won the first six weight classes, including two by major decisions, to build a 20-0 lead as the Lakers finished with a 23-18 victory over No. 15 Findlay in the final dual meet of the regular season. 

The win is the eighth-straight for the Lakers and raises their record to 16-5-1, setting the program record for season dual-meet victories and winning percentage, eclipsing the 2005-06 squad that went 15-8. 

The victory also marks the 10th consecutive meet that Mercyhurst has went undefeated (9-0-1), tying the 2006-07 squad that holds the record for consecutive wins when it closed out the season winning nine straight before tying Pitt-Johnstown in the season finale. 

Payne Lint kicked action off at 125 lbs, entering the third period with a 4-2 advantage before surrendering an escape point with just under a minute left. However, the senior maintained the lead and added a point for riding time for the 5-3 decision.

At 133 lbs, Michael Baxter narrowly avoided an upset after Findlay's Michael Peraino tied the match with 30 seconds remaining at 3-3 before Baxter finished with an escape to finish the Lakers second-straight decision at 5-3. 

Lance Pitcel turned up the intensity in the third period and made the team score 10-0 with his 10-2 major decision over Alex Shumaker at 149 lbs before Andy Lamancusa stretched his winning streak to 12 matches with a 13-3 major decision over the Oilers Michael Lybarger. 

The nation's top-ranked 165-pounder in Mercyhurst's Josh Shields entered the third period tied 2-2 with Shields answering Findlay's Justin Shannon 2-0 lead on a takedown of his own in the waning seconds of the middle stanza. Shields began the ending period down and quickly put up an escape point to make the score 3-2, which would stay as the final. 

Pat Leahy came from behind in the second period to take a 4-3 lead before giving up two points to Jeff Halvelka in the final 20 seconds to enter the third with a 5-4 deficit. Halvelka took the lead once more with just under a minute remaining to make it 7-6, outlasting a rallying Leahy for Findlay's first victory of the night. 

Findlay would claim the remaining three weight classes on the night, including falls by the nation's fourth-ranked Hiram Smith at 187 lbs (2:36) and Andy Zalaiskans at 197 lbs (2:40).

Boxscore:
No. 11 Mercyhurst 23, No. 15 Findlay 18
125: Payne Lint (MC) dec. Nick Weisjahn (UF), 5-3 (3-0)
133: Michael Baxter (MC) dec. Michael Peraino (UF), 5-3 (6-0)
141: Lance Pitcel (MC) maj. dec. Alex Shumaker (UF), 10-2 (10-0)
149: Lenny Calhoun (MC) win by forfeit (16-0)
157: Andy Lamancusa (MC) maj. dec. Michael Lybarger (UF), 13-3 (20-0)
165: Josh Shields (MC) dec. Justin Shannon (UF), 3-2 (23-0)
174: Jeff Havelka (UF) dec. Pat Leahy (MC), 7-6 (23-3)
184: Hiram Smith (UF) win by fall over Tim McAndrew (MC), 2:36 (23-9)
197: Andy Zalaiskalns (UF) win by fall over Matt Mix (MC), 2:40 (23-15)
HWT: Travis Clark (UF) dec. Nathan Sharp (MC), 2-0 (23-18)