Findlay, Oh. - Mercyhurst wresting went on the road for their first contest of the new year and got started off on the right foot. Mercyhurst found themselves in the middle of a back-and-forth fight with Findlay Friday night that swung the Laker's way in a big way late thanks to wins at 174 and 197 to secure the 20-15 win.

How it Happened

Mercyhurst came out of the gates strong as they were able to grab a win in the opening bout of the match. Billy Smith started things off at 125 with a win via decision, 4-0. Smith came out as the aggressor with the sophomore was able to grab a three-point takedown in the opening period before adding one more in the final few seconds to help make it a 3-0 lead for Mercyhurst. 

After dropping the 133 bout by a decision to tie things up, the Lakers reclaimed the lead in their next match with Jake Niffeneger grabbing the win at 141. Much like Smith's match, Niffeneger was able to put the first points on the board with a three-point takedown in the opening stanza. The reigning All-American got his second takedown in the second period to help make it 6-2 and begin to put some distance between himself and his counterpart before the securing the 6-3 win to make it 6-3 in favor of the Lakers.

The 149 bout was a close one that saw Findlay able to come out of the gates hot, but the Laker's Bret Minnick ended up grabbing a three-point takedown in the final seconds of the second to take a 4-3 lead. He then added on with his second takedown of the bout in the third period to help give him a small cushion he then turned into an 11-5 lead on his way to the decision to make it 9-3 for Mercyhurst. Findlay managed to work things back to a three-point deficit, though, with their second win via a decision at 157 to make it 9-6.

Dillon Walker helped Mercyhurst add onto their lead at 165 with the junior grabbing a decision win. He got on the board in the opening frame with three points on a takedown before a successful escape in the second to make it 4-0. The native of Cincinnati, Oh. was not done there, though, with him grabbing his second takedown of the bout in the early portion of the third before riding time made it an 8-1 score in the end, helping the Lakers take a 12-6 advantage. He was followed up by Chase Stein at 174 who came out of the gates hot. A pair of takedowns in the first period set the tone for his chance on the mat, taking a 6-2 lead into the second period. Findlay was able to come back and tie things up in the second period of his bout with a late takedown before an escape by Stein to open the third give the Laker the late lead. He held onto the slim one-point lead to win 7-6 and make it 15-6 in favor of Mercyhurst. 

184 ended up going the way of the Oilers to make it 15-9 in favor of the Lakers. Trever Begin helped Mercyhurst get back on the board in a big way in his matchup at 197 with 11 points in the opening period. He grabbed a three-point takedown in the first few seconds before a pair of near falls. Begin stayed on the attack in the second canto, but it was not until the third he was able to get back on the board, earning the tech fall and moving the Laker's lead to 20-9. The Oilers came out in the heavyweight match as the aggressors and got the win in the bout, but ultimately fell in the 20-15 final.

Next Match

Mercyhurst turns their attention to the PSAC portion of their schedule now as they are set to see Millersville next on Friday, January 19th, in a 7:00 p.m. matchup. After that, they stay on the road to see Shippensburg the following day at 10:00 a.m.