Erie, Pa. - After competing against Kutztwon last night, Mercyhurst wrestling did not have to wait around all too long to get back on the mats as they faced East Stroudsburg Saturday morning inside Gannon University's Recreation and Wellness Center. Mercyhurst got ahead in the early going thanks to a pair of pinfalls and never looked back from there on their way to fifth win in their last six tries in the 37-12 victory.
How it Happened
Mercyhurst found themselves down 6-0 after a forfeit at the 125, but they made up for it quickly in their next bout. Nate Knowlton did no allow the Lakers to stay down for long as he grabbed a pinfall win in his bout at 133. He helped get the ball rolling for his team in a big way as he was the first in back-to-back pinfalls with the second belonging to Jake Niffenegger who made it a 12-6 score for the Lakers.
From there, it was Brett Minnick who extended the teams lead. While he was not able to get a pinfall of his own, the sophomore was dominant in his bout as he was able to work his way to a 19-4 score to earn the tech fall and extend Mercyhurst's lead to double figures at 17-6. Max Stedeford and Dillon Walker continued their consistent play within the middle of coach Wehler's lineup as they both earned wins via decisions, 2-0 and 9-3 respectively.
Mercyhurst went back on the attack in the 174 bout as Chase Stein managed to get the third pinfall of the contest for the Lakers. The sophomore came out aggressive and got his counterpart on his heels which led to a convincing win to make it a 29-6 lead with Mercyhurst in full control. From there, Vincent Scaramuzzino and Trever Begin rounded out the winners for the Lakers as they both earned major decisions, 12-1 and 18-5 respectively. East Stroudsburg did manage to get a win in the heavyweight bout, but it proved to be a moot point as Mercyhurst had put this one to bed well before.
Next Event
Mercyhurst goes on the road for their next matchup after a quick home stand. The Lakers will go on the road to see Seton Hill on Saturday, February 3nd, in a 2:00 p.m. start before coming home for their final matches of the regular season.
