Erie, Pa. - Mercyhurst wrestling saw a tough opponent Friday night in the form of the Pitt-Johnstown Mountain Cats and despite their best effort, were unable to come away with the win. The Lakers put up a tough fight from one bout to the next but still found themselves down at the end of the matchup, 31-9

How it Happened

Billy Smith was the first one of the mat for the Lakers at 125, trying to help his team move out in front but it was a major decision for UPJ that made it a 4-0 score at the end of the first contest. Mercyhurst was able to respond with both Nate Knowlton and Jake Niffenegger getting wins, making it 9-4 in favor of the Lakers. Knowlton was aggressive in getting the win and helping show the Mountain Cats they would not go away quietly. The freshman ended up getting a pinfall victory, 6-4, before Niffenegger followed with a win via a decision.

Despite Mercyhurst able to get the lead, UPJ responded in enemy territory. A pinfall win at 149 allowed Pitt-Johnstown to reclaim the lead at 10-9 before going on a run to create some distance between themselves and the Lakers. While UPJ was unable to get bonus points with their wins, they managed to stack victories and slowly grow out their lead with five-straight wins via a decisions. It was a 25-9 score in favor of the Mountain Cats ahead of the heavyweight matchup with UPJ grabbing a pinfall win to round out the competition.

Highlights

Nate Knowlton picked up a pinfall win in his matchup at 133 to get the first win for the Lakers. The freshman is now 9-11 on the season with three wins in his last four bouts with him earning falls in two of those wins, helping him end the season on a high note.

Next Match

Mercyhurst has just one more match on the docket for their regular season as they see cross-town rival, Gannon, on Friday, February 16th. The Lakers and Golden Knights are set to do battle at 7:00 p.m. inside the Mercyhurst Athletic Center with the team set to honor their four seniors prior to the match.