Pitt Wrestling
Pitt Wrestling Chases Win Against Army
The University of Pittsburgh Wrestling team had to literally chase their win against Army West Point at the Fitzgerald Fieldhouse today. Army racked up a plethora of stalling calls. While Army did have several wrestlers showing out, many Pitt wrestlers were pulling their opponents back into the circle for takedown points. Once on the mat, Army was great at lying flat, giving Pitt little to work with.
Several key matches led Pitt to the win. And many of them, on the buzzer. At 141, Pitt’s Cole Matthews gave up two right off the bat to Army’s Thomas Deck. Seconds later, Matthews escaped, returned the favor to Deck and put him on his back. Matthews pinned Deck with just one second left in the first period.
At 197, Pitt’s Nino Bonaccorsi owned Army’s JT Brown with the Turk. Brown did a whole lot of nothing for most of the match except for lay flat. Racking up multiple stalling calls. Bonaccorsi had no choice but to continue taking points on the take down and giving up escapes. By the third period, Brown decided he wanted to wrestle and Bonaccorsi gave up two points to a take down. Bonaccorsi also had a stalling call while on bottom, but ultimately won the match.
In the 157-weight bracket, Elijah Cleary had a buzzer beater. With no points racked up after the first period, Cleary fought for take downs throughout the rest of his match against Army’s Markus Hartman. At the last second of the final period, Cleary scored a takedown to win the match 4-2.
MATCH BREAKDOWN
125
No. 31 Gage Curry vs Ryan Chauvin
Gage Curry started off the match hot with a takedown 30 seconds into the match. The pattern continued again and again, with a score of 6-2 after the first period. Curry chose bottom in the second, escaped and spent the second period hand fighting, Chauvin had his turn on bottom in the third, Curry allowed an escape point, Chauvin was called for stalling and Curry took Chauvin down at the edge of the mat with seconds left in the third. Cleary won the match by major decision 12-4.
133
No. 7 Micky Phillippi vs. Mark Montgomery
Mark Montgomery started strong with a takedown off the top. Phillippi escaped and started taking shots, eventually scoring two at the edge of the mat. By the second period, Phillippi found his groove and had back-to-back take downs. Montgomery was hit with a stalling call in the second as well. Phillippi continued racking up points with take down and won the match by major decision 14-5.
141
No. 23 Cole Matthews vs. Thomas Deck
A quick match for Pitt’s Cole Matthews. Army’s Thomas Deck scored a takedown right at the top of the first period but Matthews bounced back, taking Deck down and turning him to his back. Matthews Pinned Deck with one second left in the first period.
149
Luke Kemerer vs. No. 23 PJ Ogunsanya
Pitt’s Luke Kemerer struggled to find his groove with Army’s PJ Ogunsanya who controlled much of their match. Ogunsanya had a takedown in the first, while Kemerer escaped, he struggled to earn any points other than one. In the second, Kemerer chose down and escaped, but Ogunsanya took additional points for takedowns. In the third period, Kemerer was taken down two additional time. Ogunsanya won by major decision 15-5.
157
No. 21 Elijah Cleary vs. No. 28 Markus Hartman
Pitt’s Elijah Cleary found for a takedown in the first against Army’s Markus Hartman, but the score remained 0-0. In the second, nothing but hand fighting and takedown attempts. By the third, Hartman took bottom, earning an escape, Cleary found an opportunity and scored a takedown, tying up the match with seconds left. At the final buzzer, Cleary shoots again and wins the match 4-2
165
No. 13 Jake Wentzel vs. No. 32 Dalton Harkins
Pitt’s Jake Wentzel had a slow start against Army’s Dalton Harkins. There was very little action in the first period, nothing but hand fighting in the second and in the third, Wentzel chose bottom, escaped and then was called for stalling. Wentzel won 1-0.
174
Hunter Kernan vs. No. 29 Ben Pasiuk
Pitt’s Hunter Kernan fell to Army’s Ben Pasiuk in the second period. In the first, Pasiuk took Kernan down twice. By the second, Pasiuk racked up back points before throwing Kernan in a cradle and winning by fall.
184
No. 31 Gregg Harvey vs. Sahm Abdulrazzaq
Pitt’s Gregg Harvey struggled to get Army’s Sahm Abdulrazzaq to wrestle. Harvey took bottom in the second period and earned an escape point. While Abdulrazzaq did take a shot in the second, it ended in a stalemate and Harvey used an ankle pick to earn two points bringing the score 3-1. By the third, Abdulrazzaq earned an escape point after choosing down, earned two more for a takedown, which Harvey escaped from and then Harvey earned his own takedown points with less than a minute left in the match. Harvey won the match 6-4.
197
No. 8 Nino Bonaccorsi vs. No. 25 JT Brown
Pitt’s Nino Bonaccorsi wrestled aggressively from the jump, with two takedowns in the first period. Army’s JT Brown gave Bonaccorsi little to work with after those take downs, Brown was eventually called for stalling. Bonaccorsi continued with an escape in the second after choosing bottom and a take down to end the period. By the third, Brown decided to wrestle, earning a takedown. Bonaccorsi stayed on bottom, earning a stalling call for himself but ultimately winning the match 7-4.
285
Jake Slinger vs. Brandon Phillips
Pitt’s Jake Slinger was literally pulling Phillips into the circle as he tried to takedown points. Army’s Brandon Phillips continued to try to get away, earning him a stalling call. Slinger was able to score two takedowns throughout the match. Slinger won the match 4-0.
Final score was Pitt 29, Army West Point, 10.
Pitt will faces off against Michigan Sunday afternoon.
