Pitt Hosts Intrasquad Blue and Gold Match
Blue defeats Gold 15-9
Nov. 5, 2009

PITTSBURGH -

Pitt wrestling’s blue team defeated the gold, 15-9, Thursday night in their annual Blue and Gold intrasquad wrestle-off at Fitzgerald Field House.

“These matches are so tough because the guys are wrestling each other,” head coach Rande Stottlemyer said. “But it is something you have to do. I was hoping they would be a little more aggressive, but again, when you wrestle the same guy every day in practice, it is a little difficult to get up for something like this. We saw some positive things tonight though that we will continue to build on.”

At 125, Zach Grove (York, Pa./Central York) and Anthony Zanetta (Pittsburgh, Pa./Keystone Oaks) got the night started with the true freshman, Zanetta, taking the 6-1 victory in the prelims. Zanetta met up with Chris Kochinsky (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) in the finals with the first period ending deadlocked at 0-0. In the second period, Kochinsky took the 1-0 lead on an escape and went on to the 5-3 victory after a near fall in the third.

In the 141 weight class, Tyler Nauman (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) took the semifinals match over Victor Konno (Kempton, Pa./Northwestern Lehigh), pinning him in 2:52. In the second semifinal, freshman Dane Johnson (New Kensington, Pa./Shady Side Academy) earned the 3-1 win over Chris Albright (York, Pa./Red Lion Area) as he took the match to overtime. Johnson scored a takedown in the extra period to advance to the finals against Nauman. In the finals, the duo entered the third period scoreless. Nauman needed only an escape for the 1-0 win.

Eric Albright (York, Pa./New Lion Area) had a bye in the semifinals of the 149 weight class and had to wait for his opponent as Mark Patton (Johnstown, Pa./Westmont Hilltop) earned the 4-2 win over freshman Ian Heist (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) in the semifinals. For the blue team, Albright had three takedowns on the way to the 8-3 victory over Patton.



At 165, Phil Sorrentino (Glassport, Pa./South Allegheny) narrowly defeated Adam Counterman (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth), 3-2 in the preliminary round and moved on to face Karl DeCiantis. DeCiantis (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) defeated Sorrentino in nearly the same way as he took the 3-2 win in the finals.

In the final three weight classes, 174, 197 and 285, there were no preliminary matches. At 174, David Sullivan (Dingmans Ferry, Pa./Delaware Valley) met up with Andy Vaughan (Gibsonia, Pa./Pittsburgh Central Catholic) with Sullivan earning the 3-1 win for the Blue squad.

At the 197 weight class, Matt Wilps (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley) defeated senior A.J. Hunte (Brookline, Mass./Brookline), 3-1. In the heavyweight division, Ryan Tomei (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) showed why he deserved EWL Wrestler of the Week honors as he pinned teammate Dan Nickoli (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) in 5:56.

Pitt resumes action for their first dual matches of the season when the Panthers travel to Drexel on Nov. 13 for a noon match with Sacred Heart and a 1:30 p.m. meeting with host Drexel. Pitt concludes the weekend with a Nov. 15 dual match at Lehigh at 2 p.m.