ERIE, Pa. -- Ninth-ranked Mercyhurst improved to 15-1 overall and a perfect 6-0 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference with a 33-6 victory against crosstown-rival Gannon at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center on Wednesday night. The Golden Knights dropped to 6-3 on the season.
The win was the ninth consecutive victory for the Lakers, who have not lost since Jan. 3 at San Francisco State - still the team's only loss of the season.
Mercyhurst won eight of 10 matches during the evening, pulling away late with a fall by redshirt sophomore August Mizia, a technical fall by redshirt sophomore Brian Beattie, and a fall by freshman Andrew Welton to give the Lakers the 27-point team victory.
Gannon started early with a victory by Matt Turek at 125-pounds, setting up the drama that ensued in the following bout.
The best match of the night was at 133-pounds where redshirt sophomore Kody Young was matched up against Gannon's Adam Weinell. Each wrestler earned an escape during the first three periods, sending the match to overtime tied at 1-1. Neither wrestler scored during sudden victory No. 1 and both Young and Weinell rode each other out during their 30-second segments. But, in sudden victory 2, Young scored on a takedown to end the match with a 3-1 victory.
Sophomore Dylan D'Urso put Mercyhurst ahead for good at 141-pounds with a major decision, 15-3 victory against Gannon's John Marotto. Redshirt sophomore Jeremy Landowski, redshirt freshman Francis Mizia, and redshirt senior Clint Schaefer followed with decisions to give the Lakers a 16-3 advantage.
August Mizia earned a pin with nine seconds left in the match to put the night out of reach as the Lakers held a 22-3 advantage at that point. Redshirt sophomore Angelo Bortoluzzi gave fifth-ranked Zach Zelcs everything he could handle at 184, but dropped a 6-4 decision. Beattie and Welton followed with 11 team points at 197 and 285 to close out the night.
