Head Coach Pat Pecora (42nd season) and the 11
th-ranked Pitt-Johnstown wrestling team will host PSAC Rival Gannon University, Friday night in the Sports Center. Start time is scheduled for 7 p.m.
The Mountain Cats are 8-3 overall and 3-0 in the PSAC Pitt-Johnstown is coming off of a pair of impressive victories. The Mountain Cats earned a 21-17 come-from-behind win at No. 25 Seton Hill on January 16, before dominating No. 19 Wheeling Jesuit (WV), 36-6, behind
Sam Holandez's (133 lbs.) 7-0 win over 2-time All-American and No. 2 Dustin Warner last Saturday in the Sports Center.
The Mountain Cats are led by 2017 All-American
Cody Law (157 lbs.), two-time National Qualifier
D.J. Sims (285 lbs.), and National Qualifiers
Chris Eddins (141 lbs.),
Devin Austin (165 lbs.), and
Levi Niebauer (197 lbs.).
Nationally for Pitt-Johnstown,
Law (157 lbs.) is ranked second, while
Eddins (141 lbs.) is fourth, and
Niebauer (197 lbs.) is seventh.
Gannon comes in at 5-4 overall and 2-2 in the PSAC under 34
th-year
Head Coach Don Henry. The Golden Knights earned a 33-13 PSAC victory at East Stroudsburg last Friday, before suffering a 19-17 conference loss at Kutztown on Saturday.
Gannon is led by 2017 All-Americans
Carmine Ciotti (5
th-Place at 133 lbs.) and
Nick Budd (6
th-Place at 285 lbs.), and 2017 National Qualifiers
Jake Stratton (174 lbs.) and
Nick Costa (184 lbs.).
Nationally for the Golden Knights,
Costa is ranked 10
th at 184 lbs. and
Budd is seventh at 285 lbs.
Last year, Pitt-Johnstown traveled to Erie on January 21 and came away with a 24-9 win over the Golden Knights. Other than a forfeit win by the Mountain Cats at 133 lbs., all nine of the remaining matches were decided by decision.
Key Match-Ups: 2017 National Qualifier and NCAA No. 4
Chris Eddins (UPJ) vs. 2017 All-American
Carmini Ciotti (GU) at 141 lbs…2017 All-American and NCAA No. 2
Cody Law (UPJ) vs.
Connor Day (GU) at 157 lbs…2016 National Qualifier
Devin Austin (UPJ) vs. Jared Sample (GU) at 165 lbs.…
Steve Edwards (UPJ) vs. 2017 National Qualifier
Jake Stratton (GU) at 174 lbs…
Alex Delp (UPJ) vs. 2017 National Qualifier and NCAA No. 10
Nick Costa (GU) at 184 lbs…2017 National Qualifier and NCAA No. 7
Levi Niebauer (UPJ) vs. Ethan Budd (GU) at 197 lbs…2-time National Qualifier
D.J. Sims (UPJ) vs. 2017 All-American and No. 7
Nick Budd (GU) at 285 lbs.
Pitt-Johnstown will host a PSAC match against Millersville on Friday at 7 p.m. in the Sports Center. The Mountain Cats will then close out the regular season at Shippensburg on February 6, before hosting Mercyhurst for Senior Night on February 9 at 7 p.m.
