No. 5 Wrestlers Storm Back to Defeat Mercyhurst
     02/01/13... (Results) The fifth-ranked Mountain Cat wrestlers fell behind 12-3 midway through the match, but Keith Ryan's (Shirleysburg, Pa.) pin at 165 lbs. ignited a string of four consecutive wins that helped lead Pitt-Johnstown to its 11th straight dual meet win with a 20-15 victory at 13th-ranked Mercyhurst College on Friday.  The Mountain Cats improved to 12-2 on the year.

     Mercyhurst, ranked third in Super Region I, jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead with decision wins at 125 and 133 lbs.  Super Region I third-ranked Willie Bohince defeated Region No. 4 Evan Link (Cresson, Pa.), 7-5, and Region No. 3 Dylan D'Urso upset NCAA No. 8 and Region No. 2 Dave Fogle (Summerhill, Pa.), 4-2.

     Pitt-Johnstown, the top-ranked team in the region, got a 6-0 victory from seventh-ranked Dave Cawley (Pittsburgh, Pa.) at 141 lbs. to cut the deficit in half, but the Lakers answered with Region No. 5 Michael Griffith's 7-5 sudden victory over Region No. 3 Jack Bachman (Greensburg, Pa.) at 149 lbs., and Tyler Berger dealt Joel Paolo (Weirton, WV) a 2-0 loss at 157 lbs. to increase the lead to 12-3.

     However, the Mountain Cats stormed back to win the next four bouts to take the lead for good.  At 165 lbs., Ryan, rnked third in the region, pinned Region No. 5 Clint Schaefer at 3:00, and Region No. 5 Gary Lantz (Delta, Pa.) earned a 17-5 major decision over Angelo Bortoluzzi at 174 lbs. to give Pitt-Johnstown its first lead of the night.

     Travis McKillop (Lower Burrell, Pa.), ranked sixth in the country and first in the Region at 184 lbs., followed with an 8-0 major dedcision over Eric Lundgren, and Region No. 5 Nikos Garafola (Greensburg, Pa.) held off Seth Stonis, 7-4, at 197 lbs. to secure the Mountain Cats' win.

     Mercyhurst closed it out at 285 lbs. with Jeff Pollard's 2-1 double-overtime decision over Region No. 3 Josh Duplin to set the final at 20-15.

     With the loss, the Lakers dropped to 12-2.

     The Mountain Cats return home to host three straight duals meets beginning with Seton Hill University on Wednesday and Anderson (SC) University on Saturday, February 9.  Both matches will start at 7 p.m. in the Sports Center.