Virginia Tech takes top-10 tussle over Lehigh, 20-17
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by Lehigh Athletics and Virginia Tech Athletics
Lehigh Press Release
BLACKSBURG, Va. - No. 10 Virginia Tech won six of 10 bouts from No. 9 Lehigh to claim the battle of top 10 teams by a 20-17 score Friday night at Cassell Coliseum. Both teams had two bonus-point victories on the night but it was the Hokies' ability to claim three one-point victories that tilted things in their favor.
The Mountain Hawks trailed 10-9 at intermission after BC LaPrade edged junior Ian Brown 3-2 in a tiebreaker at 157, but two bouts later an impressive technical fall by sophomore Jordan Kutler at 174 put Lehigh back in front. The Hokies took the lead for good at 184 and cemented the win when second-ranked Jared Haught edged freshman Chris Weiler by a mere point at 197.
With the loss, Lehigh falls to 9-3 in duals, while Virginia Tech improves to 11-2.
"We had our opportunities, but we got beat in some of the worst ways you can get beat," Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro said. "It was unfortunate. We just didn't have the fight. We've been flat before but we've always fought. We didn't have that tonight."
The dual started with a forfeit to senior Darian Cruz at 125, and freshman Nick Farro, started strong at 133, with a first period takedown over 17th-ranked Dennis Gustafson at 133. The match went into the third period tied 2-2 but Gustafson rode out the entire two minutes to claim the riding time point and a 3-2 decision.
Freshman Luke Karam extended Lehigh's lead to 9-3 with a 4-0 decision over Brent Moore at 141. Karam was surprisingly ridden out in the second period but scored a late first period takedown and added a crucial takedown in the third, riding out to erase Moore's time advantage.
Virginia Tech claimed the next three bouts to go in front 13-9. At 149, Ryan Blees broke open a close bout with senior Jonathan Mele with a takedown and four point near fall in the third period, while a slight riding time advantage cemented a 14-6 major decision.
Brown and LaPrade were tied 1-1 through regulation time with Brown having one stall warning to his credit. After a scoreless sudden victory period, Brown escaped in the first half of the tiebreaker but was hit for stalling in that period, tying the bout at 2-2. LaPrade escaped in the second half of the tiebreaker and thwarted a late Brown shot attempt to win 3-2 and give the Hokies a 10-9 lead at intermission.
Fourth-ranked David McFadden improved to 25-0 on the season with a 9-2 decision over junior Gordon Wolf at 165. McFadden used two takedowns and a two point near fall to lead 6-1 after one period while Wolf had to work at the end to avoid giving up the bonus point.
Kutler dominated Cody Hughes on his feet, racking up 11 takedowns in a 24-9 technical fall that came at the 7:00 mark.
Freshman Dylan Ammerman made his Lehigh dual debut at 184 against eighth-ranked Zack Zavatsky. Zavatsky won an early scramble for the initial takedown, before settling in for a 10-1 major decision that gave Virginia Tech a 17-14 lead with two bouts remaining.
After keeping Haught to a 6-3 decision at the Journeymen Collegiate Classic in November, Weiler got the nod at 197 and scored the opening takedown off a scramble. Haught answered with a reversal and then a takedown of his own, while two Weiler escapes made the score 4-4 after one period. Another reversal in the second period but Haught up 6-5 after two and in the third, Haught used a strong ride to cement riding time advantage, with Weiler only able to escape in the final seconds. The 7-6 decision put the Hokies up 20-14 with one bout remaining and clinched criteria if the Mountain Hawks were to put up six points at heavyweight.
Freshman Jordan Wood was solid against fellow deferred freshman and Bethlehem native Andrew Dunn. Wood escaped to open the second period then scored a takedown and rode out, with that 1:26 advantage eventually resulting in a 4-0 decision to close out the match.
"The back half guys all showed up and wrestled hard," Santoro said. "You don't get many times to compete in your life. You don't get many times in a season. There's nothing to fear. You have to wrestle fearlessly. You have to wrestle for seven minutes and give yourself a chance. Matches are hard enough to win without trying.
"You have to try to do things," Santoro continued. "You have to make yourself good. You have to attack your fears and your weaknesses. That just didn't happen tonight."
The Mountain Hawks will be off from competition next weekend and will return to action when they visit No. 8 Arizona State on Friday, Feb. 9. Match time is set for 9 p.m. ET (7 p.m. MT) from Tempe, Ariz., with coverage on ESPN Radio of the Lehigh Valley (1230/1320/1160-AM) and ESPNLV.com.
No. 10 Virginia Tech 20, No. 9 Lehigh 17
125 - Darian Cruz (Lehigh) won by forfeit
133 - Dennis Gustafson (VT) dec. Nick Farro (Lehigh) 3-2
141 - Luke Karam (Lehigh) dec. Brent Moore (VT) 4-0
149 - Ryan Blees (VT) major dec. Jonathan Mele (Lehigh) 14-6
157 - BC LaPrade (VT) dec. Ian Brown (Lehigh) 3-2 tb
165 - David McFadden (VT) dec. Gordon Wolf (Lehigh) 9-2
174 - Jordan Kutler (Lehigh) tech fall Cody Hughes (VT) 24-9, 7:00
184 - Zack Zavatsky (VT) major dec. Dylan Ammerman (Lehigh) 10-1
197 - Jared Haught (VT) dec. Chris Weiler (Lehigh) 7-6
285 - Jordan Wood (Lehigh) dec. Andrew Dunn (VT) 4-0
Virginia Tech Press Release
BLACKSBURG - A major decision from Ryan Blees at 149 pounds and a 3-2 decision from B.C. LaPrade in the second tiebreaker period gave No. 10 Virginia Tech the lead for good as the ! Hokies topped No. 9 Lehigh, 20-17, in front of 2,947 at Carilion Clinic Court of Friday evening.
Despite a forfeit at 125 pounds that put the Hokies (11-2, 1-0 ACC) in an early hole, Tech won six of the next nine matches to take the dual.
Dennis Gustafson got Tech on the board with a 3-2 decision at 133 but the Mountain Hawk extended its lead to 9-3 with a decision at 141. A takedown and four near fall points in the third period gave Blees a major decision with riding time, giving the Hokies a key bonus point win at 149.
Blees’ major set the stage LaPrade’s win over Lehigh’s Ian Brown at 157. With a caution already on Brown in the first tiebreaker period, he led 2-1 but was called for stalling again on the edge of the mat with the clock winding down that gave LaPrade a point and tied the score up at 2-2, forcing a second tiebreaker period. LaPrade escaped in TB-2 and it was all he needed to put the Hokies ahead 10-9 at intermission.
Zack Zavatsky’s ninth-consecutive bonus point win, a 10-1 decision at 184, and a decision from Jared Haught sealed the win for the Hokies.
The Hokies return to action tomorrow at Cassell Coliseum against Duke at 1 p.m.
BLACKSBURG, Va. - No. 10 Virginia Tech won six of 10 bouts from No. 9 Lehigh to claim the battle of top 10 teams by a 20-17 score Friday night at Cassell Coliseum. Both teams had two bonus-point victories on the night but it was the Hokies' ability to claim three one-point victories that tilted things in their favor.
The Mountain Hawks trailed 10-9 at intermission after BC LaPrade edged junior Ian Brown 3-2 in a tiebreaker at 157, but two bouts later an impressive technical fall by sophomore Jordan Kutler at 174 put Lehigh back in front. The Hokies took the lead for good at 184 and cemented the win when second-ranked Jared Haught edged freshman Chris Weiler by a mere point at 197.
With the loss, Lehigh falls to 9-3 in duals, while Virginia Tech improves to 11-2.
"We had our opportunities, but we got beat in some of the worst ways you can get beat," Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro said. "It was unfortunate. We just didn't have the fight. We've been flat before but we've always fought. We didn't have that tonight."
The dual started with a forfeit to senior Darian Cruz at 125, and freshman Nick Farro, started strong at 133, with a first period takedown over 17th-ranked Dennis Gustafson at 133. The match went into the third period tied 2-2 but Gustafson rode out the entire two minutes to claim the riding time point and a 3-2 decision.
Freshman Luke Karam extended Lehigh's lead to 9-3 with a 4-0 decision over Brent Moore at 141. Karam was surprisingly ridden out in the second period but scored a late first period takedown and added a crucial takedown in the third, riding out to erase Moore's time advantage.
Virginia Tech claimed the next three bouts to go in front 13-9. At 149, Ryan Blees broke open a close bout with senior Jonathan Mele with a takedown and four point near fall in the third period, while a slight riding time advantage cemented a 14-6 major decision.
Brown and LaPrade were tied 1-1 through regulation time with Brown having one stall warning to his credit. After a scoreless sudden victory period, Brown escaped in the first half of the tiebreaker but was hit for stalling in that period, tying the bout at 2-2. LaPrade escaped in the second half of the tiebreaker and thwarted a late Brown shot attempt to win 3-2 and give the Hokies a 10-9 lead at intermission.
Fourth-ranked David McFadden improved to 25-0 on the season with a 9-2 decision over junior Gordon Wolf at 165. McFadden used two takedowns and a two point near fall to lead 6-1 after one period while Wolf had to work at the end to avoid giving up the bonus point.
Kutler dominated Cody Hughes on his feet, racking up 11 takedowns in a 24-9 technical fall that came at the 7:00 mark.
Freshman Dylan Ammerman made his Lehigh dual debut at 184 against eighth-ranked Zack Zavatsky. Zavatsky won an early scramble for the initial takedown, before settling in for a 10-1 major decision that gave Virginia Tech a 17-14 lead with two bouts remaining.
After keeping Haught to a 6-3 decision at the Journeymen Collegiate Classic in November, Weiler got the nod at 197 and scored the opening takedown off a scramble. Haught answered with a reversal and then a takedown of his own, while two Weiler escapes made the score 4-4 after one period. Another reversal in the second period but Haught up 6-5 after two and in the third, Haught used a strong ride to cement riding time advantage, with Weiler only able to escape in the final seconds. The 7-6 decision put the Hokies up 20-14 with one bout remaining and clinched criteria if the Mountain Hawks were to put up six points at heavyweight.
Freshman Jordan Wood was solid against fellow deferred freshman and Bethlehem native Andrew Dunn. Wood escaped to open the second period then scored a takedown and rode out, with that 1:26 advantage eventually resulting in a 4-0 decision to close out the match.
"The back half guys all showed up and wrestled hard," Santoro said. "You don't get many times to compete in your life. You don't get many times in a season. There's nothing to fear. You have to wrestle fearlessly. You have to wrestle for seven minutes and give yourself a chance. Matches are hard enough to win without trying.
"You have to try to do things," Santoro continued. "You have to make yourself good. You have to attack your fears and your weaknesses. That just didn't happen tonight."
The Mountain Hawks will be off from competition next weekend and will return to action when they visit No. 8 Arizona State on Friday, Feb. 9. Match time is set for 9 p.m. ET (7 p.m. MT) from Tempe, Ariz., with coverage on ESPN Radio of the Lehigh Valley (1230/1320/1160-AM) and ESPNLV.com.
No. 10 Virginia Tech 20, No. 9 Lehigh 17
125 - Darian Cruz (Lehigh) won by forfeit
133 - Dennis Gustafson (VT) dec. Nick Farro (Lehigh) 3-2
141 - Luke Karam (Lehigh) dec. Brent Moore (VT) 4-0
149 - Ryan Blees (VT) major dec. Jonathan Mele (Lehigh) 14-6
157 - BC LaPrade (VT) dec. Ian Brown (Lehigh) 3-2 tb
165 - David McFadden (VT) dec. Gordon Wolf (Lehigh) 9-2
174 - Jordan Kutler (Lehigh) tech fall Cody Hughes (VT) 24-9, 7:00
184 - Zack Zavatsky (VT) major dec. Dylan Ammerman (Lehigh) 10-1
197 - Jared Haught (VT) dec. Chris Weiler (Lehigh) 7-6
285 - Jordan Wood (Lehigh) dec. Andrew Dunn (VT) 4-0
Virginia Tech Press Release
BLACKSBURG - A major decision from Ryan Blees at 149 pounds and a 3-2 decision from B.C. LaPrade in the second tiebreaker period gave No. 10 Virginia Tech the lead for good as the ! Hokies topped No. 9 Lehigh, 20-17, in front of 2,947 at Carilion Clinic Court of Friday evening.
Despite a forfeit at 125 pounds that put the Hokies (11-2, 1-0 ACC) in an early hole, Tech won six of the next nine matches to take the dual.
Dennis Gustafson got Tech on the board with a 3-2 decision at 133 but the Mountain Hawk extended its lead to 9-3 with a decision at 141. A takedown and four near fall points in the third period gave Blees a major decision with riding time, giving the Hokies a key bonus point win at 149.
Blees’ major set the stage LaPrade’s win over Lehigh’s Ian Brown at 157. With a caution already on Brown in the first tiebreaker period, he led 2-1 but was called for stalling again on the edge of the mat with the clock winding down that gave LaPrade a point and tied the score up at 2-2, forcing a second tiebreaker period. LaPrade escaped in TB-2 and it was all he needed to put the Hokies ahead 10-9 at intermission.
Zack Zavatsky’s ninth-consecutive bonus point win, a 10-1 decision at 184, and a decision from Jared Haught sealed the win for the Hokies.
The Hokies return to action tomorrow at Cassell Coliseum against Duke at 1 p.m.
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