Jan. 20, 2007

PITTSBURGH - The Panthers returned to the Fitzgerald Field House today for a dual meet against Air Force. Pitt (5-3, 1-0 EWL) never wrestled the Falcons (4-3, 0-0 WW) until today. The Panthers won the bout, 28-9.

Pitt started off at 125 pounds as sophomore Brad Gentzle (Easton, Pa./Easton) faced Air Force's Zach Valdez. With seconds remaining in the first period, Gentzle got on the board with a takedown, giving him a 2-0 lead. The second period was scoreless, and at the beginning of the third, Valdez scored a point on an escape. He received a point for riding time to send the match into overtime. Gentzle scored on a takedown right away to win the bout, 4-2. Pitt took a three-point lead over the Falcons.

In the 133-pound match, Pitt's No. 13 Drew Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg) took on Stephen Makuka of Air Force. The two wrestled earlier this year at the Las Vegas Invitational where Headlee won a 14-3 major decision. Headlee got off to an early, 9-0 lead over Makuka, and three more back points toward the end of the first period gave him a 13-0 lead. A takedown in the second period gave Headlee the 15-0 technical fall at the 3:30 mark. Pitt moved ahead, 8-0.

At 141 pounds, Joe Ciampoli (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) wrestled the Air Force's top wrestler, Jake Kriegbaum. Ciampoli scored on a takedown with under a minute left in the first period. Kriegbaum scored on a reversal to tie the bout up after one period. The two were scoreless in the second, but Kriegbaum had a reversal and a point for riding time in the third to give him the 5-2 decision. The Falcons now had three team points, but Pitt still remained in the lead with eight.

Next up for the Panthers was Mark Generalovich (Pittsburgh, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) at 149 pounds against Air Force's Bridger Lord. In the first period, Lord scored two points on a takedown to take the lead. Lord picked up three more points in the second period, scoring on an escape and a takedown. A point for riding time in the third period gave Lord the 6-0 decision. The Falcons started to close in as Pitt held a close 8-6 lead.

Pitt's No. 8 Matt Kocher (State College, Pa./State College) wrestled Air Force's Zach Lord at 157 pounds. In the first period, Kocher moved to a 4-0 lead, scoring on a takedown and a near fall. Lord came back with an escape to make the score 4-1 at the end of the first. Kocher had an escape in the second and score on a takedown with minutes to go, commanding a 7-1 lead heading into the final period. Kocher picked up four more points in the third and with riding time, won a 12-3 major decision. Pitt moved ahead, 12-6.

Wrestling at 165 pounds, Pitt's Sean Richmond (Emmaus, Pa./Easton) faced Air Force's Duane Miller. Richmond pulled ahead to a 4-2 lead in the first period, scoring on two takedowns. In the second period, Richmond score on two more takedowns, holding Miller to two escapes for an 8-4 lead. Richmond took a 19-8 major decision in the final period to move Pitt ahead, 16-6.

Pitt's No. 3 Keith Gavin (Factoryville, Pa./Lackawanna Trail) took on Air Force's Stephen Crozier at 174 pounds. Gavin moved to an early 5-0 lead, scoring on a takedown and a near fall. He moved to a 12-1 lead heading into the second period. Gavin had two more takedowns to win the technical fall, 17-2 at the 4:01 mark. The Panthers remained in the lead, 21-6.

In at 184 pounds for the Panthers was Mike Heist (Orefield, Pa./Parkland) against Air Force's Jacob Devlin. The two were scoreless in the first period, and Devlin scored on an escape in the second to take a one-point lead. Heist tied it up with an escape early in the third period, but Devlin came back with a takedown for the 3-1 decision. Pitt stayed ahead, 21-9.

At 197 pounds, Pitt's Eric Cassidy (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) wrestled Air Force's Jordan Tribble. Cassidy scored on a takedown in the first period for a 2-0 lead. A reversal and three back points early in the second period, moved him to a 7-0 lead. Cassidy scored four more and with a point for riding time, won a 12-0 major decision. The Panthers took a 25-9 lead.

The final bout of the afternoon was between Pitt's Zach Sheaffer (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) and Air Force's Anthony Stegeman. Sheaffer scored on a takedown in the first for a two-point lead, and Stegeman came back with an escape. The two were scoreless in the second period. Sheaffer had an escape early in the third to take a two-point lead. A takedown moved him to a 5-1 lead. With a point for riding time, Sheaffer won, 6-2. Pitt picked up the dual meet win, 28-9.

Pitt 28, Air Force 9
125: Brad Gentzle (P) dec. Zach Valdez (AF), 4-2                         [3-0, Pitt]
133: Drew Headlee (P) tech. fall Stephen Makuka (AF), 15-0; 3:30  [8-0, Pitt]
141: Jake Kriegbaum (AF) dec. Joe Ciampoli (P), 5-2                      [8-3, Pitt]
149: Bridger Lord (AF) dec. Mark Generalovich (P), 6-0                  [8-6, Pitt]
157: Matt Kocher (P) maj. dec. Zach Lord (AF), 12-3                    [12-6, Pitt]
165: Sean Richmond (P) dec. Duane Miller (AF), 19-8                    [16-6, Pitt]
174: Keith Gavin (P) tech. fall Stephen Crozier (AF), 17-2; 4:01      [21-6, Pitt]
184: Jacob Devlin (AF) dec. Mike Heist (P), 3-1                            [21-9, Pitt]
197: Eric Cassidy (P) maj. dec. Jordan Tribble (AF), 12-0                [25-9, Pitt]
HWT: Zach Sheaffer (P) dec. Anthony Stegeman (AF), 6-2             [28-9, Pitt]