Feb. 18, 2010

 

Pitt vs. Edinboro complete match notes

Pitt vs. Edinboro live streaming

Every once in a while, a team has a chance to break the mold and accomplish something it's never done before. No matter how strong or successful a program has been historically, every team has yearly goals that can be accomplished or records that can be broken. For Pitt's wrestling team, that chance comes Friday night when conference rival Edinboro heads to town for what turns out to be a match for the EWL championship.

A win over Edinboro would mean a long list of accomplishments for Pitt: a program-record six league wins, its first-ever undefeated record in league play and, most importantly, its first EWL Title.

"It's coming down to the last match, and it could come down to the last bout," Pitt coach Rande Stottlemyer said. "There are going to be a lot of good matches from the start. Our guys are excited."

Considering all that the Panthers already accomplished this season and what's on the line, there's no reason not to be excited. Stottlemyer, now in his 31st season coaching at Pitt, has seen the effort and determination from his team produce positive results all season long. The Panthers are ranked No. 18 in the latest poll, hold a 16-1-1 overall record and haven't lost or tied yet in 2010. Their 16 dual wins sets the school record for dual wins in a season, while the five wins in league competition ties a school record for EWL wins.

According to Stottlemyer, none of the success would have come without a commitment.

"The guys did a great job of buying in to our philosophy and putting in the work," Stottlemyer said. "There are never guarantees for success, but what you can do is put yourself in a good position and have a good chance. We did that."

Pitt sophomore Tyler Nauman, who boasts a 17-0 dual record this season, is one of the wrestlers who has seen immense success this year. He said the team used a different type of strategy when setting its goals for the season, hoping it would eventually lead to an EWL title.

"Our main goal is winning the league," Nauman said. "But that's always been our goal and we haven't gotten it in previous years. So we have a bunch of little goals and, if we achieve them, we can win it. We felt if we work hard and push each other every day, those little goals will lead to our big one."

Some of those goals included bettering each wrestler's conditioning and kicking up the already-intense workouts each day in practice. No matter what the drill, Nauman said he, his teammates and his coaches tried to set the bar even higher than it had been in the past.

During the course of the season, it's apparent that it paid off, both for individuals and for the team as a whole.

First-year starter Ryan Tomei has rolled to an impressive 15-2 dual record (28-5 overall), while true freshman Anthony Zanetta is an astounding 14-1 in dual matches and 30-8 overall.

Tomei, a redshirt junior, learned from former Pitt All-American Zach Sheaffer and, after an offseason of training overseas and around the country, made sure Pitt didn't miss a beat in the heavyweight class. And even as a true freshman, Zanetta has wrestled like a veteran.

"Neither guy wrestles like they're first-year starters," Stottlemyer said. "We've brought some kids in who have really helped us."

All of that has allowed Pitt reach the position it is in now: sitting at a tie at the top of the league with a chance to add history to a program that's accomplished already plenty in the past.

"We've grown up a lot this year," Stottlemyer said. "Our guys didn't have any fears."

Friday night's match against Edinboro is set for 7 p.m. inside the Fitzgerald Field House.