GRANTHAM, Pa. - In a wild, top-20 dual in Hitchcock Arena, the No. 17 Messiah wrestling team earned a thrilling 21-18 victory over No. 6 The College of New Jersey Lions on Saturday afternoon. Messiah claimed the first 14 points of the match thanks to victories from
Nick Barnhart (149 lbs.),
Stephen Maloney (157 lbs.), and
Matt Pangle (165 lbs.). The Lions came roaring back with victories in five-straight matches to take an 18-14 lead.
In the final two matches of the afternoon,
Josiah Gehr (133 lbs.) earned a 22-15 decision in a high-scoring battle and
Garret Cornell (141 lbs.) picked up a 14-6 major decision to put the cherry on top of the upset victory for the Falcons.
Messiah's 21-18 victory over TCNJ is a little redemption after the Lions claimed the Budd Whitehill Duals with a 38-3 victory over Messiah on Jan. 11.
With the win, Messiah concludes their regular season schedule with a 17-5 record in duals. The Falcons will now turn their attention to the NCAA Southeast Regional that will take place on Feb. 28-29 in Hitchcock Arena.
How It Happened
Nick Barnhart wasted little time getting the Falcons in the driver's seat with a fall just 41 seconds into his match at 149 lbs. Just 30 seconds into the match, Barnhart and TCNJ's Anthony Gagliano scrambled with Barnhart winning the tussle. He flipped Gagliano onto his back and quickly earned the fall to pick up six points for the Falcons.
Up next was Messiah's
Stephen Maloney at 157 lbs. Maloney opened up a 6-0 lead at the end of the first period thanks to a takedown and four nearfall points. After choosing bottom to begin the second period, Maloney escaped and scored a takedown late in the period to take a 9-0 lead. A third takedown and four more back points was all Maloney would need en route to the 16-0 technical fall.
Matt Pangle was up next at 165 lbs., wrestling the Lions' Alfonso Pinto Jr. In a tight match, Pangle earned a pair of escapes and a penalty point in a 3-2 decision. Pinto picked up a takedown, but an escape from Pangle with 12 seconds remaining in the third period was the difference. With Pangle's 3-2 decision, Messiah held a 14-0 lead after three bouts.
The Lions would roar back, winning the next five bouts to take an 18-14 lead. Despite dropping his match at 197 lbs.,
Joe Embleton nearly had the moment of the afternoon. Trailing 14-0 with just seconds left, Embleton was in the grasps of TCNJ's Thomas Anderson. With a riding time point locked up, it looked like Anderson was going to earn the technical fall, but in the closing seconds, Embleton earned a quick reversal and was just inches away from an improbable fall. Unfortunately, time ran out on Embleton, but his efforts did salvage a point for Messiah, turning the match into a 15-6 major decision for Anderson rather than a technical fall.
After a major decision in the 125 lbs. match, the Lions had claimed their first lead of the dual at 18-14.
Josiah Gehr and Domenic Difrancascantonio put on a show at 133 lbs. The must win bout for the Falcons was a frantic affair from the opening whistle. The match featured two takedowns, two escapes, five reversals, and a total of 20 nearfall points between the pair. Gehr held a slim 15-14 lead heading into the third period, but a reversal and four nearfall points sealed the deal as he claimed the bout with a 22-15 decision.
Gehr's crazy decision at 133 lbs. pulled Messiah within one at 18-17 with just one bout remaining.
Garret Cornell claimed a major decision at 141 lbs. over TCNJ's Robert Dinger to seal the victory for the Falcons, thanks to a stellar opening period. The freshman earned a pair of takedowns and four back points to open up an 8-1 lead after the opening period. A reversal and two more nearfall points had Cornell up 12-2 at the end of the second. Despite Dinger's best efforts in the third period, Cornell held on for the 14-6 major decision, giving the Falcons a 21-18 victory over the Lions.
What's Up Next
With the victory, Messiah wraps-up the regular season. The Falcons improve to 17-5 in duals this year and will now turn their attention to the NCAA Southeast Regional that will take place in Hitchcock Arena on Feb. 28-29.
No. 17 Messiah defeats No. 6 TCNJ - 21-18
*149 -
Nick Barnhart (Messiah) fall (:41) Anthony Gagliano (TCNJ)
157 -
Stephen Maloney (Messiah) tech fall (16-0) Matt Surich (TCNJ)
165 -
Matt Pangle (Messiah) decision (3-2) over Alfonso Pinto Jr. (TCNJ)
174 - Dan Kilroy (TCNJ) major decision (10-2) over
Brian Shermeyer (Messiah)
184 - Daniel Surich (TCNJ) decision (6-2) over
David Stevens (Messiah)
197 - Thomas Anderson (TCNJ) major decision (15-6) over
Joe Embleton (Messiah)
285 - Thomas Marretta (TCNJ) decision (8-1) over
Carter Urich (Messiah)
125 - Dan Ortega (TCNJ) major decision (13-4) over
Sean Redington (Messiah)
133 -
Josiah Gehr (Messiah) decision (22-15) over Domenic Difrancascantonio (TCNJ)
141 -
Garret Cornell (Messiah) major decision (14-6) over Robert Dinger (TCNJ)
*Match began at 149 lbs.
