Lock Haven Mushed By Huskies, 28-10

Bloomsburg, Pa. – With a slim scenario of an Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) title hanging in the balance, the Lock Haven University wrestling team (5-8, 2-3 EWL) fell to a tough Bloomsburg University  (9-5, 4-2 EWL) squad, 28-10 tonight. Three Haven grapplers picked up victories this evening.

Prior to tonight’s match, LHU victories for the remainder of the season, combined with a University of Pittsburgh loss would put the Bald Eagles in a tie for first place. Tonight’s defeat by the Huskies removes that chance.

The evening started at 125, with a rematch of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) championship match between freshman Obe Blanc (Naples, Fla./Lely) and Mike Sees. Blanc handed Sees his only loss of the season in their earlier meeting, but fell to Sees tonight by a first-period pin.

Bloomsburg finished the sweep of the first three bouts with a Tony Curto major decision over Jim Collins (Jonestown, Pa./Northern Lebanon), 15-4 and a Brad Forbes decision over Matt Fittery (Denver, Pa./Cocalico) 7-3.

LHU 149-pounder Joshua A. Medina (Las Vegas/Pima C.C.) stopped the Husky run with a 21-9 domination of George Hickman, bringing the team score to 13-4. Sophomore Seth Martin (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove) shut out Chris Tate 6-0 at 157 to tighten the meet to 13-7.

The Bald Eagle roll stopped there, as Jim Bertulis topped B.J. Mikeska (Derry, Pa./Bloomsburg University) 10-1 and No. 14 Bryce Hasseman earned a tech fall victory over junior Carlos Ponce (Hialeah, Fla./Hialeah Miami Lakes) to widen the Bloomsburg advantage to 22-7.

Sophomore Mike Metzger (Reading, Pa./Governor Mifflin) would then get the final Bald Eagle win of the night with a hard-fought 7-2 decision over Jesse Hasseman.

Needing two pins in the final two bouts to force the tie, LHU instead dropped the final two matches, an 8-5 loss by junior Morgan Horner (Hasbrouck Heights, N.J./Hasbrouck Heights) to Chad Hoare, followed by a 9-2 loss by freshman heavyweight Jamie Nagel to Mike Spaid.

The win marked the first victory by the Huskies over LHU in 15 years.

Blanc, Collins, Fittery, Medina, Martin, Mikeska, Ponce, Metzger, Horner, Nagel and the rest of the Bald Eagles are back in action Saturday, Feb. 19 at 7:30 p.m. as they host Clarion University on Senior Night for LHU.

Wt.	Bloomsburg 28, LHU 10
125	Mike Sees (BU) pin Obe Blanc, 2:41
133	Tony Curto (BU) maj. dec. Jim Collins, 15-4
141	Brad Forbes (BU)  dec. Matt Fittery, 7-3
149	Josh Medina (LHU) maj. dec. George Hickman, 21-9
157	Seth Martin (LHU) dec. Chris Tate, 6-0
165	Jim Bertulis (BU) maj. dec. B.J. Mikeska, 10-1
174	#14 Bryce Hasseman (BU) tech fall Carlos Ponce, 17-2 6:28
184	Mike Metzger (LHU) dec. Jesse Hasseman, 7-2
197	Chad Hoare (BU) dec. Morgan Horner, 8-5
Hwt.	Mike Spaid (BU) dec. Jamie Nagel, 9-2
	*all rankings by NWCA