In front of 2,357 raucous fans, LHU (1-0) won five bouts including four by way of bonus points to power the Bald Eagles to their first win over a top-25 team in nearly 12 years.
Lock Haven's last win over a ranked opponent came back on February 13, 2005, when LHU topped West Virginia, 21-17. The victory also snapped a two-match losing skid to Rutgers, marking the Bald Eagles first win over the Scarlet Knights since January 2008.
Haines, Kyle Shoop (Boiling Springs, Pa./Boiling Springs), Ronnie Perry (Christiana, Pa./Solanco), Alex Klucker (Summerdale, Pa./East Pennsboro) and Chance Marsteller (New Park, Pa./Kennard-Dale) all won for Lock Haven.
Shoop posted LHU's first win of the night and the major decision sparked a four-bout win streak for the Bald Eagles. Perry knocked off No. 13 Eleazar DeLuca, 5-1 while both Klucker and Marsteller dominated their opponents in their LHU dual-debut.
Rutgers held a slight 14-12 advantage despite Lock Haven's aggressive style from everyone in the lineup. In the end, LHU's bonus-point victories proved important and none was more important than Haines' pin to seal it.
The Scarlet Knights jumped out to a 7-0 lead after posting wins at 125 and 133. No. 2 Nick Suriano majored Josiah Kline (Tucson, Ariz./Ironwood Ridge) 19-5 at 125 in the night's opening bout, before No. 10 Scott DelVecchio posted a 11-5 decision over returning national qualifier DJ Fehlman (Warren, Pa./Warren).
Shoop put the Bald Eagles on the board in a big way after he dominated Michael Van Brill 13-0 on the way to a major at 141. Shoop jumped on M. Van Brill early and led 4-0 after one. It was 11-0 after two as Shoop put on a clinic on the way to a 6:15 riding time advantage.
In the night's only bout between two nationally-ranked wrestlers coming at 149, Perry, ranked No. 15 came out on top. He grinded out a 5-1 workmanlike win over DeLuca, ranked No. 13. The score remained scoreless after one period, but Perry earned an escape and a takedown in the second to jolt to a 3-0 lead after two. In the third, Perry was awarded a point after DeLuca was hit with a stall call and Perry extended the score to 5-1with a 1:35 riding time advantage.
Perry's win knotted the dual at 7-7.
At 157, Klucker went to work early on Nick Santos and earned the tech fall at the seven-minute mark. Klucker led 6-0 after one, 9-0 after two and racked up 5:36 of riding time on the way to the 16-1 victory (TF, 7:00). Klucker's tech fall pushed LHU into the lead for the first time at 12-7
Marsteller, ranked No. 10, followed up Klucker's tech fall with Lock Haven's second major of the match. Marsteller dominated John Van Brill on the way to the 11-3 win at 165. Marsteller, who racked up four takedowns in the bout and led 8-2 after the second remained undefeated, and moved to 12-0 on the season. Marsteller's victory extended Lock Haven's lead to 16-7.
Joe Grello edged out Jared Siegrist (Manheim, Pa./Central), 3-2 at 174 to cut The Haven lead to 16-10.
Jordan Pagano bumped up to 184 and posted a 4-2 sudden-victory win for Rutgers. He edged out Corey Hazel (Spring Mills, Pa./Penns Valley).
At 197, another Rutgers wrestler bumped up from his normal spot in the lineup. Nick Gravina, ranked No. 9 at 184, moved up to 197 and edged Tristan Sponseller (East Berlin, Pa./Bermudian Springs), 6-4.
The three straight Scarlet Knight wins at 174 - 184 - 197 tied the dual at 16-16, which set things up for some late Lock Haven dramatics.
For Haines, he needed just 43 seconds to pin Gross, seal the upset-victory and send the packed Thomas Fieldhouse crowd into an absolute frenzy.
Results:
125: No. 2 Nick Suriano (RU) major dec. Josiah Kline (LHU) 19-5; Rutgers leads 4-0
133: No. 10 Scott DelVecchio (RU) dec. DJ Fehlman (LHU) 11-5; Rutgers leads 7-0
141: Kyle Shoop (LHU) major dec. Micheal Van Brill (RU) 13-0; Rutgers leads 7-4
149: No. 15 Ronnie Perry (LHU) dec. 13 Eleazar DeLuca (RU), 5-1; TIED 7-7
157: Alex Klucker (LHU) tech fall Nick Santos (RU) 16-1 (7:00); Lock Haven leads 12-7
165: No. 10 Chance Marsteller (LHU) major dec. John Van Brill (RU) 11-3; Lock Haven leads 16-7
174: Joe Grello (RU) dec. Jared Siegrist (LHU) 3-2; Lock Haven leads 16-10
184: Jordan Pagano (RU) dec. Corey Hazel (LHU), 4-2 SV; Lock Haven leads 16-13
197: Nick Gravina (RU) dec. Tristan Sponseller (LHU) 6-4; TIED 16-16
285: No. 15 Thomas Haines (LHU) pinned Razohnn Gross (RU) 0:43; Lock Haven wins 22-16
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