The match started at 125, where sophomore Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.) downed Navy's Alex Usztics. Haas trailed 3-2 after one but, after Usztics chose down to start the second, rode the Midshipmen for the entire second period to work up a huge riding time edge. Haas would use a reversal in the third period plus the riding time edge to claim a 5-4 win and put Penn State up 3-0. Haas improved to 7-0 with the win.
Freshman Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.), ranked No. 19 in the nation, took on Navy's Brad Canterbury at 133. Canterbury, a junior, took an early 2-0 lead after a period with a take down in the first. An escape for Canterbury gave him a 3-0 lead before Strayer quickly took him down to cut the lead to 3-2. Strayer rode Canterbury out in the second and trailed 3-2 heading into the third. Strayer quickly escaped from the down position in the third to tie the match and followed with a quick take down to go up 5-3. Strayer would nearly pin Canterbury as the match ended and posted an impressive 9-3 win. Strayer stayed undefeated at 5-0 with the victory.
Up 6-0, Penn State sent No. 15 DeWitt Driscoll (Connellsville, Pa.) up against Navy's Brandon Beasley at 141. Driscoll took Beasley down almost immediately for an early 2-0 lead. Driscoll, in control throughout the first period, pinned Beasley at 2:35 for three bonus points and a 12-0 lead. Driscoll improved to 4-2 with the win.
In the evening's feature match, Penn State's James Woodall (St. Dupont, Pa.), ranked No. 10 at 149, faced Navy's John Cox, who entered the match 19-3 and ranked No. 14 nationally. Woodall scored the first take down early in the first, followed it with another and got three near fall points to go up 7-1midway through the first. Woodall extended his lead to 9-2 heading into the second and would dominate the match on his way to an outstanding 12-3 major decision. Woodall upped his mark to 3-2 with the major.
No. 16 Nathan Galloway (State College, Pa.) scored a 3-1 sudden victory decision over Adam Borchetti of Navy at 157. Penn State's junior and Navy's senior wrestled to a scoreless tie after one. Galloway chose down to start the second and escaped :45 second into the period and would lead 1-0 after two. Borchetti, down to start the third, quickly escaped to tie the bout early in the third. Galloway nearly took down Borchetti as the third period ended but the senior fought it off to send the match to sudden victory. Borchetti nearly took Galloway down to start the extra period but scored on a clinical ankle pick to post the 3-1 sudden victory and put Penn State up 19-0. Galloway evened his mark at 3-3 with the decision.
True freshman David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) made his collegiate debut against Navy's John Jarred, a junior. Erwin entered the dual with a 10-2 record, but all were unattached. Erwin won the title at 165 at the Nittany Lion Open last Sunday. Erwin scored a late takedown to lead 2-0 after one. He would ride Jarred, who chose down, for the entire second period. The third period began with Erwin taking down and quickly escaping for a 3-0 lead. He followed it up with a strong take down and would go on to post an impressive 7-1 win. Erwin is now 11-2 overall on the year.
Penn State's James Yonushonis (Philipsburg, Pa.), ranked No. 8 nationally, took on Navy's Matt Stolpinski. Yonushonis entered the match undefeated at 5-0 and stayed that way with an impressive xxx win. After a scoreless first period, the junior from Philipsburg chose down to start the second, quickly escaped for a 1-0 lead, which is how the second would end. Stolpinski chose down to begin the third. Yonushonis would ride Stolpinski for a 1:15 riding time edge before cutting Stolpinski loose. Tied 1-1 on the board but with a big riding time edge, Yonushonis would hold on for a hard-fought 2-1 victory. Yonushonis is a perfect 6-0 this season.
Navy's Jonny Kane scored the first two points at 184 on Penn State's Neil Bretz (Carlisle, Pa.) and led 2-1 after one on the Nittany Lion freshman. Kane and Bretz would trade take downs and escapes with Bretz cutting the lead to as little as three in the third. But Kane would score a late take down and post a solid 19-12 victory to help Navy avoid the shutout. Bretz fell to 1-4 on the year.
Penn State's All-American 197-pounder Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.) did not wrestle at Navy due to a class that he could not miss, so junior A.J. Cummins (Lititz, Pa.) took to the mat for the first time of the year to face Navy's Andrew Adams. The duo wrestled to a scoreless tie after one, with Adams choosing down to start the second and escaping quickly. Down 1-0 to start the third, Cummins chose down and escaped :47 into the third to tie the match 1-1. With just one second left in the match, Cummins took Adams down to grab a thrilling 3-1 win and put Penn State up 28-3. Cummins is now 1-0.
The final bout of the evening pitted No. 9 Tanner Garrett to face Penn State's Aaron Anspach (Columbia, Pa.). Garrett entered the match 20-1 overall and downed Anspach 3-1 in sudden victory in last Sunday's Nittany Lion Open. Tonight's dual was just as close with neither heavyweight managing a take down through the first five minutes of wrestling. Anspach's second period escape had him up 1-0 heading into the third but with a stall warning in the bank. Garrett escaped early in the third and Anspach was called for a stall a bit later, putting Garrett up 2-1. Garrett would take Anspach down with :30 left to wrestle to secure a hard fought 6-2 win. Anspach fell to 6-7 on the season.
"With the strength of Navy's team in the upper weights, I was very happy with how well Tim and Jake came out and got us on top early," Sunderland said. "I think DeWitt really sent a message at 141 and then Woodall at 149 really came out strong and put us in control."
"The biggest surprise for us was 149," continued Sunderland. "I expected it to be a battle but Woodall looked so strong. When he got those back points, he put some space between himself and his opponent and that really helped us. I was also very pleased with Cummins. A.J. has worked tremendously hard his whole time here at Penn State. Whatever we need from him he does and it's great for him to get a win. All the matches tonight were tough. There were no gimmies."
The Nittany Lions are 4-2 overall and head to Philadelphia tomorrow for a 6:30 p.m. dual at No. 25 Penn. The Quakers will be taking part in their first dual of the year.
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