Blue Defeats Gold in Wrestle-Offs, 22-18

Friday, November 2

Pittsburgh, Pa.

6 p.m.

Pitt

Blue vs. Gold

Blue Defeats Gold in Wrestle-Offs, 22-18

11/2/2018 10:14:00 PM | Wrestling

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Panthers Open Regular Season Saturday, Nov. 10 vs. CSU Bakersfield

PITTSBURGH – The University of Pittsburgh wrestling team had its first trial run of the season Friday night at the Fitzgerald Field House in the Blue versus Gold exhibition dual, as Blue defeated Gold, 22-18.

"Overall I thought it was good," said second-year head coach Keith Gavin. "Wrestle-offs are usually awkward because people don't cheer and it's really quiet, and it's not like a regular wrestling match. But, our goal was for the guys to treat it like a regular match and they did. We got to see a lot of what we wanted to see."

The evening featured all 10 weight classes with a mix of veteran and new faces. Six true freshmen made their debut in a Pitt singlet, while three redshirt freshmen including Micky Phillippi and Nino Bonaccorsi also made their Pitt debut.

A battle of the true freshmen opened the night as Brendon Fenton and Louis Newell squared off at 125 pounds. Fenton used an escape and was awarded a penalty point en route to the 2-0 decision.

Phillippi recorded a statement win after a 25-7 technical fall over freshman Garrett Reinsfelder at 133 pounds in 6:27, giving the Gold team a 5-3 lead. The Derry, Pa., native, tallied eight takedowns to cruise to the victory.

Senior LJ Bentley made his debut at his new weight class, 141 pounds, after previously wrestling at 125 pounds the past three years. Bentley took on freshman Cole Matthews and used two takedowns and two escapes to post a 6-5 win.

"I was really happy with 141 and just in general," Gavin said. "LJ [Bentley] looked good at a new weight class and Cole Matthews did a good job continuing to wrestle. He showed a lot of toughness and grit for being a true freshman. That was probably our best match of the night with both guys competing at a high level."

Freshman Luke Kemerer recorded his first win in a Pitt singlet after using a riding time point to secure the win over senior Robert Lee at 149 pounds. The win boosted Blue's team score to 9-5.

2017 ACC Champion Taleb Rahmani picked up a 12-3 major decision over redshirt junior Riley Barth after scoring five takedowns in the match-up.

Redshirt sophomore Jake Wentzel got the Gold team back on the board after posting a 10-0 major decision. Wentzel used three takedowns, a two-point nearfall and escape en route to the shutout over junior Curtis Decker.

Redshirt sophomore Gregg Harvey used two takedowns, a reversal and added one more with riding time to defeat freshman David Crawford at 174 pounds, giving the Blue squad a 16-9 lead.

At 184 pounds, redshirt freshman Nino Bonaccorsi recorded the first pin of the night in his debut. Bonaccorsi pinned sophomore Matt McGillick in an impressive 2:30, cutting the Blue team's lead to 16-15.

Redshirt junior Kellan Stout also pinned his opponent, extending the Blue squad's lead to 22-15. Stout pinned redshirt freshman Cole Nye in 6:00.

In the final bout of the night, redshirt senior Zach Bruce won in a 3-1 decision after scoring a takedown and escape on sophomore Cole Rickert, giving the Blue team the 22-18 win.

The Panthers open the regular season Saturday, Nov. 10 when they host CSU Bakersfield at 7 p.m. in the Fitzgerald Field House.

125: Brendon Fenton (Blue) dec. Louis Newell (Gold), 2-0 – Blue leads 3-0
133: Micky Phillippi (Gold) tech. fall Garrett Reinsfelder (Blue), 25-7 (6:27) – Gold leads 5-3
141: LJ Bentley (Blue) dec. Cole Matthews (Gold), 6-5 – Blue leads 6-5
149: Luke Kemerer (Blue) dec. Robert Lee (Gold), 1-0 – Blue leads 9-5
157: Taleb Rahmani (Blue) maj. dec. Riley Barth (Gold), 12-3 – Blue leads 13-5
165: Jake Wentzel (Gold) maj. dec. Curtis Decker (Blue), 10-0 – Blue leads 13-9
174: Gregg Harvey (Blue) dec. David Crawford (Gold), 7-1 – Blue leads 16-9
184: Nino Bonaccorsi (Gold) pins Matt McGillick (Blue), 2:30 – Blue leads 16-15
197: Kellan Stout (Blue) pins Cole Nye (Gold), 6:00 – Blue leads 22-15
285: Zach Bruce (Gold) dec. Cole Rickert (Blue), 3-1 – Blue wins 22-18

WRESTLING FLEX SEASON TICKETS
Flex season tickets for the 2018-19 season are now on sale as the Panthers will host seven duals at the Fitzgerald Field House. Tickets are available for purchase at $50 apiece online or by calling the Panthers Ticket Office at 800-643-7488.

Wrestling Season Ticket Holder Benefits:

Flexibility to use season tickets in any combination and get the most usage out of your tickets
Access to reserved seating area at the center of the mat, up until 10 minutes prior to the beginning of the match
New for the 2018-19 season, season ticket holders will have access to a limited amount of mat-side seating
Season ticket holders are eligible to request tickets for the 2019 NCAA Wrestling Championship
Wrestling season ticket holder exclusive gift: Pinzburgh Tumbler

2019 NCAA DIVISION I WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP
Wrestling season tickets holders and Panther Club members for the 2018-19 season are eligible to request tickets for the 2019 NCAA Wrestling Championship which will be held March 21-23 at PPG Paints Arena. Patrons who place a request for tickets will be contacted in early 2019 if tickets are available for purchase. Due to overwhelming interest for the NCAA Championship, not all ticket requests can be fulfilled. Fans whom are unable to purchase tickets for the 2019 NCAA Wrestling Championship through the University of Pittsburgh are encouraged to utilize StubHub.com or the NCAA Ticket Exchange program for their best chance at tickets. Please direct any direct questions regarding the 2018-19 NCAA Wrestling Championship to Derek Brough at 412-648-8305.

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