Lehigh 28 Bucknell 12

No. 7 Lehigh holds off Bucknell for 20th win

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Bucknell gave No. 7 Lehigh all it could handle Friday night, but junior David Craig's win by major decision over David Thompson at 184 broke a 12-12 tie and led the Mountain Hawks to a 28-12 win over the Bison Friday night inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. Lehigh won six bouts, including wins by fall for junior Seth Ciasulli and freshman Joe Kennedy to pick up its 20th win of the dual season, as the Mountain Hawks improve to 20-1 overall and 6-0 against EIWA opponents.

Craig avenged a 7-5 loss to Thompson earlier in the season by scoring a quick first period takedown and adding a three-point near fall at the end of the first period. Lehigh's ninth-ranked junior added a second period reversal a third period takedown and riding time to notch his 18th victory of the season, which put the Brown and White up 16-12 with two bouts remaining.

“He did a great job,” Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro said of Craig.  “He's really been wrestling well for the last month and a half. To come back against a guy who beat you before and beat him in that fashion. It was a really good win for David.”

Kennedy then clinched the win for the home team with a third period pin of Rob Waltko at 197. Leading in the third period, Kennedy was on his way to scoring near fall points with a tilt, but was able to maneuver both of Waltko's shoulders to the mat to earn his third pin of the season.

The dual began at 125 where freshman John McDonald returned to action for the first time in over a month. McDonald scored the first takedown against Derek Reber, but Reber picked up reversals in the first and third periods and benefitted from a four-point move in the second. Looking for a major decision, McDonald mustered a late third period takedown, to keep the margin to a regular decision, but Reber prevailed 8-6.

Lehigh captured the next three bouts to take a 12-3 lead after four. In a match-up of ranked wrestlers at 133, No. 15 Matt Fisk scored a first period takedown and added two more in the third in an 8-3 win over No. 20 David Marble. At 141, Ciasulli picked up his team-best sixth fall of the season, pinning Adam Healey in just 1:02. Ciasulli scored early on a shrug move then turned Healey with a half nelson to secure the fall. Senior Trevor Chinn capped the run with a 5-3 decision over Kevin LeValley at 149.

The Bison began to turn the tides with three straight wins from 157-174. In the first of the three, Lehigh freshman Sean Bilodeau converted an early takedown and racked up over two minutes of riding time to grab an early lead, but Scott Sechler picked up a reversal and two takedowns in the third period to force overtime and then the winning score in sudden victory to prevail 10-8.

The match immediately following intermission was another matchup of ranked opponents as Lehigh's 12th ranked junior Mike Galante faced Bucknell's 14th ranked Andy Rendos. Galante scored the only takedown of regulation in the first period, and entered the third tied 2-2 after a pair of Rendos escapes. In the third period, Galante escaped late, but not until Rendos had earned riding time. In the second straight sudden victory match, it was Galante who took the initial shot, but after a scramble, Rendos ended up with the winning takedown in a 5-3 victory.

At 174, the Mountain Hawks chose to rest Alex Caruso, who was not at full strength and in his place junior Manuel Schubert saw his first action of the season. Bucknell's Shane Riccio used a first period takedown and riding time to earn a 4-2 decision, which tied the match at 12 heading into 184.

The loss drops Bucknell to 9-9 overall and 3-3 within the EIWA.

The Mountain Hawks will return to the mats next Saturday when they host a pair of duals against EIWA foes Army and Franklin & Marshall. Lehigh will open the day against Army at 1 p.m. with the match with Franklin & Marshall to follow at 3 p.m. Tickets can be purchased by calling 610-7LU-GAME or by visiting the Lehigh ticket office, located in Grace Hall.

Bonus Points… A replay of the match can be seen Saturday afternoon on Service Electric 2 Sports beginning at 4:30 p.m. … With 20 dual wins, this year's team becomes the third Mountain Hawk squad to win 20 duals in a season (2004, 2005)… Lehigh moves to 6-0 all-time versus Bucknell in wrestling.

Weight     Match-up     Result          Score/Time
125     Derek Reber (Bucknell)     dec.     John McDonald (Lehigh)     8-6
133     Matt Fisk (Lehigh)     dec.     David Marble (Bucknell)     8-3
141     Seth Ciasulli (Lehigh)     Fall     Adam Healey (Bucknell)     1:02
149     Trevor Chinn (Lehigh)     dec.     Kevin LeValley (Bucknell)     5-3
157     Scott Sechler (Bucknell)     dec.     Sean Bilodeau (Lehigh)     10-8 s.v.
165     Andy Rendos (Bucknell)     dec.     Mike Galante (Lehigh)     5-3 s.v.
174     Shane Riccio (Bucknell)     dec.     Manuel Schubert (Lehigh)     4-2
184     David Craig (Lehigh)     maj. dec.     David Thompson (Bucknell)     10-2
197     Joe Kennedy (Lehigh)     Fall     Rob Waltko (Bucknell)     5:56
285     Zach Rey (Lehigh)     Win     Forfeit    
Attendance - 1,671
Referee - Jake Llewellyn