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  press release
War at the Shore III Recap
Sports Information Department
Trevor James Hawes, Graduate Assistant

Phone: (814) 871-7418
Date: December 14 2007
 
GANNON WRESTLERS DEFEAT RIVAL
MERCYHURST AT WAR AT THE SHORE III
 
ERIE, Pa. - The Gannon University wrestling team left the Erie Civic Center with the Oar trophy Friday evening after defeating rival Mercyhurst College at the third-annual War At The Shore competition. The Golden Knights, ranked 20th nationally and fifth in the Eastern region, came back to defeat the No. 13 Lakers 24-23 in the final round with a late pin.
   
Mercyhurst jumped to an early 5-0 lead with a win by technical fall at 125; however, Gannon answered back with two consecutive pins. Lance Pitchel fell 1:55 into the 133-pound matchup to Golden Knight freshman Corey Bowers (Pasadena, Md./Chesapeake). Kevin McElhaney (Jamestown, Pa./Jamestown Area) pinned Braxdon Scaletta at 4:17, his second pin of this opponent this season. The 141-pounders met previously at the Ashland Invitational on December 1.
   
Mercyhurst narrowed the score to 12-8 with a decision at 149, but Gannon earned six more points from the 157-pound contest with Brandon Monin’s (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster) pin of sixth-ranked Andy Lamancusa (5:54).
   
The Lakers responded with a pin at 165 and straight decisions at 174, 184, 197.
   
Down 23-18 going into the final round, a Gannon win rested on heavyweight Frank McGrath’s (Hammonton, N.J./St. Augustine) shoulders. McGrath needed to pin Mercyhurst’s Ken Bluska to earn the six points necessary to overtake the lead and win the coveted Oar trophy. In front of a crowd of nearly 2000 people at the Erie Civic Center, the wrestlers fought all the way through to the third period before McGrath pinned Bluska at 5:54, sealing victory for the Golden Knights.
   
Gannon improves to 2-0 in dual events this season. Mercyhurst is 1-4.
   
The Golden Knights will compete at the two-day Midwest Invitational, hosted by  the University of Indianapolis, beginning Friday, January 4.
   
Complete Results are available at http://www.gannon.edu/sports/men/wrestling/highlights/2007WarResults.pdf.


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updated 12/14/07 by: tjh