Feb. 11, 2009
Contact: Ryan Mulford
Complete Release in PDF Format 
SETTING THE SCENE: Cleveland State (4-11) concludes its regular season home schedule on Saturday, February 14th, when the Vikings host EWL foe Clarion. Action is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m. in Woodling Gymnasium with a ceremony honoring the four seniors before the match.
PREVIEWING THE VIKINGS: The Vikings are looking to get back on track in their final home match of the season. CSU has had a rough stretch facing off against two nationally ranked opponents and three EWL foes. Rashard Goff is still sitting at 98 careers wins and has a team high 26 victories. Jordan Keller joins Goff on the 20-win plateau with 22 of his own, while five other Vikings have double-digit wins this season.
RECAPPING EDINBORO: The Vikings were up against a formidable opponent when they took on the 12th-ranked Fighting Scots. Rob Michaels scored the lone Viking victory of the evening with a 17-5 major decision over Chris Hrunka at 165 pounds. Rashard Goff had another close battle, losing 3-1 to 13th-ranked Joe Fedone.
VS. CLARION: CSU is 14-21 overall against the Golden Eagles, with its last win coming two years ago when the Vikings won 44-3. The rivalry between the two programs dates back to 1973. The Vikings have had success of late winning four of the last five meetings between the two programs.
SCOUTING CLARION: The Golden Eagles are led by freshman Clint Podish (184) with a team high 17 wins, while the tandem of Hadley Harrison (157) and Jamie Luckett (197) each have 16 wins.
GOFF TWO WINS SHY OF 100: Rashard Goff currently sits at 98 wins for his career and has a team high 26 wins this season. Goff has had several notable wins this season, including a 3-1 overtime thriller win over then fourth-ranked Kyle Massey of Wisconsin. Goff has a current 11-3 dual meet record, with his lone losses coming by a 6-3 decision to third-ranked Jermail Porter of Kent State(1/17) a 2-0 loss to sixth-ranked Zach Scheaffer of Pittsburgh(1/28) and a 3-1 loss to 13th-ranked Joe Fedone.
CLOSER THAN THE SCORE INDICATES: The recent scores have not came out in favor of the Vikings, however the scores have no direct relation to the performance given on the mat. In their matches against Lock Haven and Pittsburgh, CSU lost five matches by two points, and one by three points and gave up six points due to a forfeit at 197 pounds. Against Pittsburgh(1/28), Jordan Keller fell 4-2, while Antonio Nicholson narrowly lost 3-1 in an overtime battle and Rashard Goff failed to get taken down in a 2-0 loss. It was more of the same against Bloomsburg(1/31) as both Keller and Rob Michaels lost 4-2, while Nicholson was edged out 5-2.
LOOKING BACK AT THE SENIORS
Nate Kmetz, a native of Maineville, Ohio, has been a solid competitor throughout his Viking career. In limited action this season, Kmetz has a 0-2 record. Last season, Kmetz had a career eight wins, highlighted by a second place finish at the Cleveland State Open. During his freshman season (2005-06), he won six matches, including three at the Ashland Open.
JT Miller, a native of Garfield Heights, Ohio, has been a versatile wrestler this season. Miller started the year competing at 174 pounds and has recently made the switch to 184 pounds. Miller has a 10-15 record, highlighted by an 8-5 upset over then 18th ranked Dave Rella of Ohio State on November 16, 2008. Last season, Miller had a career year winning 22 matches, seven of which came by pin fall, finishing the season with a fifth place EWL tournament finish and finished the year by earning a fifth place finish at the EWL tournament. Miller red shirted during the 2006-07 season, winning three matches all by pin fall competing soley in unattached action.
Antonio Nicholson, a co-captain from Solon, Ohio, is having a career year with 16 wins, doubling his career total. He started out this season by posting a 3-1 record at the Eastern Michigan Open and followed it up with four wins at the Penn State Open. Nicholson has five dual meet wins this season, highlighted by a 4-3 last second win over Matt Fittery of Lock Haven. Antonio holds the team's fastest pin of the season at 30 seconds coming against Jacob Cann at the Michigan State Open. He joined the wrestling program during the 2007-08 season and had a 12-11 record, including a 5-1 mark at the Eastern Michigan Open.
Rashard Goff, a co-captain from Brandon, Florida, has had four straight 20-win seasons, is a three time NCAA National Qualifier and currently ranked 20th in the country by InterMat/NWCA/NWMA Individual Rankings. This season, Goff has a 26-8 record, and a dominating 11-3 dual meet record. In open tournaments this season, Goff posted a 4-0 record on his way to a first place finish at the Michigan State Open, and second place finishes at the Eastern Michigan Open as well as the Penn State Open. At the Midland's Invitational, Goff notched a sixth place finish, becoming the first Viking wrestler in six years to place at the prestigious tournament. Last season, Goff recorded 22 wins, a first place championship at the Cleveland State Open and a fourth place finish at the EWL tournament, while his sophomore season he racked up 26 wins and a third place EWL finish. During his freshman season, Goff won 24 matches, a second place finish at the EWL tournament and was named to the Amateur Wrestling News All-Rookie Third Team.
GOFF NAMED EWL WRESTLER OF WEEK: After hammering out a perfect 2-0 record at the Eastern Michigan Duals, Rashard Goff was rewarded with EWL Wrestler of the Week honors for the week of January 11, 2009. Goff became the first Viking wrestler to earn the honor since Ryan Hurley won the award in January 2007.
PARTNERSHIP WITH BECKY'S: Viking wrestling has teamed up with Becky's to provide fans an opportunity to meet the staff and talk Viking wrestling after each home dual meet. For just $10, each fan will receive a ticket to the home dual meet, as well as a wristband to be handed out at the conclusion of the meet, which is good for light appetizers and three beverage tickets immediately following the wrestling match. Becky's is located at 1762 E. 18th Street (across from Krenzler Field on the CSU Campus), for more information call 216-687-2094.
THE HEAD COACH:
Ben Stehura (Lock Haven, 2000) Overall: 30-61-1
At CSU: 4-11
Former Viking graduate assistant coach Ben Stehura is in his first season as head coach. Stehura is only the third head coach for the Viking wrestling program after serving the last five years as the head coach at Division II Limestone College in Gaffney, S.C. The only head coach in Limestone history, Stehura quickly built the program and has already coached one NCAA National Champion, three NCAA All-Americans, five NCAA National qualifiers and eight NCAA All-Academic team members. A 2000 graduate of Lock Haven University with a Bachelor's of Science in Secondary Education, Stehura was a three-year starter, earning fourth and fifth place finishes in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament.
UP NEXT: The Vikings will finish the regular season traveling to Morgantown, West Virgina to battle the Mountaineers on Friday (Feb. 20). The dual meet is scheduled to begin at 8:00 p.m.
