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Vikings Continue EWL Competition at Edinboro

Vikings Continue EWL Competition at Edinboro
Posted: Feb 04, 2009

Feb. 4, 2009

Contact: Ryan Mulford

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SETTING THE SCENE: Cleveland State (4-10) continues EWL competition on Friday,February 6th, when the Vikings travel to Edinboro, Pennsylvania to take on the 12th-ranked Fighting Scots. Action is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. in McComb Fieldhouse.

PREVIEWING THE VIKINGS: The Vikings are coming off a tough week in which they were only able to score one victory in both of their matches against Pittsburgh and Bloomsburg. Rashard Goff scored the lone Viking win in a 36-3 loss to EWL rival Bloomsburg (1/31), while Corey Carlo notched the only Viking win 38-3 loss to Pittsburgh (1/28). Goff currently sits at 98 career wins and has a season record of 26-7. Six other Viking wrestlers have double-digit win totals as well. Freshman Jordan Keller has 22, Antonio Nicholson has 16, Rob Michaels has 14, Corey Carlo has 12, Lawrence Cavello has 11 and JT Miller has 10 wins this season.

RECAPPING BLOOMSBURG: The final score once again showed no resemblance to the performance the Vikings showed against EWL opponent Bloomsburg. Rashard Goff provided the only win of the dual for CSU, in a 4-1 contest over Zachary Walsh at heavyweight. Both Jordan Keller and Rob Michaels lost hard fought 4-2 matches, while Antonio Nicholson lost a narrow 5-2 match.

VS. EDINBORO: CSU is 5-18 overall against the Fighting Scots, with their last win coming four years ago when the Vikings won 22-20. The rivalry between the two programs dates back to 1985. The Vikings had early success topping Edinboro in three of the first five meetings.

SCOUTING EDINBORO: The Fighting Scots are currently 9-4 overall and 2-0 in league action and have finished second at the Oklahoma Gold Classic, Reno Tournament and Southern Scuffle. Edinboro is led by the Gillespie brothers, senior Gregor at 157 pounds and sophomore Torsten at 149 pounds. Gregor has posted a 29-0 mark this season, has a 140-10 career record and is currently the number one ranked 157 pounder in the country. Torsten has a record of 22-12 this season and is currently ranked 19th.

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 11-2 dual meet record, with his lone losses coming by 6-3 decision to third-ranked Jermail Porter of Kent State(1/17) and a 2-0 loss to sixth-ranked Zach Scheaffer of Pittsburg(1/28). Goff will wrestle another ranked opponent this week in Joe Fedone, the 13th-ranked heavyweight.

CARLO COMES UP BIG: Corey Carlo has proved to be a high-pressure performer and that came true in the match against Pittsburgh(1/28). With the Vikings trailing, Carlo stepped up and had an epic battle with Alex Munoz. Trailing the entire match, Carlo shot in and scored on a single leg takedown with just over 10 seconds left to force overtime. In the extra period, Carlo wasted no time shooting in and scoring on another takedown securing a 6-4 decision, which ultimately proved to be the only victory the Vikings would tally.

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 both loss's last week, CSU lost five matches by two points, and one by three points and gave up six points due to forfeits at 197 pounds. Against Pittsburgh(1/28), Jordan Keller fell 4-2, while Antonio Nicholson narrowly lost 3-1 in an overtime battle and 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.

MATCHES-TO-WATCH

HWT: No. 18 Rashard Goff (26-7) vs. No. 13 Joe Fedone (20-5) The two heavyweight's have had some epics matches throughout their careers, with Fedone posting a 2-1 mark last season. Goff took down Fedone 4-2 in an exciting overtime match in a dual meet in which the Fighting Scots took downs the Vikings 33-6.

125 lbs: Jordan Keller (22-14) vs. No. 1 Paul Donahue (23-0) This will mark the first meeting between the two lightweights. Keller has been competing hard over the last few weeks, but has came up on the short end of back-to-back two point losses, while Donahue has four first place tournament finishes this season. Keller has a team high 10 major decisions, while Donahue has eight.

149 lbs: Antonio Nicholson (16-15) vs. Torsten Gillespie (22-12) Antonio Nicholson has put everything together and is competing at a high level as of late. Nicholson is coming off a huge win over Matt Fittery of Lock Haven,who defeated Gillespie 9-5, and back-to-back last second decisions, including a 3-1 double overtime loss to Mark Powell of Pittsburgh (1/28).

157 lbs: Corey Carlo (12-16) vs. No. 1 Gregor Gillespie (29-0) Corey Carlo has stepped up at took control of the 157 pound weight class. Carlo has four dual meet wins this season and is coming off a huge 6-4 overtime win over Alex Munoz of Pittsburgh. This will mark the first meeting between Carlo and Gillespie.

165 lbs: Rob Michaels (14-8) vs. Chris Hrunka (4-8) Michaels has been wrestling very well after coming off an early season knee injury. The sophomore has an uncanny ability to pin his opponents and has a tough obstacle this week as he squares off against Hrunka. This will be the first time the two wrestlers will face off.

184 lbs: JT Miller (10-15) vs. No. 11 Chris Honeycutt (20-6) Miller is no stranger to big matches against Edinboro. Last season he pinned 15th-ranked Phil Morricone in 3:27. Honeycutt took first place at both the PSAC Championships as well as the Reno Tournament.

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: 30-60-1 At CSU: 4-10

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 honor their seniors and conclude their home schedule on Saturday, February 14, when they take on EWL opponent Clarion. The dual meet is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m. in Woodling Gymnasium.