#9 Kutztown 30, Shippensburg 15 | Photo Gallery
 
KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Trailing for the first half of the match, the Kutztown University wrestling team remained composed and pulled out a 30-15 victory at Keystone Arena on Monday night in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) matchup with Shippensburg University.
 
The last home dual of the season, Kutztown (11-4, 5-1 PSAC) celebrated Senior Night by honoring its four seniors before the match; Nick Lamoreaux (Bethesda, MD/Milton Hershey), Giovanni Ortiz (Reading, PA/Reading), Mitch Voelker (Shoemakersville, PA/Schuylkill Valley), and Evan Yenolevich (New Tripoli, PA/Northwestern Lehigh (Edinboro)).
 
Shippensburg (8-11, 2-5 PSAC) took the early lead, gaining six points with a pin at 125 and another six due to KU's forfeit at 133.
 
The Golden Bears slowly worked its way back into it, taking the next three matches by tight decisions. Voelker bested Simon Rice at 141 pounds (9-2), Jackson Stabile (Lenhartsville, Pa./Hamburg) defeated Karl Lightner at 149 (8-6), and Matt Martoccio (Kintnersville, Pa./Council Rock South) grabbed the win over Mark Lentz at 157 (6-5).
 
With the deficit cut to 12-9 in favor of the Raiders, Bo Candelaria (Reading, Pa./Middletown) set the tone for the rest of the match, pinning Colton Roberts in 58 seconds at 165 pounds to give KU its first lead (15-12). Justin Heller (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) took a convincing 6-1 lead in the first period, but Brett Pastore battled his way back to a 10-8 win in overtime to tie the score at 15 and give the Raiders another fighting chance.
 
However, KU's big guns put an end to its opponents' spark. Ortiz fought Casey Hedash to a 2-2 draw at the end of regulation in the 184-pound bout, but his 1:37 riding time gave him the decision and three points for his team. Brandan Clark (Audubon, Pa./Methacton) and Ziad Haddad (Orefield, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic (North Carolina)) sealed the deal for the Maroon and Gold with two pins in the final two bouts to win the dual 30-15.
 
Clark records his team-leading 18th victory, Haddad moves to 17-0, Ortiz earns win number 17, and Voelker improves to 16 wins.
 
Kutztown has one final dual match at East Stroudsburg University tomorrow night, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. If KU is victorious tomorrow night and Pitt-Johnstown defeats Mercyhurst, KU, UPJ, and MU will all share a three-way stake for the PSAC title.
 

Final Results
WT.	Name	Score
125	Dante Steffenino (SU) pins N. Lamoreaux (KU), 2:12	6-0 SU
133	Chris Miller (SU) wins by forfeit	12-0 SU
141	M. Voelker (KU) dec. Simon Rice (SU), 9-2	12-3 SU
149	J. Stabile (KU) dec. Karl Lightner (SU) 8-6	12-6 SU
157	M. Martoccio (KU) dec. Mark Lentz (SU), 6-5	12-9 SU
165	B. Candelaria (KU) pins Colton Rebert (SU), 0:58	15-12 KU
174	Brett Pastore (SU) dec. J. Heller (KU), 10-8	15-15
184	G. Ortiz (KU) dec. Casey Hedash (SU), 3-2	18-15 KU
197	B. Clark (KU) pins Jalal Paige (SU), 4:30	24-15 KU
285	#1 Z. Haddad (KU) pins Jacob Nale (SU), 4:22	30-15 KU

 
 
Play-by-Play Summary:
 
 
125: Nick Lamoreaux (Bethesda, MD/Milton Hershey) (KU) vs. Dante Steffenino (SU)
Steffenino earns first takedown of match midway through the first period in the middle of the mat to lead 2-0…Steffanino earns back points and then wins by pin in 2:12. Shippensburg leads 6-0.
 
 
133: Chris Miller (SU) wins by forfeit
Shippensburg leads 12-0.
 
 
141: Mitch Voelker (Shoemakersville, PA/Schuylkill Valley) (KU) vs. Simon Rice (SU)
Voelker earns first takedown of mat at edge of mat with 56 seconds left in period…Action brought back to middle of mat…Stalemate called…Voelker warning on restart…In final 10 seconds of period, Voelker earns two back points and leads 4-0 after first period…Voelker on bottom to start second…Following 30 seconds of riding time for Rice, Voelker earns a reversal in the middle of the mat to take 6-0 lead...Voelker warning on restart…Voelker leads 6-0 after second period with 2:05 of riding time…Voelker chooses neutral to start third…Stalemate called in middle of third…Rice earns first points of match and trails 6-2…Voelker with quick reversal and takes 8-2 lead…Voelker wins 8-2, extended to 9-2 after 1:58 of riding time. Shippensburg leads 12-3.
 
 
149: Jackson Stabile (Lenhartsville, Pa./Hamburg) (KU) vs. Karl Lightner (SU)
Stabile earns first takedown of match 10 seconds in…Lightner escapes after 38 seconds and trails 2-1…Stabile leads 2-1 after first…Lightner defers, Stabile chooses bottom to start second…Stabile earns reversal while avoiding near fall to take 4-1 lead at edge of mat…Action brought back to middle…Lightner escapes and trails 4-2…Lightner with takedown and ties match at 4-4…Bout tied at 4-4 after second period…Lightner on bottom to start third…Stabile with three back points, quickly followed by a two-point reversal by Lightner as Stabile leads 7-6…Stabile escapes to lead 8-6…Stabile wins 8-6 with 39 seconds of riding time. Shippensburg leads match 12-6.
 
 
157: Matt Martoccio (Kintnersville, Pa./Council Rock South) (KU) vs. Mark Lentz (SU)
Martoccio earns first takedown of match to take 2-0 lead…action brought to middle of mat…Lentz quickly escapes and trails 2-1…Both wrestlers attempt dives, Martoccio lands takedown…Lentz quick escape as Martoccio takes 4-2 lead…Martoccio grabs the legs of Lentz for takedown and 6-2 lead…Martoccio leads 6-2 after first…Martoccio defers, Lentz chooses bottom to start second…Lentz escapes in opening seconds of second and trails 6-3…Lentz with an airborne takedown and trails 6-5 midway through second period…Martoccio caution…Martoccio held scoreless in second period and leads Lentz 6-5 after second period…Martoccio chooses neutral to start third…Little action in first half of third period…Martoccio warned for stalling…Martoccio hangs on and wins bout 6-5. Shippensburg leads 12-9.
 
 
165: Bo Candelaria (Reading, Pa./Middletown) (KU) vs. Colton Rebert (SU)
Candelaria with first takedown of match; earns two back points and leads 4-0 early in match. Candelaria with pin in 58 seconds. Kutztown takes 15-12 match lead.
 
 
174: Justin Heller (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) (KU) vs. Brett Pastore (SU)
Heller with first takedown of match to lead 2-0…Action brought back to middle of mat…Heller with two back points for 4-0 lead…Stalemate called as action brought back to middle of mat…Pastore escapes and trails 4-1…Heller spins around from grapple and takes 6-1 lead…Heller leads 6-1 after first period with 2:06 of riding time…Heller chooses neutral to start second period…Pastore earns his first takedown of match midway through second period and trails 6-3…Heller leads 6-3 after second…Pastore chooses bottom to start third…Heller caution…After action is reset, Heller with another caution…Heller with second straight caution, Pastore awarded point, trails 6-4…Pastore with reversal to tie match at 6-6 with 1:00 left…Pastore lets Heller up as Heller leads 7-6…Pastore with takedown with 35 seconds left to take 8-7 lead (Heller with riding time point)…Heller awarded point of riding time to tie bout at 8-8, forcing overtime…Lentz with bout-winning takedown 19 seconds into overtime to earns 10-8 win. Match tied at 15-15.
 
 
184: Giovanni Ortiz (Reading, PA/Reading) (KU) vs. Casey Hedash (SU)
Hedash with first takedown of match midway through the first period to take 2-0 lead…Ortiz escapes and trails 2-1…Ortiz trails 2-1 after first period…Hedash defers, Ortiz chooses bottom to start second…Ortiz escapes 10 seconds into period to tie match at 2-2…Stalemate called midway through second period…Bout tied at 2-2 after second period…Hedash chooses bottom to start third…Ortiz goes over 1:00 of riding time midway through period…Action stopped with 14 seconds left, Hedash needing to escape to force overtime…Ortiz hangs on and wins bout 3-2 after 1:37 of riding time. Kutztown takes 18-15 match lead.
 
 
197: Brandan Clark (Audubon, Pa./Methacton) (KU) vs. Jalal Paige (SU)
Clark lands a dive, works for takedown and 2-0 lead…Clark leads 2-0 after first period…Clark defers, Paige chooses neutral to start second…Clark grabs a leg, lifts Paige, and scores a takedown for 4-0 lead early in second…Clark scores back points, earns pin in 4:30. Kutztown leads match 24-15.
 
 
285: #1 Ziad Haddad (Orefield, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic (North Carolina)) (KU) vs. Jacob Nale (SU)
Haddad with takedown one minute into period for 2-0 lead…Haddad lets Nale up and holds 2-1 lead…Haddad grabs legs for takedown and 4-1 lead, lets Nale up for 4-2 lead…Haddad with quick evasive maneuver to take 6-2 lead late in first period…Haddad leads 6-2 after first period…Nale defers, Haddad chooses bottom to start second…Haddad escapes a second into the period and takes 7-2 lead…Haddad with another takedown for 9-2 lead in position for back points…Haddad earns pin in 4:22. Kutztown wins match 30-15.