ERIE, Pa. -- Gannon captured 8-of-10 bouts to top 21st-ranked Kutztown, 30-7, Saturday at the Gannon Recreation & Wellness Center.

The Golden Knights, receiving votes in the NWCA Division II Poll, move to 7-1 on the year and remain unbeaten in PSAC matches with a 4-0 mark after winning their sixth consecutive dual. Kutztown fell for the first time and now sits at 3-1 overall (3-1 PSAC).

Hard-fought battles dotted the card with six of the 10 matches decided by seven points or less. Gannon won the first four weight classes by decision to take a 12-0 lead before the Golden Bears got on the board courtesy of 12th-ranked Bailey Gimbor's (Bernville, Pa./Hamburg) 10-2 major decision over Ethan Richner at 157 pounds.

Gimbor bolted out to a 6-1 lead by the end of the first period on a pair of takedowns. He'd add another in the second and improved to 12-2 on the season with his third major decision.

Kutztown wasn't able to build momentum off the win, though, as Gannon's Nick Coreno made a second period takedown stand up in a 3-1 win over Dalton Gimbor (Bernville, Pa./Hamburg) at 165. It was the second straight match against a nationally ranked opponent for the seventh-ranked Gimbor. Coreno is 11th in the latest NWCA rankings and Gimbor defeated No. 6 Dillon Walker of Mercyhurst Friday evening.

Cole Hivnor pushed the Golden Knights' lead to 20-4 with an 18-2 (4:14) technical fall over Alex Ward (Manassas, Va./Battlefield) at 174.

Third-ranked Matthew Weinberg (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) secured his 17th win in 20 matches this winter with a 7-1 decision over Cole Casilio at 184, but the absence of bonus points put the match out of reach for the Golden Bears, who faced a 20-7 deficit with a maximum 12 available points remaining over the final two bouts.

Gannon pushed its final advantage to 23 with a major decision from Andrija Ivanovic at 197 and a pin from Matt Long at 285.

Early in the match, KU's Trent Thompson (Bristol, Conn./Bristol Eastern) battled 10th-ranked Jose Diaz at 125, before falling 5-2. Jared Fulton (Nottingham, Pa./Solanco) led Caleb Chaves, 1-0, heading to the third period at 133, but Chaves got a takedown that proved to be the difference in a 3-2 decision.
 
The Golden Bears will return home for the first time since Nov. 30, when they host 11th-ranked Pitt-Johnstown this coming Friday, Feb. 2, at 7 p.m.

 

#21 KUTZTOWN AT GANNON SATURDAY, JAN. 27, 2024 | ERIE, PA. | GANNON RECREATION & WELLNESS CENTER
WT.	MATCH	KUTZ	GAN
125	#10 Jose Diaz (GAN) dec. Trent Thompson (KUTZ), 5-2	0	3
133	#8 Jerry Echevarria (GAN) dec. Javien DeLeon (KUTZ), 12-5	0	6
141	Caleb Chaves (GAN) dec. Jared Fulton (KUTZ), 3-2	0	9
149	Jimmy Ryan (GAN) dec. Aliazer Alicea (KUTZ), 7-2	0	12
157	#12 Bailey Gimbor (KUTZ) major dec. Ethan Richner (GAN), 10-2	4	12
165	#11 Nick Coreno (GAN) dec. #7 Dalton Gimbor (KUTZ), 3-1	4	15
174	Cole Hivnor (GAN) tech. fall Alex Ward (KUTZ), 18-2 (4:14)	4	20
184	#3 Matthew Weinberg (KUTZ) dec. Cole Casilio (GAN), 7-1	7	20
197	Andrija Ivanovic (GAN) major dec. Liam Akers (KUTZ), 14-4	7	24
285	Matt Long (GAN) pinned Dustin Swanson (KUTZ), 0:43	7	30