ERIE, Pa. – It was an almost ideal way for the Gannon men's wrestling team to team to close the PSAC season.

The Golden Knights stormed to a 26-0 lead and rolled to a 33-10 win over crosstown rival Mercyhurst at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center as Gannon secured second place in the PSAC standings on the final day of the regular season. Coach Tom Boyd's team finish 9-2 overall in dual meets and finished the PSAC season with a 6-1 record.

The only blemish on Gannon's conference record was a 17-15 loss to first-place Pitt-Johnstown last weekend. UPJ, which is 6-0 in the PSAC, had its match with Shippensburg postponed because of inclement weather on Friday.

Gannon received a spark from the 125-pounder Hunter Robison (Edinboro, Pa./Saegertown), who was wrestling in place of nationally ranked Jose Diaz (Valparaiso, Ind./Wheeler).

Robison was leading 5-2 in the third period when he turned Mercyhurst's Billy Smith to his back and pinned him at the 5:49 mark for a 6-0 Gannon lead.

The Knights followed with a series of consecutive wins, including a 7-4 decision by No. 8/6-ranked Jerry Echevarria (Long Beach, N.Y./Long Beach) at 133 pounds, as he improved 22-5.

Next was a 23-7 technical fall by 141-pounder Caleb Chaves (Odenton, Md./Arundel). Chaves had seven takedowns against Roland Mills and claimed the tech fall at 6:49 as his five-point win gave the Knights a 14-0 lead over the Lakers.

Jimmy Ryan (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell) then turned in Gannon's second pin. He took an 8-0 lead and rode Bret Minnick more than a minute before pinning him at 2:38. Ryan upped his record to 17-5 as GU's lead ballooned to 20-0 through four matches.

GU's Hayden Butterfield (Erie, Pa./McDowell) then pulled out one of the night's most exciting victories. He trailed Max Stedeford for much of the 157-pound match but recorded a takedown in the third period to tie it at 5-5. Butterfield then improved his record to 12-7 by getting a takedown early in the overtime period for an 8-5 decision in sudden victory.

Butterfield's win gave Gannon a commanding 23-0 advantage at intermission.

However, the feature match of the night came next at 165 pounds. Two nationally ranked wrestlers faced off as No. 11/8 Nick Coreno (Willoughby, Ohio/Lake Catholic) of Gannon met No. 6/10 Dillon Walker of Mercyhurst. Like Butterfield, Coreno trailed for much of the bout, but he recorded a takedown late in the period and rode out Walker for a 6-5 win that gave the Knights a 26-0 lead and secured the dual win. Coreno moved his season mark to 22-5.

Gannon's Cole Hivnor (Painesville, Ohio/Lake Catholic) took an injury default loss at 174, but Cole Casilio (Wilcox, Pa./Johnsonburg Area) followed with a 11-1 major decision at 184. Casilio had a takedown in each period as he moved to 19-8.

Gannon's final win came in the last match as heavyweight Matt Long (Corry, Pa./Union City) got a late takedown to break a 1-1 tie against Christian Taylor as Long held on for a 4-1 win. Long improved to 19-11.

Coach Boyd's team will now prepare for the NCAA Division II Super Regional on March 2 at Kutztown.
 
 
PSAC WRESTLING
Feb. 16, 2024, at Mercyhurst Athletic Center
 
GANNON 33, MERCYHURST 10
125: Hunter Robison (Edinboro, Pa./Saegertown) (GU) over Billy Smith (MU) (Fall 5:49)
133: Jeremiah Echevarria (GU) over Nate Knowlton (MU) (Dec 7-4)
141: Caleb Chaves (Odenton, Md./Arundel) (GU)       over Roland Mills (MU) (TF 23-7 6:42)
149: James Ryan (GU) over Bret Minnick (MU) (Fall 2:38)
157: Hayden Butterfield (Erie, Pa./McDowell) (GU) over Max Stedeford (MU) (SV-1 8-5)
165: Nicholas Coreno (GU) over Dillon Walker (MU) (Dec 6-5)
174: Chase Stein (MU) over Cole Hivnor (Painesville, Ohio/Lake Catholic) (GU) (Inj. 4:35)
184: Cole Casilio (Wilcox, Pa./Johnsonburg Area) (GU) over Vincent Scaramuzzino (MU) (MD 11-1)
197: Trever Begin (MU) over Anthony Glessner (Middletown, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) (GU) (MD 10-0)
285: Matt Long (Corry, Pa./Union City) (GU) over Christian Taylor (MU) (Dec 4-1)