No. 1 Penn State Grabs 21-15 Victory at No. 7 Virginia Tech
Freshmen Nolf and Nickal lead Nittany Lions to impressive road win
BLACKSBURG, Va.; November 15, 2015 – The top-ranked Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team (2-0, 0-0 B1G) won six of ten
bouts and grabbed an impressive 21-15 win at No. 7 Virginia Tech (1-1 0-0 ACC) in Penn State’s first road dual of the year. In a
dual meet featuring 15 ranked grapplers, head coach Cael Sanderson’s crew took control late with three straight victories to grab
the win.
The Nittany Lions rode the strong performances of red-shirt freshmen Jason Nolf (Yatesboro, Pa.) and Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas),
both of whom downed third-ranked opponents, to the road win. The dual was wrestled in front of 5,097 fans, a new Virginia Tech
attendance record for wrestling.
The dual began at 125 where All-American Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), ranked No. 2 nationally, suffered a 4-3 (tb) loss to
No. 6 Joey Dance. All-American Jordan Conaway (Abbottstown, Pa.), ranked No. 8 at 133, handled No. 18 Kevin Norstrem 4-1
with 3:17 riding time, tying the bout at 3-3. All-American Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.), ranked No. 2 at his new weight of 141,
was upset with a late second takedown in a 3-1 loss to Solomon Chishko. All-American Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), ranked
No. 2 at his new weight of 149, put Penn State on top with a dominating 15-0 technical fall over No. 13 Sal Mastriani, giving the
Nittany Lions an 8-6 lead.
Red-shirt freshman Jason Nolf (Yatesboro, Pa.), ranked No. 6 at 157, dominated No. 3 Nick Brascetta, posting a 4-1 win with a
solid 2:03 in riding time. The win put Penn State up 11-6 midway through the bout. Shakur Rasheed (Coram, N.Y.) suffered a tough
loss at 165, losing a 10-8 (sv) decision to Dave McFadden after a furious late McFadden comeback. Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), ranked
No. 14 at 174, silenced the record Hokie crowd, however, by dominating No. 3 Zach Epperly on his way to a 6-2 decision. The win
put Penn State up 14-9 with three bouts left.
Sophomore Matt McCutcheon (Apollo, Pa.), ranked No. 14 at 184, increased Penn State’s lead to 18-9 with a resounding 18-4 major
decision over Virginia Tech’s Zack Zavatsky. All-American Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), ranked No. 1 at 197, then clinched
the dual with a solid 9-2 win over No. 17 Jared Haught. The win put Penn State up 21-9. No. 2 Ty Walz of Virginia Tech received a
forfeit victory at 285 and Penn State left a raucous Cassell Coliseum with a strong 21-15 win.
Penn State held a slim 10-7 edge in takedowns in the hotly contested dual. Sanderson’s squad picked up three bonus points off a tech
fall and a major. The Nittany Lions are now 2-0 on the year while Virginia Tech falls to 1-1.
Penn State heads west next weekend for two dual meets in California. The Nittany Lions visit Cal-Bakersfield on Friday, Nov. 20, at 10 p.m.
Eastern/7 p.m. Pacific. Penn State then visits No. xx Stanford on Sunday, Nov. 22, at 4 p.m. Eastern/1 p.m. Pacific in a dual will be
broadcast live on the Pac 12 Network/Bay Area. With season tickets once again sold out in advance of the campaign beginning, Penn State
is giving fans more opportunities than ever to see the Nittany Lions compete, including Penn State’s next home dual meet on Dec. 13. Fans
may purchase singles to Penn State’s two BJC Duals (Wisconsin on 12/13 and Ohio State on 2/5) online
at www.GoPSUsports.com/accountmanager or by calling 1-800-NITTANY.
BJC Dual public tickets are $16 for adults and $8 for youth (12-and-under). Group tickets for the BJC Duals are now available as well,
allowing fans to purchase 20 or more tickets at only $8 per ticket. Group tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-NITTANY. With the five
Rec Hall duals already at seated capacity, a limited number of Standing Room Only tickets (SROs) can be purchased for each of those five
duals as well. Rec Hall SROs may only be purchased by calling 1-800-NITTANY and are $15 per person.
Penn State Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at @pennstateWREST, on Penn State Wrestling’s Facebook
page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/pennstatewrest. The 2015-16 Penn State wrestling
season is presented by The Family Clothesline. This is PENN STATE. WRESTLING lives here.
#1 Penn State 21, #7 Virginia Tech 15
November 15, 2015 – Blacksburg, Va.
125: #6 Joey Dance VT dec. #2 Nico Megaludis PSU, 4-3 (TB) 0-3
133: #8 Jordan Conaway PSU dec. #18 Kevin Norstrem VT, 4-1 3-3
141: Solomon Chishko VT dec. #2 Jimmy Gulibon PSU, 3-1 3-6
149: #2 Zain Retherford PSU tech fall #13 Sal Mastriani VT, 15-0 (TF; 4:25) 8-6
157: #6 Jason Nolf PSU dec. #3 Nick Brascetta VT, 4-1 11-6
165: Dave McFadden VT dec. (sv) Shakur Rasheed PSU, 10-8 (sv) 11-9
174: #14 Bo Nickal PSU dec. #3 Zach Epperly VT, 6-2 14-9
184: #14 Matt McCutcheon PSU maj. dec. Zack Zavatsky VT, 18-4 18-9
197: #1 Morgan McIntosh PSU dec. #17 Jared Haught VT, 9-2 21-9
285: #2 Ty Walz VT win by forfeit
Attendance: 5,097 (new Virginia Tech attendance record)
Records: Penn State 2-0, 0-0 B1G; Virginia Tech 1-1, 0-0 ACC
Up Next for Penn State: at CS-Bakersfield, Friday, Nov. 20, 10 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Pacific
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
125: Senior All-American Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), ranked No. 2 at 125, faced off against No. 6 Joey Dance. The duo battled evenly
for the opening minute-plus. With each man working for control in the middle of the mat, Megaludis battled through Dance’s efforts to control
his shoulders, creating space for low singles. Megaludis shot repeatedly over the final minute-plus and Dance was forced into defense for the
remainder of a scoreless first period. Megaludis chose down to start the second stanza and escaped quickly to a 1-0 lead. With :50 in the period,
Megaludis finally worked his way into control of a low single and steadily worked his way into a takedown for a 3-0 lead. Dance was able to
escape as the period ended and Megaludis led 3-1 after two. Dance chose down to start the third period and Megaludis was able to maintain
control long enough to build up more than a minute’s worth of riding time. Action moved out of bounds at the :57 mark, forcing a reset. Dance
worked his way to a reversal after the reset, tying the match and rode Megaludis out to force sudden victory tied 3-3. Megaludis shook off a
Dance shot and nearly scored, while Dance almost countered that move for a takedown of his own. After a furious minute, the bout moved into a
tie breaker still tied 3-3. Megaludis chose down for the first :30 period and could not work his way out of Dance’s control. Dance was down for the
next period and escaped to a 4-3 lead with :18 on the clock. Megaludis worked for a late takedown but Dance was able to fight off a final shot and
posted the 4-3 upset win.
133: Senior All-American Jordan Conaway (Abbottstown, Pa.), ranked No. 8 at 133, met No. 18 Kevin Norstrem. Like the bout that preceded them,
Conaway and Norstrem battled through an even opening period. Tied 0-0, Norstrem chose down to start the second period. Conaway was able to
control the action from the top position, working up a solid riding time edge. Conaway’s strong ride continued deep into the second period, through a
reset, until the :10 mark when Norstrem escaped to a 1-0 lead. Down 1-0, Conway chose bottom to start the final period. Conaway quickly escaped to
a 1-1 tie with a 1:40 riding time edge. Conaway quickly worked his way to control of Norstrem’s shoulder, working the Hokie’s hands to the ground for a
takedown and a 3-1 lead. The Nittany Lion senior clinched a riding time point with control on top. Conaway allowed no room for Norstrem to move, w
orking the clock down to zeroes. With 3:17 riding time, Conaway walked away with a strong 4-1 win.
141: Junior All-American Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.), ranked No. 2 at 141, battled Solomon Chishko. Gulibon was steady on offense, patiently
working his way into control Chishko’s leg and shoulders. But no takedown was awarded on the edge of the mat and a reset was called at the :30
mark. Tied 0-0, Gulibon chose down to start the middle stanza. A quick escape gave the Lion a 1-0 lead and action continued neutral in the middle
of the mat. Chishko gained control of Gulibon’s left leg, trying to score, but the Lion worked his way out of trouble and then forced Chishko off the
mat and into a first stall warning. Gulibon nearly added a late takedown but Chishko was able to fight off the shot. Trailing 1-0, Chishko chose down to
start the third and quickly escaped to a 1-1 tie. Gulibon continued to work his offense, forcing Chishko into defense. The Lion’s patience paid off with
control of a low single at the :30 mark. Chishko countered and worked his way into control of the Lion junior and a late takedown was awarded with :05
left that the Penn State bench immediately challenged. The call was upheld and Chishko posted the 3-1 upset win.
149: Sophomore All-American Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), ranked No. 2 at 149, tangled with No. 13 Sal Mastriani. Retherford took an early lead with
a takedown at the 1:26 mark and then controlled the action from the top position for over a minute. Retherford picked up two near fall points to up his
lead to 4-0 and carried that lead into the second period. Retherford chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 5-0 lead. The Penn
State sophomore added a second takedown at the 1:20 mark to up his lead to 6-0 and went to work turning the Hokie for four back points. Retherford
reset and worked Mastriani over for a second four point near fall posted the 15-0 technical fall at the 4:25 mark.
157: Red-shirt freshman Jason Nolf (Yatesboro, Pa.), ranked No. 6 at 157, wrestled No. 3 Nick Brascetta. Nolf shot quickly, nearly turning an early ankle
pick into a takedown. Brascetta was able to work action to a reset and the bout remained scoreless early on. Nolf’s constant pressure led to a go-ahead
takedown at the 1:18 mark. The Penn State freshman then maintained control of Brascetta for the remainder of the period, carrying a 2-0 lead with 1:18
riding time into the second. Nolf chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. Nolf fought off an early Brascetta shot, action
stayed neutral at the 1:00 mark and the Lion continued his offensive pressure. With Brascetta forced into defense, Nolf carried the 3-0 lead and riding time
edge into the third period. Brascetta chose down to start the third and Nolf was able to dominate action from the top position once again. Nolf’s strong ride
allowed the freshman build up 2:03 in riding time before Brascetta escaped to a 3-1 score. Nolf continued to shoot, not content to wind down the clock.
While the offensive shots did not lead to a takedown, it did keep the Hokie on defense and Nolf posted the strong 4-1 win with 2:03 in riding time.
165: Red-shirt freshman Shakur Rasheed (Coram, N.Y.) took on Dave McFadden at 165. Rasheed scored early, using relentless offense to notch a takedown
just under 1:00 into the bout. The talented Penn State freshman then controlled the action from the top position, building up a big riding time edge with a ride-out.
Leading 2-0 with 2:30 in riding time, Rasheed chose down to start the second period. The Lion freshman worked his way through a mad scramble from the start
and eventually controlled the Hokie’s legs on the edge of the mat for a reversal and a 4-0 lead at the 1:18 mark. McFadden broke into the scoring column with an
escape at the 1:10 mark, but Rasheed led 4-1 with 2:04 in riding time. Trailing 4-1, McFadden chose down to start the final period. McFadden escaped to a 4-2
score and Rasheed and a clinched riding time point. McFadden called for an injury time-out with 1:18 on the clock, giving Rasheed the choice on the reset. The
freshman chose down on the reset and escaped to a 5-2 lead with :55 on the clock. McFadden notched a takedown to cut the lead to 6-4, then took the Lion down
again to tie the bout at 6-6. Rasheed escaped to a 7-6 lead with :12 left and. The Hokie added a final takedown as the buzzer sounded and the bout moved into
sudden victory off Rasheed’s 1:51 riding time. McFadden quickly took the Lion freshman down to post the 10-8 come from behind win in sudden victory.
174: Red-shirt freshman Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), ranked No. 14 at 174, battled No. 3 Zack Epperly. Nickal wasted no time taking a lead, using a low single to take
a 2-0 lead at the 2:29 mark. Epperly escaped to neutral and action resumed in the center circle. Nickal was relentless on offense, forcing his Hokie opponent back
towards the outer circle and nearly notching a quick pin on a throw a the :45 mark. Epperly rolled through the fast move and no points were awarded. Nickal continued
to press the action, using his long reach to work low singles into control of the bout’s tempo. Nickal chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a
3-1 lead. Nickal’s outstanding quickness allowed him to slide behind a slight Epperly shot for a second takedown and a 5-1 lead with :55 left in the middle period.
Nickal controlled the action for the remainder of the period to lead 5-1 with 1:24 riding time after heading into the final period. Epperly chose down to start the third
period and escaped to a 5-2 score at the 1:35 mark, Nickal still had 1:47 in riding time. Nickal maintained control of the tempo for the remainder of the match and
posted the 6-2 win in dominating fashion over the third-ranked Epperly. Nickal had 1:47 riding time in the match.
184: Sophomore Matt McCutcheon (Apollo, Pa.), ranked No. 14 at 184, met Zack Zavatsky. The duo battled through a scoreless opening minute before Zavatsky took
a 2-0 lead with a fast single leg in the middle of the mat. McCutcheon quickly notched the reversal and Zavatsky led 3-2 after an escape midway through the period.
McCutcheon took the lead with a strong takedown and then added two near fall points to lead 6-3 at the :40 mark. The Lion then broke the match open with two four
point turns on the edge of the mat to lead 14-3 after the opening period. Zavatsky chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 14-4 score. McCutcheon
was relentless however, taking the Hokie down for a 16-4 lead with :50 on the clock. McCutcheon rode Zavatsky out and led 16-4 with 1:42 in riding time after two period.
McCutcheon chose down to start the third and quickly escaped to a 17-4 lead. The Lion sophomore then killed the clock with strong neutral wrestling and posted the
dominating 18-4 major decision with 1:34 in riding time.
197: Senior All-American Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), ranked No. 1 at 197, tangled with No. 17 Jared Haught. The duo battled evenly for the opening minute-plus
with McIntosh forcing Haught into a stall warning midway through the period. The Lion senior continued to set the tempo throughout the period but could not work through
Haught’s defense and the bout moved to the middle stanza scoreless. McIntosh chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. McIntosh finally
connected on a low single, working his way into control of Haught’s ankles and a 3-0 lead with 1:20 left in the second period. McIntosh was then punishing up top, working
shoulder control into a four point near fall as the period ended. Haught, trailing 7-0, chose neutral to start the third period. Haught caught McIntosh with a takedown to cut
the lead to 8-2 with 1:20 left, but the Lion senior controlled the rest of the bout, keeping the Hokie at arm’s length on his way to a solid 9-2 win with 1:11 in riding time.
285: Virginia Tech’s Ty Walz, ranked No. 2, received a forfeit victory at 285.
Patrick Donghia
Assistant Director, Strategic Communications
Penn State Athletics