![[tribullet.gif]](../../tribullet.gif)
2000-2001 Press Release Index
EDINBORO, PA - For the sixth time in eight years, the Edinboro University wrestling team stands alone atop the Eastern Wrestling League, capturing the regular season dual meet championship for the third consecutive year with a 38-6 victory over West Virginia on Friday, February 16.
The Fighting Scots finish with a 6-0-1 conference record, ahead of second-place Lock Haven (6-1) and third-place Clarion (5-2). Lock Haven's only loss came at the hands of Edinboro, a 23-12 victory at McComb Fieldhouse. Edinboro, ranked 10th by InterMat and 16th by the NWCA, finishes with an 11-3-1 overall mark.
Edinboro also increased its EWL dual match wins streak to 22 matches (21-0-1). A 16-16 tie with Virginia Tech earlier this season is the only blemish on the Fighting Scots' record.
The highlight of the match came at heavyweight, with redshirt junior Josh Pearce's (Greenville, PA/ Commodore Perry) upset victory over seventh-ranked Ryan Kehler by a 5-3 score. Pearce, ranked 18th, trailed 3-1 after a Kehler takedown in the first period and an escape by the Mountaineer to begin the second. Pearce escaped to start the third period to narrow the score to 3-2, then knotted the score with 30 seconds remaining after receiving a point for the second stall warning on Kehler. In the final five seconds, Pearce shot and scored the winning takedown as time expired for the 5-3 upset win.
Although Edinboro led comfortably, 35-6, in the dual match at the time, the match was important for Pearce with an EWL Tournament seeding on the line. Pearce will likely gain the second seed in the tournament behind Clarion's tenth-ranked John Testa, while Kehler will hold the third seed.
Head coach Tim Flynn's squad jumped to an early 15-0 lead after the first three matches. Freshman Jacob Gray (Essex, VT/Essex) won for the fourth time in five matches with a 3-0 shutout over Greg White at 125 pounds. Gray improved to 14-16 with the win. White dropped to 3-14.
Charlie Soto (El Paso, TX/J.M. Hanks) received a win when Zach Allen was forced to medically forfeit the match at 133 pounds. Soto led 5-0 in the second period when Allen went down with the injury. It was the first match of the season for Allen, while Soto is 10-15.
Edinboro increased the lead to 15-0 when former Franklin High School standout Cory Ace (Franklin, PA/ Franklin) pinned Brain Floyd in 59 seconds. Ace, ranked 20th at 141 pounds, has a 19-6 season ledger.
The Mountaineers finally entered the win column at 149 pounds when Anthony Regalbuto downed redshirt junior Chad Caros (Franklinville, NY/Suffern), who was wrestling up a weight from his normal 141 lbs. Regalbuto scored a takedown in overtime for a 7-5 victory, upping his record to 6-5. Caros is 10-8.
Joe Carr extended the Mountaineers' win streak to two matches, narrowing the lead to 15-6, with a 4-2 upset victory over tenth-ranked Shaun Shapert (Glenshaw, PA/Shaler). Carr, ranked 15th, avenged last season's 10-0 defeat to Shapert in Edinboro's 26-9 victory over West Virginia, and has won two straight over Shapert after an 8-1 victory at last season's EWL Tournament. Shapert lost his last two matches, and three of his last four, dropping his record to 20-9. Carr, the nephew of former Olympian and Erie native Nate Carr, is 18-5.
The Fighting Scots won the final five matches, starting with senior Ben Boozer's (Cochranton, PA/ Cochranton) 17-0 technical fall over Orlando Ricci at 165 lbs. Boozer replaced senior Yanni Diamond (Wellesley, MA/Wellesley), who was scheduled to compete but was forced to the sideline with a shoulder injury. Boozer has a 13-1 record.
Since debuting in the lineup against Gannon on February 1, Boozer has scored to scoreless technical falls of 16-0 and 17-0, a fall, and a major decision. He nearly pinned Pittsburgh's eighth-ranked Carl Fronhofer in the first period, but eventually lost a 7-5 decision.
Freshman Justin Millard (Laceyville, PA/Wyalusing) won his first match since returning from injury with an 8-3 decision over Jon Foster at 184 pounds. Millard is 17-12 in his inaugural season. Foster is 8-18.
In the easiest match of his career, Dave Shunamon (Tewksbury, MA/Tewksbury) picked up his 27th victory this season with a forfeit victory at 197 pounds. Shunamon, replacing two-time EWL champion A.J. Johnson in the lineup this season, is an impressive 27-3 and ranked 16th nationally.
~ Fighting Scots ~
Created on ... February 16, 2001