Penn State Pins Army West Point 45-3
UNIVERSITY PARK – No. 1 Penn State (1-0, 0-0 B1G) opened up the 2017-18 season with a 45-3 win over visiting Army West Point (0-1) in Rec Hall. Over 6,300 fans packed Rec Hall for the dual, Penn State’s 36th straight Rec Hall sellout, as the Lions posted five pins in the victory.
The dual began at 125 where Nittany Lion redshirt freshman Devin Schnupp (Lititz, Pa.) made his collegiate debut. Schnupp dropped a hard fought 6-4 decision to Army’s Trey Chalifoux. Senior Corey Keener (Schuylkill Haven, Pa.), ranked No. 15 at 133, made his Penn State debut after transferring from Central Michigan in dazzling fashion. The graduate student pinned Army’s Lane Peters at the 2:50 mark to put the Lions on top 6-3. Junior Jered Cortez (Carol Stream, Ill.) followed that up at 141 with a 12-6 decision over Austin Harry.
Senior Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 149, put on an offensive clinic in his senior season starter. The reigning NCAA champion rolled up a 14-1 first period lead before posting a 17-1 tech fall at the 4:13 mark. Junior Jason Nolf (Yatesboro, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 157, sent Penn State into intermission with a 20-6 lead with a pin. Nolf turned an early first period scramble into four near fall points by working Lucas Weiland’s shoulders to the mat with his legs. He finished off the scrambling pin at the 1:07 mark to send the Lions into the break with the big lead.
Sophomore Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 165, kept the Lions rolling with a 17-7 major decision over Army’s Andrew Mendel. Sophomore Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.), ranked No. 2 at 174, was dominant, picking up a second period pin after rolling to a big first period lead. Hall pinned No. 19 Ben Harvey at the 4:09 mark to put the Lions up 30-3. Junior Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), ranked No. 1 at 184, finished off a ‘if you blink you missed it’ performance by pinning Army’s Noah Stewart in just :26 to give the Nittany Lions a 36-3 lead. Stewart, a sophomore, was a high school standout at Mifflin County.
Sophomore Anthony Cassar (Rocky Hill, N.J.) made his Penn State dual meet debut at 197 and was strong in his first Rec Hall dual. Cassar picked up four takedowns on his way to a 10-3 victory over Rocco Caywood. Junior Nick Nevills (Clovis, Calif.), ranked No. 3 at 285, closed out the dual meet with Penn State’s fifth pin. Nevills owned a big lead in the third before turning Army’s Bobby Heald for a fall at the 6:10 mark to give Penn State the 45-3 victory.
The Nittany Lions reeled off nine straight wins after a close loss in the dual’s first bout. Penn State picked up 18 bonus points off five pins, a major and a tech fall. The Nittany Lions posted a 34-4 takedown edge.
Penn State is now 1-0 overall, 0-0 in the Big Ten. Army falls to 0-1.
The Nittany Lions will host Bucknell on Sunday at 2 p.m. in Rec Hall. Penn State continues action next weekend with a dual meet at Binghamton on Friday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m. The Nittany Lions then trek to Philadelphia for the Keystone Classic on Sunday, Nov. 19, at Penn.
#1 Penn State 45, Army West Point 3
November 9, 2017 – Rec Hall – University Park, Pa.
125: Trey Chalifoux AWP dec. Devin Schnupp PSU, 6-4 0-3
133: #15 Corey Keener PSU pinned Lane Peters AWP, WBF (2:50) 6-3
141: Jered Cortez PSU dec. Austin Harry AWP, 12-6 9-3
149: #1 Zain Retherford PSU tech fall Knox Fuller AWP, 17-1 (TF; 4:13) 14-3
157: #1 Jason Nolf PSU pinned Lucas Weiland AWP, WBF (1:53) 20-3
165: #1 Vincenzo Joseph PSU maj. dec. Andrew Mendel AWP, 17-7 24-3
174: #2 Mark Hall PSU pinned #19 Ben Harvey AWP, WBF (4:09) 30-3
184: #1 Bo Nickal PSU pinned Noah Stewart AWP, WBF (0:26) 36-3
197: Anthony Cassar PSU dec. Rocco Caywood AWP, 10-3 39-3
285: #3 Nick Nevills, PSU pinned Bobby Heald AWP, WBF (6:10) 45-3
Records: Penn State 1-0, Army 0-1
Up Next for Penn State: hosts Bucknell, Sunday, Nov. 12, 2 p.m.
