SPORTS
PAGE 14
Wednesday, December 8, 2021
Split score during Ohio wresting match By Gillian Mazur Staff writer
Despite very few matches last season due to the close nature of the sport and the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lakers made it all the way to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Super Region I and NCAA National Championships last season. In their 2019-2020 season, the Lakers’ overall score was 11-5, which allowed them to make it to the NCAA Super Region I. With a lot to prove to the wrestling community once again, on Dec. 4, Mercyhurst University’s Wrestling team traveled to Ashland, Ohio for their first dual meet for the 2021-2022 season. The Lakers battled against both the Davenport University Panthers and the No. 8 ranked at the time, Ashland University Eagles. Wrestling in multiple of the 10 collegiate weight classes, the Lakers took on their opponents with might. However, the Lakers’ first match of the day did not go as they had hoped, falling to the No. 8 ranked team in the country. Ranked ninth in the nation at the 133 lb. weight class, redshirt senior Eric Bartos scored a pin for his first action of the year ending the match. “Personally, I felt really good for it being my first match back. The goal is to stay healthy and position myself to make a run for a title by the end of the season, so we are off to a good start. I’m really excited
Hurst Athletics photo
Mercyhurst senior, Luke McGonigal wrestling in a match in Ashland, Ohio.
about this team right now and I see some major upsets in the future,” said Bartos. Graduate student Alexis Soriano put more points on the board for Mercyhurst winning his second match at the 141 mark via a 12-8 decision. A common outcome, a decision win is earned through a combination of escapes, riding time, reversals, take downs, stalling points, violations, or near falls. This point total is combined that is fewer than 8 points more than the opponent, which gives the wrestler’s team three points overall to the team’s scoreboard. “I felt I didn’t perform as well as I had hoped, but mid-match adjustments helped me improve to rally towards the end as I was
trying to end with a bonus point victory against Ashland,” said Soriano. Graduate student Jacob Robb ranked fifth nationally at 285, also went 2-0 for the day by defeating the Eagle’s junior, Ty Petrey, through a technical fall. In wrestling, this is met if one outscores their opponent by a set number of points, essentially, a mercy rule. Although the Lakers fought hard and had a few shining moments, it was not enough to beat the Ashland University Eagles in their home gym, losing 27-14. “Against Ashland, I felt as a team we could have performed better but overall a lot of tough and gritty matches from 125lbs all the way to heavyweight (183-285
lbs). We picked up some tough losses, but everyone looked tough and definitely gave it their all out there,” said Soriano. “Although we fell short to Ashland who’s now No. 7 in the country, I think the match allowed us to realize we can make the adjustments and be one of the best teams in the country. Our guys had really close matches with multiple individuals who were ranked top five in the country. Our freshmen are starting to get used to college competition and it’s looking like they are on track to be good,” said Bartos. Facing the Panthers second, the Lakers ended the start of their season strong easily showing who was superior with a final score of 47-4.
Bartos and graduate student Jacob Ruggeri both wrestled at 125 and 133 respectively each earning six points for Mercyhurst due to forfeit. Senior Luke McGonigal, junior Alexander Samson, freshman Matthew Leehan and freshman Max Stedeford all added to the scoreboard via pin. Robb won a 6-1 decision at 285, Soriano won a 15-1 major decision at 141 and freshman Dillon Walker got a 14-2 major decision at 174. The difference from a decision to a major decision is it is won if the winner outscores their opponent by eight or more points earning the team four points in a dual meet. “I think I performed well against Davenport picking up a major decision and getting to my attacks and getting to where I felt comfortable being,” said Soriano. The Lakers’ next match is set for Painesville, OH on Dec. 11 versus Lake Erie College. The first home wrestling match is currently set for Jan. 14 at 4 p.m. at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center against East Stroudsburg. “Overall as a team, I thought we performed very well against Davenport. Many of our guys got to positions they were good at and picked up a few bonus point victories. It was a very tough weekend and I’m certain our guys will be ready for the next dual better prepared and grittier than before to come out with a team victory against Lake Erie this upcoming Saturday” said Soriano.
Ultimate Frisbee is back in play again By Sydney Dietz Sports editor
There are many sports that often get overlooked, including ultimate Frisbee. Ultimate Frisbee is a non-contact game that is played by throwing a Frisbee between teammates. Two teams of seven compete against each other on a field slightly narrower than a football field. Each team defends an end zone. A team will get a goal if another player receives a Frisbee in the opposite end zone. There are no referees involved, and the players are responsible for the plays. Mercyhurst Lakers can compete against other schools by joining the Ultimate Frisbee club team. The Ultimate Frisbee club is a RSCO club. Kevin Hough, the President of Ultimate Frisbee, said the transition to a club sport team was placed on hold due to COVID-19. The last time Mercyhurst hosted an Ultimate Frisbee match up on campus was in 2020, and the game was played against Penn State Behrend. However, this year Ultimate Frisbee has been competing in many
games against different schools including Edinboro University, Penn State Behrend, Gannon University, Grove City College, Allegheny University, Brockport University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) and Juniata College. The winter league has been an active part of the Ultimate Frisbee team and will be back this year for students to compete against other schools. “It is always exciting to be able to play against other schools,” said Hough. “This is especially the case this year because we have been unable to do so since the fall semester of 2020.” The Erie Ultimate League Enterprise (EULE) is in charge of the winter league. They organize tournaments and promote Ultimate Frisbee throughout the Erie area. The Mercyhurst Ultimate Frisbee team will continue to compete in the winter league and will compete against other club level teams. Hough is the president of the Ultimate Frisbee team, and has participated in the club level sport for a while. “My favorite part about Ultimate Frisbee is that it has pro-
Kevin Hough photo
The Ultimate Frisbee Team gathered for a photo after a tournament at Edinboro University in September.
vided me with great friendships that will last a lifetime, and it is also a great way to have fun while staying in shape,” said Hough. When asked if there are any strategies for playing the game Hough said, “There are many strategies for playing the game, but the most basic one is that we
always strive to focus on playing as a team rather than as individuals.” The current Ultimate Frisbee team that is representing Mercyhurst University in games has been doing well. “I am pleased with how our team has played this semester,” said Hough, “but there is always
room for improvement- especially with how many freshmen have joined the team and will continue to improve over time.” The Ultimate Frisbee RSCO club team is a great addition to Mercyhurst campus sports and will now hopefully gain a greater presence on campus.
