LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The No. 25 Lock Haven University wrestling team (0-1) got major decisions from No. 22 DJ Fehlman (Warren, Pa./Warren), Jared Siegrist (Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central) and No. 14 Corey Hazel (Spring Mills, Pa./Penns Valley), but it wasn't enough as visiting Central Michigan (1-1) won seven of 10 bouts and took the Mid-American Conference (MAC) East-West Crossover, 24-12.
 
It marked a historic night for LHU wrestling as tonight's dual was the Bald Eagles first dual vs. a MAC member as a member of the Mid-American Conference.
 
For Fehlman, the win was a big one as it pushed his career win total to 95, as he inches closer to becoming LHU's 22^nd all-time member of the 100-win club.
 
Fehlman, ranked No. 22 at 133 pounds, knocked off Deven Perez in dominating fashion 13-2 (major dec.). Siegrist won a thriller at 174 and his dominating effort helped him drop CMU's Jake Lowell, 15-6 (major dec.), and Hazel thrilled the home crowd with another major at 184. Hazel, ranked No. 14 in the nation, rolled by Central Michigan's Ben Cushman 14-6.
 
Lock Haven and Central Michigan got things going at 125 pounds and it looked as if Luke Werner (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty) was going to pull a major upset, but in the end No. 9 Drew Hildebrant snuck away with a narrow 3-2 win, thanks to a late takedown. The win put Central Michigan up 3-0.
 
Werner, this week's MAC Eastern Division Athlete of the Week, was projected to redshirt this season, but those plans changed and he got the call tonight after starting the season at 15-2.
 
Werner led 2-0 at the end of the first period after a late takedown. He clung to a 2-1 lead after two, but Hildebrandt scored a late takedown and escaped with a 3-2 win.
 
Down 3-0 in the team score, Fehlman quickly put Lock Haven ahead. He led 2-0 with over a minute of riding time at the end of the first period. Fehlman stretched his lead over Perez to 5-2 after two, before rolling in the third. Fehlman's third-period dominance led to the major and the 4-3 Lock Haven lead.
 
After Fehlman's dominating win at 133 pounds, the Chippewas silenced the large home crowd with four straight wins.
 
In a top-25 showdown at 141, No. 23 Dresden Simon downed No. 12 Kyle Shoop (Boiling Springs, Pa./Boiling Springs).
 
Central Michigan benefitted from major decisions at 141, 149 and 165, and the visitors led 18-4 after the first six bouts of the dual.
 
Siegrist halted the momentum and cut the lead to 18-8 with his major decision win at 174.
 
Hazel made it back-to-back LHU majors with a thrilling effort at 184. The two straight Lock Haven majors cut the lead to 18-12.
 
At 197, Landon Pelham edged out Parker McClellan (Altoona, Pa./Altoona), 9-5. The win sealed the dual for Central Michigan, who led 21-12.
 
Despite a loss in the final bout of the night at 285, Trey Hartsock (Lewistown, Pa./Mifflin County) deserves much credit as he pushed No. 7 Matt Stencel to the limit. Stencel led 5-1 after two and slowly pulled away in the third.
 
Tonight's match was Lock Haven's first vs. a MAC opponent as an official member of the MAC.
 
Last March (2019), it was announced that Lock Haven, along with the other current members of the Eastern Wrestling League (EWL), would be joining the Mid-American Conference for the sport of wrestling this season. It was a historic moment for college wrestling and one that made the MAC the second largest wrestling conference in the country.
 
In the sport of wrestling, the MAC's Eastern Division is made up of Bloomsburg, Clarion, Edinboro, George Mason, Lock Haven, Rider and Old Dominion. The Western Division consists of Buffalo, Central Michigan, Cleveland State, Kent State, Missouri, Northern Illinois, Ohio and SIU-Edwardsville.
 
The Bald Eagles first ever MAC Eastern Division match will be come on December 19 against a familiar opponent as Lock Haven hosts local-rival Bloomsburg.
 
LHU will be right back at it tomorrow (Saturday, December 7) as several members of the team will compete at the Patriot Open hosted by George Mason.
 
Central Michigan at Lock Haven Bout-by-Bout Results
Fri, Dec. 6, 2019 // East-West MAC Crossover
 
Central Michigan 24 – Lock Haven 12
125: #9 Drew Hildebrandt (CMU) dec. Luke Werner (LHU), 3-2 / CMU leads 3-0
133: #22 DJ Fehlman (LHU) major dec. Deven Perez (CMU) 13-2 / LHU leads 4-3
141: #23 Dresden Simon (CMU) major dec. #12 Kyle Shoop (LHU) 18-5 / CMU leads 7-4
149: Corbyn Munson (CMU) major dec. Brock Port (LHU) 12-3 / CMU leads 11-4
157: Logan Parks (CMU) dec. #16 Alex Klucker (LHU) 5-1 / CMU leads 14-4
165: Tracey Hubbard (CMU) major dec. Austin Bell (LHU) 8-0 / CMU leads 18-4
174: Jared Siegrist (LHU) major dec. Jake Lowell (LHU) 15-6 / CMU leads 18-8
184: #14 Corey Hazel (LHU) major dec. Ben Cushman (CMU) 14-6 / CMU leads 18-12
197: Landon Pelham (CMU) dec. Parker McClellan (LHU) 9-5 / CMU leads 21-12
285: #7 Matt Stencel (CMU) dec. Trey Hartsock (LHU) 9-2 / FINAL, CMU 24-12
 
*rankings = FloWrestling (Dec. 3)
 
Records:
Central Michigan (1-1, 1-0 MAC, 0-0 MAC West)
Lock Haven (0-1, 0-1 MAC, 0-0 MAC East)
 
Attendance – 2,218
 
LHU Match Notes:
Earlier this week junior 125-pounder Luke Werner was named the Mid-American Conference's Eastern Division Wrestling of the Week … He's the first Bald Eagle to ever win the weekly honor as this 2019-20 season is LHU's first ever in the MAC after last year's announced expansion … Last season (2018-19), Lock Haven sent a total of six Bald Eagles to the 2019 NCAA Division I National Championships in Pittsburgh … Four of those six return this season in the form of redshirt-seniors DJ Fehlman (133), Kyle Shoop (141), Alex Klucker (157) and Corey Hazel (184) … Shoop, a returning All-American (7th, 141), is a three-time national qualifier. Fehlman, Klucker and Hazel are all two-time NCAA qualifiers.