LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - The Lock Haven men's wrestling team used a run of seven consecutive bout victories to upend Northern Illinois, 28-8, in a Mid-American Conference (MAC) match on Friday afternoon in Thomas Fieldhouse.
Both schools entered Friday's matinee with unblemished records in the MAC.
Lock Haven (9-3, 2-0 MAC) remained unbeaten in the conference after winning their seventh consecutive dual of the season.
The Haven won seven of the ten bouts, all coming consecutively, while picking up three bonus-point victories.
Northern Illinois (7-6, 3-1 MAC) opened the match with back-to-back decisions at 125 and 133, before, No. 18
Wyatt Henson stepped up in a big way for The Haven by securing a pin (2:45) over Tee Ward to even the overall score at 6-6.
Lock Haven never relinquished the lead from there, extending its advantage by as much as 18 in the match.
The pin by Henson sparked a Bald Eagle run of seven consecutive victories by No. 22
Lucas Kapusta (149),
Nick Stampoulos (157),
Nick Kunstek (165),
Avery Bassett (184),
Sam Gautreau (184) and
Tucker Hogan (197).
The run included a pin, four decisions and two tech falls.
Gritty decisions by Kapusta, Stampoulos, Kunstek and Bassett paved the way for consecutive bonus-point victories by Gautreau and Hogan.
With The Haven leading 18-5, Gautreau put the match away with a 23-6 (6:46) tech fall over Ian Smith at 184.
At 197, Hogan followed suite with a dominant 18-0 tech fall over Dominic Heim in 4:04.
Next up for The Haven:
The Bald Eagles remain home and will host George Mason on Sunday, Feb. 1 at noon for a MAC match in The Fieldhouse. The match is Alumni Appreciation and a Crimson Out.
Bout-by-Bout Results / Team Score by Bout
Final: Lock Haven 28 – Northern Illinois 8
125: Blake West (Northern Illinois) dec.
Curtis Nelson (Lock Haven) 2-0 // Northern Illinois leads 3-0
133: Markel Baker (Northern Illinois) dec.
Gable Strickland (Lock Haven) 5-1 // Northern Illinois leads 6-0
141: Wyatt Henson (Lock Haven) won by fall in 2:44 // Tied 6-6
149: Lucas Kapusta (Lock Haven) dec. Collin Arch (Northern Illinois) 5-1 // Lock Haven leads 9-6
157: Nick Stampoulos (Lock Haven) dec. Landen Johnson (Northern Illinois) 6-5 // Lock Haven leads 12-6
165: Nick Kunstek (Lock Haven) dec. Brett Smith (Northern Illinois) 9-7 // Lock Haven leads 15-5 *
174: Avery Bassett (Lock Haven) dec. Tommy Bennett (Northern Illinois) 8-1 // Lock Haven leads 18-5
184: Sam Gautreau (Lock Haven) tech fall Ian Smith (Northern Illinois) in 6:46 23-6 // Lock Haven leads 23-5
197: Tucker Hogan (Lock Haven) tech fall Dominic Heim (Northern Illinois) in 4:04 18-0 // Lock Haven leads 28-5
285: Devon Dawson (Northern Illinois) dec.
Kade Sottolano (Lock Haven) 4-2 // Lock Haven leads 28-8
*Team point deducted from NIU after 165-pound bout due to unsportsmanlike conduct.
Attendance: 403
