Wrestling: #12 Hokies takedown #15 UNC

On a cold night in Blacksburg the Hokie wrestlers were heating up inside the Moss Arts Center. In front a sizable crowd the Hokies took a quick lead and persevered to finish with a win in the first ACC match of the season. Finishing the weekend with wins against Northern Iowa and North Carolina helped build some momentum after a disappointing loss to #18 Iowa State, the same team the Hokies beat 32-3, at the Virginia Duals. Below are my hot takes on each of the matches.

Joey Dance (VT) over Anthony Bosco (UNC) Fall: Dance controlled the pace of the match the entire way. He spent most of the time looking to convert his takedowns in to a fall and eventually succeeded in the third after wearing down Bosco.

Dennis Gustafson (VT) over James Szymanski (UNC) 9-1: Gustafson had a dominant effort. Similar to Dance he looked to convert takedowns in to a fall but was unsuccessful despite two close attempts. By the end of the match he accumulated 4:35 riding time which helped him to achieve a major decision.

Solomon Chishko (VT) over Joey Ward (UNC) 7-3: Chisko was able to pull away by the end of the match with his aggressive attacks. He never seemed to be able to get the advantage when locked with Ward but scored multiple takedowns after neutral stalemates. He did a great job of catching Ward offguard.

Evan Henderson (UNC) over Sal Mastriani (VT) Fall: Mastriani's struggles this season continued against Henderson. He looked very defensive at the start of the match and never had a chance to gain any confidence. Midway through the first he went for a takedown, was unable to convert, and ended up taking a fall to Henderson.

Nick Brascetta (VT) over Robert Henderson (UNC) 16-5: Brascetta was able to pick up the major decision by wearing down his opponent. He already has 1:29 riding time by the end of the first and kept the momentum in the second. He started the second with a reversal and extended his riding time to 2:50. In the third he extended his lead by getting takedowns and giving Henderson escapes to extend the lead.

John Miichael Staudenmayer (UNC) over David McFadden (VT) 6-0: A tight match got away from McFadden. Staudenmayer got a quick escape to start the second and break the 0-0 tie. Staudenmayer was then awarded a takedown, which was reversed after a review, and McFadden lost his own chance at a takedown when the official called them out bounds. McFadden started the third in the down position looking for a quick escape to tie the score. His inability to escape ended up being his downfall, giving up a near fall as well as a riding time point.

Ethan Ramos (UNC) over David Bergida (VT) 14-5: Bergida hung tight with Ramos in the first but the match got away from him in the second. Ramos was able to wear him down and widen his lead with takedowns after giving up escapes. Bergida was able to avoid a late attempt at a fall, only giving up 4 team points as opposed to 6.

Zack Zavatsky (VT) over Alex Utley (UNC) 6-2: Zavatsky was able to take control of the match with a quick takedown out of a neutral stalemate, similar in style to Chishko. He did a great job of making escapes difficult to come by which lead to his win.

Austin Gabel (VT) over Chip Ness (UNC) 7-6: This match was the most electrifying of the night. With the match tied going in to the third Gabel took a 1 point lead late in to the third. With the clock winding down Ness got a takedown to take the lead. Instead of an escape to tie, Gabel gets a reversal to take the lead with seconds left. With a roar from the crowd he held on to prevent an escape by Ness and secured the Hokies team win.

Ty Walz (VT) over Cory Daniel (UNC) 14-5: Walz dominated Daniel in the last match of the night. He wore down Daniel, accumulating enough riding time for the point by the start of the third. Walz extended his lead enough for the major decision with successive quick takedowns, giving the tired Cory Daniel escapes.

I heavily recommend any Hokie sports fan watch a wrestling match at the Moss Arts Center if given the opportunity. It is a great venue that provides an intimate feel and hopefully Virginia Tech will continue to schedule a couple matches there every season. The Hokie Wrestlers will be back in action on Friday, January 29. They will host West Virginia at 7:00pm in Cassell Coliseum for Senior Night. If you can't make the trip to Blacksburg the match will also be available on ESPN3.