Maryland
North Carolina
Tar Heels Score Comeback Victory
1/23/2004 7:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Jan. 23, 2004
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Heavyweight Ryan Adams scored a major decision in the final bout of the night, as North Carolina won the final three weight classes to take a 19-15 comeback victory over Maryland in an Atlantic Coast Conference wrestling match Friday at Ritchie Coliseum.
The Tar Heels improved to 2-4 overall and 1-1 in the league, while the Terrapins fell to 1-4 and 0-2.
Maryland led the match 15-6 before North Carolina rallied. Mark Canty won by fall at 184 pounds, turning an 8-0 first-period deficit into a reversal and a sudden pin over Dan Scheets at 2:41. Venroy July earned a 5-2 decision over Jerry Afari at 197 pounds to tie the team score, before Adams defeated Barry Stein, 18-7, in the final bout after scoring eight takedowns.
The Terrapins won four of the first five matches to take a 12-3 lead in the team score.
Matt Pandullo earned a 5-4 win over Drew Forshey at 125 pounds, getting the winning point due to a riding-time advantage. Bobby Shaw won a 5-2 decision for UNC at 133 pounds with a late takedown, tying the match.
Jason Gribschaw and Jerad Villecco gave Maryland some momentum by winning at 141 and 149. Gribschaw scored all three points of the final period and got a riding-time point to beat Travis Sickle, 8-6, at 141. Villecco also used a third-period rally to win, scoring an escape and a decisive takedown with 39 seconds left at 149 to win 6-3.
Maryland's Jason Kiessling also won by the riding-time point, picking up a 7-6 win over Ashton Buswell at 157 pounds. Garrett Atkinson used a crucial second-period takedown to give the Tar Heels a 4-3 win at 165, while Patrick Cissne went ahead 10-6 in the first period and continued on to a 15-8 win over Nick Coleman at 174 for the Terps' final victory.
"We knew this would be a battle tonight," said Maryland first-year coach Pat Santoro, coaching his new team for the first time in a home match. "We wrestled well, I'm very proud of them. I think we're learning how to win. We battled to the end, and as long as our guys do that, good things will happen."
Due to scheduling changes, Maryland will wrestle American University at Ritchie Coliseum on Wednesday, Jan. 28 instead of Saturday. The Terps' match with McDaniel College, originally scheduled for Jan. 28, has been cancelled.
NORTH CAROLINA 19, MARYLAND 15
125 - Matt Pandullo (MD) dec. Drew Forshey, 5-4
133 - Bobby Shaw (NC) dec. Mike Lupa, 5-2
141 - Jason Gribschaw (MD) dec. Travis Sickle, 8-6
149 - Jerad Villecco (MD) dec. Andrew Slack, 6-3
157 - Jason Kiessling (MD) dec. Ashton Buswell, 7-6
165 - Garrett Atkinson (NC) dec. John Antonelli, 4-3
174 - Patrick Cissne (MD) dec. Nick Coleman, 15-8
184 - Mark Canty (NC) pinned Dan Scheets, 2:41
197 - Venroy July (NC) dec. Jerry Afari, 5-2
285 - Ryan Adams (NC) major dec. Barry Stein, 18-7
(Match started at 125 pounds)
Att - 325
