The Pitt wrestling team wanted a challenge in its first match of the season. The… The Pitt wrestling team wanted a challenge in its first match of the season. The Panthers’ challenge took the form of the No. 2-ranked team in the country, the Lehigh Mountain Hawks, who put forth an effort that proved to be insurmountable for Pitt by the end of the match.

On Wednesday night, Lehigh (1-1 overall) defeated Pitt (0-1) by a score of 31-9, using Pitt as validation of their high ranking by the National Wrestling Coaches Association.

“I was disappointed with the way things turned out. I felt like we could have won more bouts, but Lehigh is simply a really tough team,” Pitt coach Randy Stottlemyer said. “The crowd and the environment is tough to compete in, as well, and it is definitely hard to get momentum in a place like that.”

Pitt did actually gain the early momentum after freshman Matt Kocher came away with a hard-fought victory over Tommy Rohn, 3-1, in the 149-pound weight class.

After Kocher’s gritty performance, Pitt was unable to retain any momentum. Lehigh wrestlers dominated the next four matches, one by technical fall and two others by major decision, swinging the match from a 3-0 Pitt lead to a 16-3 Lehigh lead.

In the 157-pound weight class, Pitt’s Justin Nestor lost to Derek Zinck, 10-3. Then, in the 165-pound match, Lehigh’s Troy Letters, who is the nation’s top-ranked wrestler at that weight, scored an 18-3 technical fall over Keith Gavin at the four-minute mark.

Panther Francis Iorfido then lost an 18-9 major decision to Brad Dillon in the 174-pound weight class. Junior Mike Croyle had the same fate in the 184-pound division. Croyle lost to Lehigh’s Travis Frick by a 13-5 major decision.

Pitt’s Josh Birt was able to slow Lehigh in his match in the 197-pound weight class, as he had a hard-fought match and narrowly came out on the losing end to Matt Cassidy, 5-4.

In the heavyweight division, Pitt’s Travis Shirley came out the victor, scoring an injury default at the 4:10 mark over Joe Sahl, to make the match score 19-9.

Lehigh swept the last three matches of the night, but not without the Panther wrestlers putting up a strong effort. In the 125-pound division, Mario Stuart defeated Drew Headlee 7-3. At 133 pounds, Lehigh’s Matt Ciasulli scored the only pin of the night over sophomore Adam Curry at the 2:10 mark.

In the final match of the night, Lehigh again took a match by one point, when Pitt’s Ronald Tarquinio lost to Cory Cooperman by a score of 2-1 to complete the victory for Lehigh.

“You have to win those one-point matches,” Stottlemyer said. “In those close matches, we gave up early takedowns, and then we were chasing them at the end trying to score. I think our inexperience hurt us, but I think we will learn from these matches, and it will make us better.”

The Panthers return to the mat against Slippery Rock for their first home match of the year on Tuesday, Nov. 25. The match will be held at the Fitzgerald Field House and is slated for a 7:30 p.m. start.