Panthers rally at no. 25 Lehigh for a 16-15 victory

Of the 10 matches in the dual meet between No. 22 Pitt and No. 25 Lehigh, only one resulted in bonus points, and that was No. 6, 184-pound Pitt wrestler Max Thomusseit’s major decision.

With the major decision, Thomusseit, a senior, earned four team points, and the extra point was just enough to sneak the Panthers past Lehigh, 16-15.

Thomusseit won 13-1 over Lehigh’s Zach Diekel, and as a captain, he sees it as his job to win big matches for his team.

“I’m a captain now,” Thomusseit said. “When the team needs someone to step up, that’s my job.”

A fellow senior and captain, No. 8, 125-pound Anthony Zanetta, picked up a big win for the Panthers as well.

Zanetta started the dual off with his 7-6 decision over Lehigh’s Darian Cruz.

Although the match wasn’t on the line, his win was integral, considering the overall tightness of the match. Also, there is a natural pressure placed on a team’s 125-pound wrestler during the first weight class to set the tone for the match.

Despite the importance of his opening match, Zanetta says he avoids the pressure by focusing on his opponent.

“I don’t really think there is pressure on me as the starter,” Zanetta said. “Pressure is something that only you can control. I try not to put unnecessary pressure on myself.”

However, Zanetta’s early win didn’t translate to more early success for the Panthers. With the 3-0 lead, Pitt went on to lose five straight matches.

At 133 pounds, Pitt’s No. 19 Shelton Mack lost 5-3 to No. 6 Mason Beckman. Pitt’s Edgar Bright lost by decision to Laike Gardner 13-11 in the 141-pound weight class. Lehigh’s No. 19 Mitch Minotti won 8-2 over Pitt 149-pounder Mikey Racciato. The Mountain Hawks’ 157-pound No. 10 Joey Napoli defeated Cole Sheptock, 5-2.

In the fifth and final match, Lehigh won on Friday, Brian Brill beat Pitt’s Geno Morelli 3-2 at 165 pounds. The victory extended Lehigh’s lead to 15-3 with four matches to go. Pitt needed to win the rest of the matches to tie the dual meet, and the team needed at least one bonus point to win the dual.

No. 13 Tyler Wilps got the four-match winning streak started for the Panthers with his 4-2 decision over Elliot Riddick.

Pitt’s highest-ranked wrestler, Thomusseit, came through when his team needed him.

“I wrestle my match, which is strong offense and trying to never let anyone score points,” he said. “If I can do that every match, the bonus points will come.”

With the lead narrowed to five points, 15-10, the Panthers just needed decisions in their final two matches.

Just 22 seconds into the sudden-victory overtime period, Pitt’s No. 19 Nick Bonaccorsi scored a takedown to earn a 3-1 SV win over Lehigh’s John Bolich at 197 pounds, putting all the pressure on senior heavyweight P.J. Tasser.

As he will for most of the 2013 season, Tasser is wrestling about 60 pounds under his heavyweight competitors. The heavyweight weight class is capped at 285 pounds. Although most heavyweight wrestlers are just under that number, Tasser weighs significantly less.

“I just think other teams think it’s kind of a joke,” Tasser said. “I don’t think they realize I’m here to compete no matter what weight I’m wrestling.”

If opposing teams continue to downplay Tasser’s abilities, he will continue to surprise opposing teams.

In the second sudden-victory period, Tasser scored a takedown of Lehigh’s Doug Vollaro to pick up the 4-2 SV2 victory and the 16-15 Pitt victory.

“I was just able to push the pace the entire match,” Tasser said. “I kept attacking and forced a scramble late in overtime, where I was able to come out on top.”

Unlike his fellow senior and captain Zanetta, Tasser felt the pressure of having the team’s fate in his hands.

“The pressure is pretty crazy, especially when it comes down to if I win, the team wins,” he said. “But it’s definitely awesome to experience.”