Feb. 6, 2008

After a heart wrenching loss against Kent State that included three overtime losses, Pitt (10-3, 3-0 EWL) is ready to rebound this Friday night when they travel to West Virginia for a EWL matchup. The Panthers hold a 29-22 lead in the all-time series, with one contest ending in a tie.

Last season, the Mountaineers claimed a close win at Fitzgerald Field House by a count of 18-16. Both teams won five bouts and each earned a major decision, but Jared Villers' technical fall of Pitt's Mike Heist at 197 proved to be the difference.

Last weekend against Kent State, Pitt's first victory came in the 149 pound matchup when Joe Ciampoli (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) defeated Jeremy Depoy in a 5-3 decision, putting the Panthers on the board after they fell into a 16-0 hole early in the match.

No. 5 Matt Kocher (State College, Pa./State College) followed Ciampoli's win in the 157 pound bout and pinned Kent's Sli Bostelman. The fall was Kocher's sixth of the season, which is tied for second on the team.

The final victory for the Panthers came from No. 1-ranked Keith Gavin (Factoryville, Pa./Lackawanna Trail) who battled Chris Estep for seven minutes. Gavin earned a major decision by a score of 17-5.

The Mountaineers, who are 6-3 overall and 3-0 in EWL matchups, are coming off a 30-6 win against Lock Haven.

The match is set to begin on Friday, Feb. 8 at 7:30 p.m. at the Coliseum in Morgantown, W.Va.