Feb. 14, 2008

PITTSBURGH -

The No. 22 Pitt wrestling team will host non-conference opponent, North Carolina, Saturday Feb. 16, at the Fitzgerald Field House. The Panthers and Tar Heels will square off in a 2:00 p.m. contest.

Pitt is coming off a tight 18-17 victory in last week's Backyard Brawl as the Panthers slipped past WVU to remain undefeated in the Eastern Wrestling League. With the win, Pitt improved its record to 11-3 on the season and a perfect 4-0 in the EWL.

The match came down to the final bout of the evening as then-No. 14 ranked heavyweight Zach Sheaffer  (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) downed No. 16 Dustin Rogers by a 9-3 decision to pick up three points and set the final score. The 2005 EWL Champion used a takedown and three back points to build a sizable lead in the first period and went on to take the duel by a score of 9-3.

Jimmy Conroy (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield), Drew Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg), Matt Kocher (State College, Pa/State College) and Keith Gavin (Factoryville, Pa./Lackawanna Trail) are all coming off wins at the Backyard Brawl as well.

All-Americans Kocher and Gavin remain ranked among the nation's best in their respective weight classes. Kocher boasts a No. 7 ranking at 157, while Gavin continues to hold the rights to the nation's top wrestler at 174 as he remains undefeated with 17 official victories this season.

Saturday's matchup with North Carolina marks the first between the Panthers and Tar Heels since the 1999-2000 season. In their last meeting, Pitt topped North Carolina by a score of 30-18, capturing the program's first win over the non-conference opponent.

The Tar Heels are coming off a 24-18 win over conference rival NC State on Feb. 8, but will travel to Ohio on Feb. 15, before coming to the Field House the following day. Currently, North Carolina holds an 8-5 overall record and a 3-2 mark in the ACC.