Buckeyes Host #3 Penn State in Regular Season Finale Friday

[TomM]

Buckeyes Host #3 Penn State in Regular Season Finale Friday

February 17, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WRE: Buckeyes Host #3 Penn State in Regular Season Finale Friday
Ohio State is 5-3 on the season and looking to stay perfect at home

No. 9 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Penn State
Date: Feb. 19, 2021
Time: 7 p.m.
Venue: Columbus, Ohio – Covelli Arena

Watch: BTN
Live Updates: @wrestlingbucks

Match Notes: Ohio State | Penn State

COLUMBUS, Ohio – No. 9 Ohio State returns home to host No. 3 Penn State in the regular season finale for the Buckeyes. Ohio State has won its previous two matches at home but hasn't wrestled in the Covelli Center since Jan. 29. The match will also be senior night for the team as they will honor Elijah Cleary, Gary Traub and Zach Steiner prior to the match. The first bout will start at 7 p.m. and BTN will have the coverage.

Ohio State and Penn State are meeting for the 35th time on Friday evening. Penn State leads the all-time series 22-12 and has won the last five meetings.
This is the final regular season match of the season for the Buckeyes who are 5-3 overall following it's narrow 18-16 defeat at Michigan last Friday.
It's senior night on Friday and Ohio State will recognize Elijah Cleary, Gary Traub and Zach Steiner prior to the match.
Penn State comes in at 4-0 on the year and the Nittany Lions last match was also against Michigan last Sunday. PSU came away with an 18-13 win in another close bout.
According to Track Wrestling, eight Buckeyes have Top 25 rankings including five in the Top 10.
Sammy Sasso is having a tremendous season and looks poised to finish it off in style. The Nazareth, Pa. is a perfect 8-0 on the season with a team-high three pins and a tech fall. He has been ranked No. 2 all season and has beaten three Top 10 wrestlers so far.
Kaleb Romero is 5-1 on the season and has won three of his last four matches by major decision. He has battled an ankle injury the last couple of weeks but comes in Friday ranked No. 2 in the 174-pound class according to Track Wrestling.
Malik Heinselman became the latest "Black Shirt" member this season. The black shirt signifies a student-athlete is conducting themselves in the right way on and off the mat and he can now wear black inside the Jennings Wrestling Facility. Heinselman joins Sammy Sasso, Ethan Smith and Kaleb Romero. Heinselman is 6-1 on the season.
Redshirt-junior Ethan Smith lost his first match of the season and has since on a seven-match win streak. He is 7-1 with three major decisions and a tech fall in his last five matches.

[TomM]

Buckeyes Conclude Regular Season with 28-12 Setback to Penn State
Next up will be the Big Ten Championships hosted by Penn State on March 5-7

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State dropped its regular season finale on Friday night, falling 28-12 to No. 3 Penn State.

The loss was the lone at home this season for the Buckeyes who finished 5-4 on the year.

Penn State took an early lead, and the Buckeyes fought all the way back to even the match at 12-12 after a thrilling pin from Ethan Smith. But the Nittany Lions closed strong, winning the final four bouts to take the match.

Malik Heinselman started the night with a solid 5-2 victory over No. 18 Robert Howard. Heinselman had the only two takedowns of the match, notching one late in the second period and another early in the third. Heinselman improved to 7-1 on the season.

Penn State then went in front 9-3 with a tech fall in the 133-pound match and a major decision in the 141-pound match.

Sammy Sasso, the No. 2 ranked wrestler in the 141-pound matc, put in workman like performance Friday night. He fell behind early as Beau Bartlett got the first take down but Sasso battled back and took a 4-2 lead into the third. He then rode out nearly the entire final two minutes to claim the riding time point and took a 5-3 decision. Sasso remains perfect on the season at 9-0.

Elijah Cleary found himself in another pivotal swing match at 157 with No. 9 Brady Berge. Neither wrestler scored in the first period and each only managed escape points late into the third. Berge caught a late takedown with just over 10 seconds left to win the match 3-1.

After the break, Ethan Smith provided a huge spark as he attacked and caught No. 13 Joe Lee on his back and was able to secure the pin at 2:33 of the first period. That gave the Buckeyes life and it evened the team score at 12-12.

Penn State regained the momentum as No. 7 Carter Starocci was able to pull out a 2-1 victory in the first overtime against Kaleb Romero. Both wrestlers had chances to win the match in the third period and again in the first sudden death period. Starocci was able to escape early in the first overtime and then held the on top advantage in the second overtime to claim the narrow victory.

No. 2 Aaron Brooks followed with a 13-4 major decision against Rocky Jordan and then Michael Beard pinned Gavin Hoffman at 1:21 in the first period of the 197-pound match to secure the team victory for the Nittany Lions.

Seth Nevills finished the night with a 3-2 win over Ohio State's Tate Orndorff in the heavyweight match to make the final score 28-12.

That concludes the regular season for the Ohio State. The Buckeyes will now prepare for the Big Ten Championship which will be help March 5-7 at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pa.



No. 3 Penn State 28, No. 9 Ohio State 12

125 — No. 8 Malik Heinselman def. No. 18 Robert Howard (PSU) | D, 5-2; Team Score 3-0

133 — No. 3 Roman Bravo-Young (PSU) def. No. 24 Jordan Decatur | TF 27-8 (3:37); TS 3-5       

141 — No. 2 Nick Lee (PSU) def. No. 26 Dylan D'Emilio | MD, 15-3; TS 3-9

149 — No. 2 Sammy Sasso def. Beau Bartlett (PSU) | D, 5-3; TS 6-9

157 — No. 9 Brady Berge (PSU) def. No. 26 Elijah Cleary | D, 3-1; TS 6-12

165 — No. 7 Ethan Smith def. No. 13 Joe Lee (PSU) | PIN 2:33; TS 12-12

174 — No. 7 Carter Starocci (PSU) def. No. 2 Kaleb Romero | TB-1, 2-1; TS 12-15

184 — No. 2 Aaron Brooks (PSU) def. No. 17 Rocky Jordan | MD, 13-4; TS 12-19

197 — No. 17 Michael Beard (PSU) def. No. 25 Gavin Hoffman | PIN 1:21; TS 12-25

HWT — No. 13 Seth Nevills (PSU) def. No. 9 Tate Orndorff | D, 3-2; TS 12-28