SCRANTON, Pa. – The Gettysburg College wrestling team won five of the final six matches to defeat the University of Scranton 24-18 in its dual match opener on Wednesday.

Gettysburg (1-0) won its dual opener for the first time since defeating Elizabethtown College 24-23 to start the 2000-01 campaign. Senior heavyweight Bobby Christopher (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Cardinal Gibbons) clinched the victory with his first pin of the season against Joe Williams in 1:06. It was Christopher's 67th win at heavyweight, breaking a tie for second on the school's all-time list with Glenn Faust '84 and putting him seven shy of leader Mike Pattanite '07.

The visitor's remaining wins all came via hard-fought decisions. Junior Abe Evans (Dover, Pa./Dover) and freshman Dan Traficanti (Pittsburgh, Pa./Kiski School) each posted their first wins of the year at 125 and 141, respectively. Evans led late against Mike Murcia before the Royals' lightweight scored a takedown with four seconds remaining to pull ahead 4-3. The Bullet junior pulled off an escape right before the buzzer to send it to overtime where a takedown sealed a 6-4 win.

After sitting out Gettysburg's first action last weekend, Traficanti logged his first collegiate win by posting a reversal in the third round for a 2-1 decision. Scranton jumped ahead in the team score in the following match as the Bullets forfeited at 149 pounds.

Sophomore Joe Fiore (Hicksville, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial) and freshman Dan Grabfelder (Collegeville, Pa./Germantown Academy) pulled Gettysburg into a 12-12 tie with 6-1 and 10-6 decisions at 157 and 165, respectively. First-year Jared Leon (Hillsborough, N.J./Hillsborough) put the visitors back in front with a late reversal for a 4-2 win at 174.

Scranton regained the upperhand when Chris Silakoski pulled off an overtime pin of freshman Jared Schlett (Glen Rock, N.J./Glen Rock), but sophomore Marshall Puls (New York, N.Y./Hotchkiss) forced the third tie of the match by picking up a takedown and an escape in a 3-0 win over Greg Casimier at 197, setting the stage for Christopher's winning pin.

Next on Gettysburg's schedule is the Fall Brawl hosted by Ursinus College on Saturday, Nov. 13. Opening matches are slated to start at 9 p.m. in Collegeville, Pa.


Gettysburg 24, Scranton 18
125: Abe Evans (G) dec. Mike Murcia, 6-4 (ot) (GC, 3-0)
133: Vinny Signoriello (S) pinned Matt Spano (2:59) (US, 6-3)
141: Dan Traficanti (G) dec. Nick Proto, 2-1 (Tie, 6-6)
149: Tom Manning (S) won by forfeit (US, 12-6)
157: Joe Fiore (G) dec. Steve Glickman, 6-1 (US, 12-9)
165: Dan Grabfelder (G) dec. Frank Siclari, 10-6 (Tie, 12-12)
174: Jared Leon (G) dec. Matt Terry, 4-2 (GC, 15-12)
184: Chris Silakoski (S) pinned Jared Schlett (7:57, ot) (US, 18-15)
197: Marshall Puls (G) dec. Greg Casimir, 3-0 (Tie, 18-18)
285: Bobby Christopher (G) pinned Joe Williams (1:06) (GC, 24-18)
Exhibition
174: Anton Serhan (G) pinned Joe Weitmeyer (4:35)