Just five days after a hard-fought victory over Pac-12 foe Oregon State, the No. 10 ASU wrestling team could not keep the momentum going, dropping a road dual on Friday to No. 24 Lock Haven, 23-14.
The Sun Devils finished strong late in the dual, which took place took place at Red Lion High School in Red Lion, Penn. But it was not enough to overcome a 15-4 intermission deficit.
Redshirt junior Zahid Valencia put the Sun Devils on the board in the first bout of the night with a 14-4 major decision.
From then on, it was tough sledding for ASU. After ASU redshirt senior Austyn Harris' defeat at the hands of Parker McClellan, Lock Haven never looked back. ASU's opponent was able to build up its lead, with its largest being 23-4.
In the final three matches, the Sun Devils were able to string together a few wins. In the 149-pound bout, redshirt junior Josh Maruca picked up a major decision victory, followed by wins from graduate student Christian Pagdilao and redshirt junior Josh Shields.
Shields ended the night with a thrilling 2-1 decision over redshirt senior Chance Marstellar after two sudden victories and two sets of tiebreakers.
Despite the loss, it will be a quick turnaround for the Sun Devils. They will make the short trip to Bethlehem, Penn., to battle Lehigh on Jan. 26 at 5:00 p.m. MST.
Reach the reporter at kmgianco@asu.edu and follow @Kaleb_Mart on Twitter.
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