PAINESVILLE, Ohio -- Notre Dame downed Lake Erie, 46-3, in a battle of Northeast Ohio foes on Friday evening.

The Wrestling Falcons earned victories in nine of 10 weight classes, as NDC topped the Storm, a program competing in its inaugural season.  NDC grapplers registered three falls, two majors and one tech fall in the team's sixth dual match of the season.

“We were solid tonight,” said NDC Head Coach #Frank Romano#. “I saw some things that needed work, but overall I'm pleased with the effort.”

The match started at 125 pounds, with Lake Erie (2-6) getting a 5-3 overtime victory in a match between Justin Toth (LEC) and Brian Hauser (NDC). Notre Dame countered with a #Dante Rini# pin at 133 and then LEC forfeits at 141 and 149. That put the Falcons up, 18-3.

NDC then went to work, racking up wins at 157, 165, 174, 184, 197 and the heavyweight division. Falcon grapplers picked up bonus points in five of those bouts, with #Kevin Hardy# pinning Andrew Gasber at 165, #Cody Butzer# earning a major (13-4) at 174, #Alex Denman# picking up a major (10-1) at 184, #Derek Foore# pinning Bobby Hager at 197 and #Orlando Scales# garnering a high-scoring tech fall (28-13) in the heavyweight bout.

With the final score of 46-3, No. 1 Notre Dame posted its most points in a dual since earning 54 against Mount Union on Jan. 24, 2010. With the victory, Notre Dame remains unbeaten in six dual meets this season. The Wrestling Falcons are 15-0 since dropping their last dual, a loss to NCAA Division I Ohio State on Nov. 22, 2009.

“We appreciate Lake Erie hosting tonight's dual,” said Romano. “They've had a successful start in building their program, and we hope this match-up becomes an annual rivalry.”

The Friday-night battle on the campus of Lake Erie College marked the beginning of a busy weekend for Notre Dame. The wrestling Falcons will also be in action on Sunday when they travel to Alliance, Ohio, to compete in the Purple Raider Open hosted by Mount Union College.


NOTES FROM THE NEST …

DUAL THREAT: Since the 2008-09 season, Notre Dame is 27-6 in dual competition. The Falcons went 10-1 in their national championship season a year ago and with last week's title in Cedar Falls, Iowa, are the two-time defending champions at the NAIA National Duals. … Since dropping a 37-3 decision to Ohio State at the start of the 2009-10 season, NDC is 15-0. In those 15 matches, the Blue & White have bludgeoned foes by a combined score of 545-89. … NDC's next dual action is slated for Jan. 29, when the Blue & White take on Campbellsville (Ky.) and Limestone (S.C.) in the 2011 Campbellsville Duals. … With their wins on Friday, Thomas Straughn, Derek Foore and Orlando Scales improved their 2010-11 dual records to 6-0.

STORM SERIES: Notre Dame and Lake Erie been frequent foes in recent weeks, with the Falcons and Storm doing battle in both men's and women's basketball over two holiday tournaments hosted by NDC. Since January, 2010, Notre Dame and Lake Erie have competed against each other in six different sports (baseball, men's and women's basketball, softball, volleyball, wrestling). With Friday night's wrestling result, the Falcons are now 4-3 against the Storm in those events.

STATE-ING ITS CASE: Over the last three seasons (2008-11), Notre Dame is 10-2 in duals against Ohio collegiate programs. In that run the Falcons have defeated Ashland, Cleveland State, Findlay (twice), Lake Erie, Muskingum, Mount St. Joseph's (twice) and Mount Union (twice). NDC's only two losses came at the hands of the Ohio State Buckeyes, who the Falcons faced in 2008 and 2009.

ONE-DERFUL STREAK: The Wrestling Falcons have been in the top spot in the NAIA Coaches' Poll in each edition of the poll since Nov. 24, 2009, a string of 13 straight polls. In the most recent release of the poll, Notre Dame earned 134 points, 45 more than second-place Grand View (Iowa) which garnered 89 points in the poll.


Notre Dame College 46, Lake Erie College 3

125 pounds: Toth (LEC) dec. Hauser (NDC), 5-3 (OT)
133 pounds: Rini (NDC) fall Brunner (LEC), 2:16
141 pounds: Freeman (NDC) by forefit
149 pounds: Pelton (NDC) by forefit
157 pounds: Straughn (NDC) dec. Green (LEC), 8-3
165 pounds: Hardy (NDC) fall Gasber (LEC), 2:37
174 pounds: Butzer (NDC) major dec.Tesny (LEC), 14-4.
184 pounds: Denman (NDC) major dec. Merritt (LEC), 10-1
197 pounds: Foore (NDC) fall Hager (LEC), 1:53
Heavyweight: Scales (NDC) tech. fall Bucher (LEC), 28-13 (4:54)