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BLACKSBURG - The 15th-ranked Virginia Tech wrestling team fell to 13th-ranked Maryland, 25-10, in an Atlantic Coast Conference dual match in Cassell Coliseum Sunday evening in front of 612 fans. The loss ended a 16-match ACC dual win streak for the Hokies that stretched back to Feb. 15, 2008 (21-19 loss at NC State).

Tech falls to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the ACC, while Maryland remains unbeaten at 10-0 and moves to 1-0 in the ACC.

“It’s hard to make up for experience and our lack of experience was the difference against a much-more mature and, right now, tougher Maryland team,” said head coach Kevin Dresser. “We have to keep improving. We have a lot of season left and we just have to go day to day from here on out.”

With NASCAR’s Kevin Harvick on the Hokie bench as a guest coach, action started at 125 pounds. Erik Spjut fought No. 20 Shane Gentry in a close bout that was tied at 2-2 late into the third period with Spjut holding the advantage in riding time. However, Gentry countered with a reversal in the final 10 seconds and two near fall points at the buzzer to win, 6-3. Third-ranked Devin Carter pulled ahead in the second period against Geoffrey Alexander at 133 pounds and dominated the third period, winning by a 23-10 major decision to give Tech a 4-3 lead. Carter improved to 21-1 on the year and with Nos. 1 and 2 at that class losing this weekend, Carter could move up in the next rankings.

At 141 pounds, 11th-ranked Zach Neibert got a three-point near fall in the second period and nearly pulled off a big pin, but Frank Goodwin wiggled free. Neibert went on to hang on for the 9-7 decision. But Ben Dorsay answered for Maryland with a 7-4 decision over Chris Mears at 149 pounds, cutting the Hokie lead to 7-6.

Maryland regained the lead at 12-7 as No. 13 Kyle John pinned Matt Stephens at 6:50. While John was winning the match late, the pin gave Maryland extra team points and momentum heading forward. Two top-10 ranked wrestlers took to the mat at 165 pounds as Maryland’s second-ranked Josh Asper battled seventh-ranked Pete Yates for Tech. A tight bout followed as Yates scored a takedown at the buzzer to tie the match at 4-4, but Asper earned the deciding point on riding time after riding Yates for the entire second period.

15th-ranked Jimmy Sheptock kept the Terp momentum going at 174 pounds with a 10-2 major decision over Tech’s Chris Moon, making the score 19-7 in favor of Maryland. The Terps picked up another close match late in the third period at 184 pounds as Ty Snook got a reversal in the final seconds for the deciding points to earn a 6-5 decision over John Dickson.

“We lost 125 at the buzzer, 165 pretty much at the buzzer and 184 at the buzzer and you can’t lose that many bouts at the end,” Dresser said. “You score those nine team points the other way and we win the dual meet. The score might have looked bad, but it’s hard to fake how young we are. It’s hard to fake experience and our youth showed up tonight.”

Maryland’s Christian Boley, ranked sixth, extended the Terp lead to 25-7 and sealed the bout at 197 pounds as he earned a 7-4 decision over Nick Vetterlein. Chris Penny led throughout at 285 pounds and won by a 7-2 decision over Dallas Brown, making the final score Maryland, 25-10.

Tech, ranked 15th in the NWCA/USA Today Coaches’ Poll, will be back in action Friday, Jan. 13 when it travels to Ames, Iowa, to wrestle Iowa State in a non-league dual at 8 p.m. Eastern, 7 Central. The Hokies then face a quick turnaround as they return to ACC action on Sunday, Jan. 15 at NC State for a 2 p.m. dual.

#13 Maryland (10-0, 1-0 ACC) 25, #15 Virginia Tech (3-2, 1-1 ACC) 10
125: #20 Shane Gentry (MD) dec. Erik Spjut, 6-3
133: #3 Devin Carter (VT) maj. dec. Geoffrey Alexander, 23-10
141: #11 Zach Neibert (VT) dec. Frank Goodwin, 9-7
149: Ben Dorsay (MD) dec. Chris Mears, 7-4
157: #13 Kyle John (MD) fall Matt Stephens, 6:50
165: #2 Josh Asper (MD) dec. #7 Pete Yates, 5-4
174: #15 Jimmy Sheptock (MD) maj. dec. Chris Moon, 10-2
184: Ty Snook (MD) dec. John Dickson, 6-5
197: #6 Christian Boley (MD) dec. Nick Vetterlein, 7-4
285: Chris Penny (VT) dec. Dallas Brown, 7-2

For updates on Virginia Tech wrestling, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_Wrestling).