Trailing Bloomsburg, 7-0, the wrestling team needed a victory at 134 pounds to stay within striking distance Saturday night at Rec Hall.

Chad Dubin gave it to them.

"He got us the big win and gave us a chance to get back in the match," said Coach Rich Lorenzo of Dubin. "But we just didn't take advantage of it."

Dubin's victory, however, wasn't enough as Penn State lost, 18-15, to the Huskies.

Less than a minute into his match, Dubin scored a takedown on Tom Kuntzleman, the 18th-ranked wrestler in the nation at 134 pounds. From that point on, Dubin used a variety of moves to control the match, and went on to record a 10-5 upset victory. His record is now 16-14-2.

His effort was good enough to earn Dubin his first-ever Ridge Riley Award, an award given to the outstanding wrestler at each home meet.

"Overall, I tried to do what I havn't been doing all year, and that's open up and not worry about the score," said Dubin, who started his college career as a walk-on and has worked hard and long to become a solid starter.

With the added pressures he faced on the evening, Dubin's victory was even more impressive. He was wrestling in the last dual meet of his career, and the limelight was on both him and Jason Suter, the only graduating seniors. Also, the team is usually ahead when it is time for him to wrestle, but Jeff Prescott, who wrestled at 126, lost for the first time this year.

Yet, Dubin used the pressure to his advantage. "It just pumped me up even more," he said.

To Dubin, his personal victory and the Ridge Riley Award didn't really matter because the team lost.

"It was my only (Ridge Riley) I ever won. But tonight, it's just like a consolation prize."

Lorenzo said Dubin has been improving ever since his defeat at Lock Haven a couple of meets ago.

"I think he just woke up. He got so embarrassed and he felt so down-hearted that he lost against Lock Haven," Lorenzo said.

Dubin then showed his heart and determination. "The next day, when we wrestled Lehigh, he was up in the room studying his films when he was doing good last year," Lorenzo added.

To Lorenzo, that was what made all the differnce for Dubin Saturday.

"He came out and was very effective on his feet. He just really controlled a very good oponent in Kutzleman."

Lorenzo also feels Dubin's postseason hopes have been looking better of late. "Don't count him out. He's right in there," he said, referring to NCAA Championships to be held March 14-16 at Iowa.

"I took it up another notch and know I'm going to have to," Dubin said, ". . . but it's good, and I'm really confident going into the tournament."

"He has just given us a tremendous effort ever since he's been here," Lorenzo said. "He has not only had a hard road to haul, but a lot of people can't understand how hard of a road . . . he's a real credit to Penn State University and to our wrestling program."