Saturday, December 6
Piscataway, N.J.
12 p.m.
Princeton University
25
vs
14
Franklin & Marshall
Players Mentioned
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Wrestlers Get First Dual Victory Under Chris Ayres, Split Tri-Meet At Rutgers
December 06, 2008 | Wrestling
Head coach Chris Ayres came to Princeton in 2006 ready to rebuild the Princeton wrestling program, and although the results may not have been there, the progress was being made on an annual basis. On Dec. 6, in a tri-meet at Rutgers, there was the long-awaited result Ayres and his team looked for. With six wins in nine matches, Princeton defeated Franklin & Marshall 25-14 for its first EIWA victory since 2005.
Princeton, which would fall in the finale 38-6 against a talented Rutgers squad, only had nine wrestlers competing after freshman heavyweight Stephen Turner suffered an injury. Ayres knew his team would need to get on an early roll, and several of his guys made sure it happened.
The Diplomats got out to a 3-0 lead when Stephen Sabreen defeated Robert Benitez 7-2 at 125 pounds. In wrestling, though, not every loss is equal, and Ayres was pleased with Benitez' performance.
“He got pinned by Sabreen last year, so it was big to save some bonus points there,” Ayres said. “From there, I thought we had a chance to get on a run. There were about five toss-up matches, and I thought we needed three of them.”
The first came at 133 pounds, when junior Nikhil Pereira defeated Matt Murray, the younger brother of Princeton women's hockey goalie Megan Murray, 3-2. Pereira captured an early takedown against Murray, added an escape and then held off several takedown attempts that would have cost him the match. His defensive efforts were rewarded with a win and moved Princeton to a 3-3 tie.
Freshman Dan Kolodzik, a two-time Ohio state champion and Ayres' first nationally ranked recruit, made his collegiate debut with an 18-2 technical fall over Frank Higgins at 141 pounds. The win gave Princeton an 8-3 lead.
“It was a very workmanlike effort from Dan,” Ayres said. “He got the tech fall right at the end, which was big because we figured we'd need the bonus points. Danny Scotton went out next, and he wrestled better than I'd ever seen today. He really got the momentum going on our bench.”
Scotton pulled out a tight 11-9 win over Al Gianforti at 149 pounds to move Princeton ahead 11-3. Senior captain Marty Everin followed with a 17-4 major decision over James DiNicola.
Princeton led 15-3 midway through the match, but with a forfeit at heavyweight coming, Ayres knew he still needed some wins to clinch the victory. The biggest was about to come, as Mike Alvarez took on Anthony Bongarzone at 165 pounds. Despite trailing by one point late into the third period, Alvarez managed a takedown and a pair of back points for a crucial 9-6 win.
“That was the key one for us,” Ayres said. “Once he won, I really thought we'd get this done.”
The Diplomats earned a tech fall at 174 pounds to cut its deficit to 18-8. They would need both of the next two wins to get the match. They wouldn't get either. Freshman Kurt Brendel clinched the team win with a 14-3 major decision over Jimmy Schulz.
“That was a really nice performance from Brendel,” Ayres said. “He didn't just go out there to get the win. He really took it to his guy.”
Junior Zach Morse followed with a 6-1 win over Colin Ely at 197 pounds which, along with the forfeit at heavyweight, gave Princeton the 25-14 win.
“I'm happy, but I'm mostly relieved,” Ayres said. “I couldn't be as excited as the guys because I knew we had the Rutgers match coming, and I wanted them to stay ready. Now that it's done, I'm ready to look forward and happy this monkey is off our back. I think it's weighed on the guys, and from here, I think we'll see an even better team moving forward.
“Winning is fun, and it can be contagious. It felt good today.”
Scotton and Brendel both picked up wins against Rutgers, although the team fell to the host school.
Princeton 25 - Franklin & Marshall 14
125 - Stephen Sabreen (F&M) 7-2 dec. over Robert Benitez (PU)
133 - Nikhil Pereira (PU) 3-2 dec. over Matt Murray (F&M)
141 - Dan Kolodzik (PU) 18-2 tech fall vs. Frank Higgins (F&M)
149 - Daniel Scotten (PU) 11-9 dec. over Al Gianforti (F&M)
157 - Marty Everin (PU) 17-4 maj dec. over James DiNicola (F&M)
165 - Michael Alvarez (PU) 9-6 dec. over Anthony Bongarzone (F&M)
174 - Justin Herbert (F&M) 18-2 tech fall over Travis Erdman (PU)
184 - Kurt Brendel (PU) 14-3 maj dec over Jimmy Schulz (F&M)
197 - Zach Morse (PU) 6-1 dec over Colin Ely (F&M)
HWT - Nico Somers (F&M) wins by forfeit
Rutgers 38 - Princeton 6
125 - Mike Demarco (RU) 17-1 tech fall over Robert Benitez (PU)
133 - Brian Bollette (RU) pins Nikhil Pereira (PU) at 6:16
141 - David Greenwald (RU) pins Daniel Kolodzik (PU) at 2:14
149 - Daniel Scotton (PU) 10-5 dec. over Dave Seidenberg (RU)
157 - Scott Winston (RU) 23-6 tech fall over Marty Everin (PU)
165 - Matt Pletcher (RU) 10-2 maj dec. over Michael Alvarez (PU)
174 - Matt Rigoglioso (RU) 10-8 dec. over Travis Erdman (PU)
184 - Kurt Brendel (PU) 5-3 dec. over Keith Dobish (RU)
197 - Karim Mahmoud (RU) 8-2 dec. over Zach Morse (PU)
HWT - DJ Russo (RU) wins by forfeit
Princeton, which would fall in the finale 38-6 against a talented Rutgers squad, only had nine wrestlers competing after freshman heavyweight Stephen Turner suffered an injury. Ayres knew his team would need to get on an early roll, and several of his guys made sure it happened.
The Diplomats got out to a 3-0 lead when Stephen Sabreen defeated Robert Benitez 7-2 at 125 pounds. In wrestling, though, not every loss is equal, and Ayres was pleased with Benitez' performance.
“He got pinned by Sabreen last year, so it was big to save some bonus points there,” Ayres said. “From there, I thought we had a chance to get on a run. There were about five toss-up matches, and I thought we needed three of them.”
The first came at 133 pounds, when junior Nikhil Pereira defeated Matt Murray, the younger brother of Princeton women's hockey goalie Megan Murray, 3-2. Pereira captured an early takedown against Murray, added an escape and then held off several takedown attempts that would have cost him the match. His defensive efforts were rewarded with a win and moved Princeton to a 3-3 tie.
Freshman Dan Kolodzik, a two-time Ohio state champion and Ayres' first nationally ranked recruit, made his collegiate debut with an 18-2 technical fall over Frank Higgins at 141 pounds. The win gave Princeton an 8-3 lead.
“It was a very workmanlike effort from Dan,” Ayres said. “He got the tech fall right at the end, which was big because we figured we'd need the bonus points. Danny Scotton went out next, and he wrestled better than I'd ever seen today. He really got the momentum going on our bench.”
Scotton pulled out a tight 11-9 win over Al Gianforti at 149 pounds to move Princeton ahead 11-3. Senior captain Marty Everin followed with a 17-4 major decision over James DiNicola.
Princeton led 15-3 midway through the match, but with a forfeit at heavyweight coming, Ayres knew he still needed some wins to clinch the victory. The biggest was about to come, as Mike Alvarez took on Anthony Bongarzone at 165 pounds. Despite trailing by one point late into the third period, Alvarez managed a takedown and a pair of back points for a crucial 9-6 win.
“That was the key one for us,” Ayres said. “Once he won, I really thought we'd get this done.”
The Diplomats earned a tech fall at 174 pounds to cut its deficit to 18-8. They would need both of the next two wins to get the match. They wouldn't get either. Freshman Kurt Brendel clinched the team win with a 14-3 major decision over Jimmy Schulz.
“That was a really nice performance from Brendel,” Ayres said. “He didn't just go out there to get the win. He really took it to his guy.”
Junior Zach Morse followed with a 6-1 win over Colin Ely at 197 pounds which, along with the forfeit at heavyweight, gave Princeton the 25-14 win.
“I'm happy, but I'm mostly relieved,” Ayres said. “I couldn't be as excited as the guys because I knew we had the Rutgers match coming, and I wanted them to stay ready. Now that it's done, I'm ready to look forward and happy this monkey is off our back. I think it's weighed on the guys, and from here, I think we'll see an even better team moving forward.
“Winning is fun, and it can be contagious. It felt good today.”
Scotton and Brendel both picked up wins against Rutgers, although the team fell to the host school.
Princeton 25 - Franklin & Marshall 14
125 - Stephen Sabreen (F&M) 7-2 dec. over Robert Benitez (PU)
133 - Nikhil Pereira (PU) 3-2 dec. over Matt Murray (F&M)
141 - Dan Kolodzik (PU) 18-2 tech fall vs. Frank Higgins (F&M)
149 - Daniel Scotten (PU) 11-9 dec. over Al Gianforti (F&M)
157 - Marty Everin (PU) 17-4 maj dec. over James DiNicola (F&M)
165 - Michael Alvarez (PU) 9-6 dec. over Anthony Bongarzone (F&M)
174 - Justin Herbert (F&M) 18-2 tech fall over Travis Erdman (PU)
184 - Kurt Brendel (PU) 14-3 maj dec over Jimmy Schulz (F&M)
197 - Zach Morse (PU) 6-1 dec over Colin Ely (F&M)
HWT - Nico Somers (F&M) wins by forfeit
Rutgers 38 - Princeton 6
125 - Mike Demarco (RU) 17-1 tech fall over Robert Benitez (PU)
133 - Brian Bollette (RU) pins Nikhil Pereira (PU) at 6:16
141 - David Greenwald (RU) pins Daniel Kolodzik (PU) at 2:14
149 - Daniel Scotton (PU) 10-5 dec. over Dave Seidenberg (RU)
157 - Scott Winston (RU) 23-6 tech fall over Marty Everin (PU)
165 - Matt Pletcher (RU) 10-2 maj dec. over Michael Alvarez (PU)
174 - Matt Rigoglioso (RU) 10-8 dec. over Travis Erdman (PU)
184 - Kurt Brendel (PU) 5-3 dec. over Keith Dobish (RU)
197 - Karim Mahmoud (RU) 8-2 dec. over Zach Morse (PU)
HWT - DJ Russo (RU) wins by forfeit
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