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Ritter Continues Strong Season In Ivy-Opening Loss For Wrestling Team
February 08, 2008 | Wrestling
Senior heavyweight Sam Ritter and freshmen Tony Comunale (125) and Travis Erdman (174) all won their Ivy League debuts Friday afternoon at Brown, but it wasn't enough to lead Princeton to a team victory. The Tigers, who will compete with only seven wrestlers this weekend due to injuries, couldn't overcome two forfeits and two pins in a 31-10 loss to Brown.
The match started out positively, as Comunale defeated Nathan Myers 8-2 to give Princeton a 3-0 lead. Comunale, winner of the season-opening Central Jersey Open, has won seven of his 12 dual matches this season and had positive performances in his trio of preseason tournaments, including a two-win weekend at the loaded Nittany Lion Invitational.
It would get ugly for Princeton from there. Jeff Schell pinned Princeton sophomore Robert Benitez in 1:09 to give the Bears a 6-3 lead, and Brown picked up forfeit wins at 141 and 149 to build an 18-3 lead. Freshman Matt Katz, who recently returned from injury, dropped an 11-2 major decision at 157 pounds, and Mike Alvarez fell 12-6 at 165 pounds to give Brown an insurmountable 25-3 lead.
Erdman, a former GoPrincetonTigers.com Athlete of the Week, claimed a low-scoring 2-0 decision over Kasey McCurdy to earn his sixth dual-meet win of the season. Erdman was a finalist at the Central Jersey Open and swept a tri-meet against Binghamton and the USMMA in a December showdown.
Neither team sent a wrestler out at 184 pounds, and Brown's Leo Saniuk claimed a second-period pin to win at 197 pounds. Ritter, Princeton's winningest wrestler during the dual-meet season, earned a 15-5 major decision over Zach Zdrada to finish the 31-10 loss. Ritter is 10-2 in dual meets and, like Comunale, had multiple wins at the Nittany Lion Invitational.
Princeton will compete against Harvard and Sacred Heart Saturday during a tri-meet in Cambridge, Mass. Harvard was 0-6-1 heading into Friday's Ivy showdown with No. 25 Penn, while Sacred Heart is 0-8.
Brown 31, Princeton 10
125 - Tony Comunale (P) dec. Nathan Myers (B), 8-2 (Princeton, 3-0)
133 - Jeff Schell (B) WBF Robert Benitez (P), 1:09 (Brown, 6-3)
141 - Mark Savino (B) win by forfeit (Brown, 12-3)
149 - Mark Bloom (B) win by forfeit (Brown, 18-3)
157 - Tom Fazio (B) major dec. Matt Katz (P), 11-2 (Brown, 22-3)
165 - Chris Musser (B) dec. Mike Alvarez (P), 12-6 (Brown, 25-3)
174 - Travis Erdman (P) dec. Kasey McCurdy (B), 2-0 (Brown, 25-6)
184 - No contest
197 - Leo Saniuk (B) WBF Zach Morse (P), 4:16 (Brown, 31-6)
285 - Sam Ritter (P) major dec. Zach Zdrada (B), 15-5 (Brown, 31-10)