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Freshman Duo Remains Unbeaten In Ivies As Wrestlers Drop Duo
February 09, 2008 | Wrestling
Freshman Travis Erdman completed a perfect 3-0 weekend with Saturday wins against both Harvard and Sacred Heart, but the short-handed Tigers dropped both matches in Cambridge. Following a 29-9 loss to host Harvard, Princeton sent only five wrestlers to the mat in a 36-12 loss to Sacred Heart.
In the opener against Harvard, freshman Tony Comunale got Princeton off to a good start with a 7-3 win over Dan Kelly at 125 pounds. Robert Benitez avoided a technical fall at 133 pounds, but still lost a major decision to give the Crimson a 4-3 lead. There was no bout at 141 pounds, but a Princeton forfeit at 149 pounds kept Princeton in a 10-3 hole. Another major decision against Matt Katz at 157 and a close loss by Mike Alvarez at 165 put the match out of reach for Princeton, which still had another forfeit coming.
There would be another positive moment coming, though, as Erdman stayed unbeaten in the Ivy League with a pin of Patrick Ziemnik at 6:54 of their match. The win, which came with only six seconds remaining, meant that both Erdman and Comunale would be 2-0 in Ivy matches during their young career.
Both Zach Morse (197) and Sam Ritter (285) lost close decisions to end the 29-9 victory for the Crimson.
Princeton only sent five wrestlers out against Sacred Heart, and one of them (Benitez) received a forfeit win. Of the other four, Alvarez and Erdman both picked up victories. Alvarez defeated Thomas Sullivan 3-1 and Erdman topped Jed Giguere 7-4.
Princeton will wrestle three home matches this weekend, beginning with a Friday night contest against Millersville (7 p.m.). The Tigers will host a pair of Ivy matches on Saturday, as Columbia (1 p.m.) and nationally-ranked Cornell (5 p.m.) will head to Dillon Gym.
HARVARD 29, PRINCETON 9
125 Tony Comunale (P) def. Dan Kelly (H), D, 7-3 (0-3) 133 Thomas Picarsic (H) def. Robert Benitez (P), Md, 15-1 (4-3) 141 No bout 149 J.P. O'Connor won by forfeit (10-3) 157 Bobby Latessa (H) def. Matt Katz (P), Md, 21-8 (14-3) 165 Matt Button (H) def. Mike Alverez (P), D, 9-7 (17-3) 174 Travis Erdman (P) def. Patrick Ziemnik (H), F, 6:54 (17-9) 184 Fred Rowsey (H) won by forfeit (23-9) 197 Billy Colgan (H) def. Zach Morse (P), D, 5-1 (26-9) 285 Andrew Knapp (H) def. Sam Ritter (P), D, 5-2 (29-9)SACRED HEART 36, PRINCETON 12
125 Robert Benitez won by forfeit (0-6) 133 Pat Feeley (SH) def. Tony Comunale (P), Md, 15-6 (4-6) 141 Cory Dunn (SH) won by forfeit (10-6) 149 Anthony Priore (SH) won by forfeit (16-6) 157 Michael Powers (SH) won by forfeit (22-6) 165 Mike Alverez (P) def. Thomas Sullivan (SH), D, 3-1 (22-9) 174 Travis Erdman (P), def. Jed Giguere (SH), D, 7-4 (22-12) 184 Rick Eichenlaub (SH) won by forfeit (28-12) 197 Brandon Lapp (SH) def. Zach Morse (P), D, 3-1 (31-12) 285 Bill Beirmister (SH) won by forfeit (36-12)