Freshman Duo Impress In Ivy Debuts, Lead Princeton To Road Win At Harvard

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Freshmen Jonathan Gomez and Patrick Brucki were thrown directly into the fire in their Ivy League debuts Saturday afternoon, and both left the Harvard Crimson burned. That duo provided two momentum-shifting wins in a 21-16 victory for Princeton in the Tigers' first match of the 2018 Ivy League season.

Princeton, which wrestled without four projected starters Saturday, took advantage of bonus points in a dual that actually saw a 5-5 split in victories. The Tigers were able to get bonus points in four of their victories to provide the margin over Harvard.

The first set of bonus points left an upset-minded Harvard crowd stunned. After a decision at 125 had Harvard up 3-0, Ryan Friedman scored the first two takedowns of Gomez, who was both wrestling his first match since Dec. 10 due to injury, as well as wrestling up from 125 for the first time all season. Friedman got in on a leg early in the third, but Gomez rolled out of it, got a high leg and took the advantage. He patiently worked that into a cradle and got the fall 31 seconds into the period (see the sequence below).

Since this was the critical moment of the match, here is that third period sequence when Jonathan Gomez turned a potential 5-pt deficit into a pin that stunned the Harvard crowd. What an @IvyLeague debut for both he and Patrick Brucki today! pic.twitter.com/e0VLixdLs6
— Princeton Wrestling (@tigerwrestling) February 3, 2018

Harvard got a major at 141, but 10^th-ranked sophomore Matthew Kolodzik followed with his own 10-1 major to reclaim the lead. Classmate Leonard Merkin, starting for injured co-captain Mike D'Angelo, followed with a hard-fought 6-4 decision, and then co-captain Jonathan Schleifer used early back points to build a comfortable lead over Tyler Tarsi in an eventual 14-4 win.

Senior co-captain Jonathan Schleifer with the takedown and back points during his 14-4 win at 165. Tigers grab the 17-7 lead with 4 matches to go. pic.twitter.com/px0lxeMl6O
— Princeton Wrestling (@tigerwrestling) February 3, 2018

That win moved the score to 17-7, but Harvard got wins from two of its steadiest starters, Josef Johnson and Kanon Dean. Senior Matthew Gancayco did an impressive job of limiting Johnson to a regular decision by fending off a late takedown attempt, while Kevin Parker built an early lead but couldn't hold off a hard-charging Kanon Dean in a 10-9 loss.

That moved the Crimson within four points, a deficit that Brucki was not about to let get any closer. While his classmate won in thrilling fashion at 133, Brucki dominated Rico Stormer from the first whistle and never let his opponent breathe through a 22-8 major decision. The freshman became the first Tiger to 20 wins this season by scoring takedowns from virtually any position, including this one below just before the end of the second period.

Nationally ranked freshman Patrick Brucki clinches it for the Tigers! Think he wasn't fired up? Check out how aggressive he was on this whistle late in the 2nd. pic.twitter.com/odOw3N0FtM
— Princeton Wrestling (@tigerwrestling) February 3, 2018

Harvard finished the match with a 3-2 win at heavyweight, but the Tigers left Boston with the team win they needed. They will head to Providence for a Super Sunday dual at noon, which you can watch live on the Ivy League Network.

PRINCETON 21, HARVARD 16
125 – Nolan Hellickson (H) dec. Matteo DeVincenzo 6-3
133 – Jonathan Gomez (P) WBF Ryan Friedman 5:31
141 – Alexander Jaffe (H) mdec. Jordan Reich 14-2
149 - #10 Matthew Kolodzik (P) mdec. Hunter Ladnier 10-1
157 – Leonard Merkin (P) dec. Brock Wilson 6-4
165 – Jonathan Schleifer (P) mdec. Tyler Tarsi 14-4
174 – Josef Johnson (H) dec. Matthew Gancayco 9-3
184 – Kanon Dean (H) dec. Kevin Parker 10-9
197 - #17 Patrick Brucki (P) mdec. Rico Stormer 22-8
285 – Angus Cowell (H) dec. Michael Markulec 3-2

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