Kolodzik, Brucki Earn NCAA Semifinal Berths, A-A Honors, Will Battle For The Finals Tonight On ESPN

Session Recaps: Thursday Morning l Thursday Afternoon
More Links: Princeton Preview l Princeton Notes Packet (with individual match results) (PDF)

Check out the "Beyond The Stripes" feature on Matthew Kolodzik

Both Matthew Kolodzik and Patrick Brucki made program history Friday morning, and both wiill return to PPG Paints Arena Friday night (8 pm, ESPN) looking to stun a top-ranked opponent and become Princeton's first NCAA finalist in 16 years. Kolodzik defeated Brock Mauller of Missouri 5-3 to become the first three-time All-American in program history, while Brucki defeated Thomas Lane of Cal Poly 4-3 to become the 11th All-American wrestler at Princeton.

Kolodzik clinched his historic third All-America honor and a spot in the semifinal with an impressive 5-3 win over fourth-seeded freshman Brock Mauller of Missouri. Similar to his performances on Thursday, Kolodzik showed early aggression and was rewarded with a first-period takedown, but he also forced an early stall call against Mauller. That would play a key role later, as he drew a stall point in the second to hold a 3-2 lead entering the third. He chose the defensive position and found himself in a scary position when Mauller started to lock in on a cradle, but he broke free and escaped for the 4-2 advantage. Both wrestlers would be hit with a stall point later in the third, leaving Kolodzik up 5-3 in the final 30 seconds.

He fused strong defense with timely offense to keep Mauller off balance and clinch his second straight berth in the NCAA semifinal. He'll take on top-seeded and undefeated Anthony Ashnault of Rutgers, who will bring a 32-0 record into the match. This will be the sixth meeting all-time between the two, with Ashnault leading the series 3-2; he won the last two, including a 10-0 win during the dual match at Rutgers.

Here's our first 3-time All-American following his 5-3 quarterfinal win. Kolo talks about the match, this historic A-A & his excitement for an All-Jersey semifinal. #GetUp #NCAAWrestling pic.twitter.com/eVf6ohiamr
— Princeton Wrestling (@tigerwrestling) March 22, 2019

Brucki faced one of the hottest wrestlers in Pittsburgh in Cal Poly's Thomas Lane, the 21st seed that upset both the #12 and the #5 seeds on his way to the quarterfinal. Brucki hit an immediate takedown after getting around Lane's waist, but the Cal Poly standout hit a quick reversal of his own and rode Brucki for more than two minutes.

Brucki added a takedown in the second to open a 4-2 lead, and with the choice in the third, Lane took top and looked for near fall points. The third period provided plenty of drama, as Brucki nearly scored a reversal and Lane nearly got Brucki turned, but both fought back and kept the period scoreless. That was bad news for Lane, who got one point for riding time, but dropped a 4-3 decision to Brucki, the 11th All-American in program history.

Brucki has been a favorite in his first three matches, but he'll be an underdog in the night session; he'll draw top-seeded and two-time reigning NCAA champion Bo Nickal of Penn State. Nickal has made the NCAA final every year of his career and has been one of the Nittany Lions' most dominant wrestlers during its recent reign over the sport.

Here's All-American (that sounds nice) Patrick Brucki on his hard-fought win, earning A-A and tonight's showdown with Bo Nickal. #GetIn #NCAAWrestling pic.twitter.com/a2UpyvConn
— Princeton Wrestling (@tigerwrestling) March 22, 2019

Glory fell in his quarterfinal to second-seeded and undefeated Nick Piccininni of Oklahoma State, though Glory put together another impressive effort. Piccininni was able to get the first takedown and ultimately established a 6-1 lead, but Glory battled back to a 6-5 deficit with both wrestlers on their feet. The final takedown went to Piccininni, though, who got to Glory's ankles to clinch the 9-5 win.

Glory will return to the mat tonight during the Session IV 'Blood Round' and will try to become only the second freshman in program history (following Kolodzik) to earn All-American status; he'll face 12th-seeded Michael McGee of Old Dominion.

With 2?? All-Americans secures and another potential one tonight, @tigercoachayres reflects on a wild Friday morning ... and shares a couple thoughts for the 1978 Tiger squad! pic.twitter.com/whovuW9mmY
— Princeton Wrestling (@tigerwrestling) March 22, 2019

125 – #7 Patrick Glory
1^st – Glory TF #26 Alonzo Allen (Chattanooga) 16-0
2^nd – Glory mdec. #10 Brent Fleetwood (North Dakota State) 10-0
QF —#2 Nick Piccininni (Oklahoma State) dec. Glory 9-5
Round of 12 — Glory vs. #12 Michael McGee (Old Dominion)

149 – #5 Matthew Kolodzik
1^st – Kolodzik dec. #28 Michael Sprague (American) 3-2
2^nd – Kolodzik dec. #12 Brady Barge (Penn State) 8-5
QF — Kolodzik dec. #4 Brock Mauller (Missouri) 5-3
SF — Kolodzik vs. #1 Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers)

157 – #26 Quincy Monday
1^st – #7 Larry Early (Old Dominion) mdec. Monday 10-0
1^st Cons – #23 Chase Straw (Iowa State) dec. Monday 13-12, TB-1

174 — #31 Travis Stefanik
1^st – #2 Daniel Lewis (Missouri) WBF Travis Stefanik 1:13
1^st Cons — #18 Andrew Morgan (Campbell) dec. Stefanik 8-4

184 — #31 Kevin Parker
1^st – #2 Shakur Rasheed (Penn State) mdec. Parker 11-2
1^st Cons — #18 Tate Samuelson (Wyoming) mdec. Parker 14-2

197 — #4 Patrick Brucki
1^st – Brucki dec. #29 Brandon Whitman (UNC) 8-2
2^nd — Brucki dec. #13 Malik McDonald (NC State) 3-2
QF — Brucki dec. #21 Thomas Lane (Cal Poly) 4-3
SF — Brucki vs. #1 Bo Nickal (Penn State)

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