DOYLESTOWN, Pa. – The Ursinus College men's wrestling dropped a 24-9 road dual to Delaware Valley University on Wednesday evening from the James Work Gymnasium.
Delaware Valley earned the victory behind winning seven of the ten bouts including two matches via bonus points. With the loss, the Bears fell to 7-4 on the season in duals, meanwhile the Aggies improved to 7-4 overall.
At 125lbs, in a rematch of a semifinal match at the Racich Rumble back on November 12th in which Delaware Valley's Jacob Blair won via a 5-4 decision over Ursinus senior Terry Adams. The two battled in the opening seconds as Blair converted on a takedown in the opening minute, but a quick escape from Adams cut the deficit to one midway through the first period. Both wrestlers denied offensive opportunities throughout the remaining of the opening period resulting in a 2-1 score heading into the second. Adams collected an escape in the opening 15 seconds to tie the match at two a piece at the 1:45-mark. Adams earned a single-leg takedown on the edge of the mat but an escape and a takedown from Blair gave the Aggies a 5-4 edge through two periods. Blair recorded an escape after choosing bottom to the start the final stanza. Blair earned a 6-4 decision after holding onto two deep single legs over the final minute giving the Aggies an early 3-0 match lead.
In the second dual at 133lbs, Delaware Valley's Ryan Arndt jumped out to a 2-0 lead over Jagger Clapsadle behind a scramble takedown. With under a minute remaining, Arndt recorded four back-points after securing legs on top, but Clapsadle answered with a reversal in the final moments and trailed 6-2 heading into the second. Clapsadle nearly collected some back points in the opening seconds of the period, but a reversal and a multiple four-point near falls gave Delaware Valley a 17-2 technical fall in the second dual.
Senior Romeo Rodriguez quieted the crowd with an early takedown at 141lbs over Delaware Valley's Sean O'Toole. After an escape from O'Toole, Rodriguez earned his second takedown after ducking underneath a headlock attempt. O'Toole bounced back with an escape point at the end of the first period and to open the second period, but a sweet scramble from Rodriguez gave him an 6-3 advantage heading into the third stanza. Rodriguez chose neutral to start the third period and an early takedown extended his lead to four. O'Toole answered with a quick takedown and trailed by two points with under a minute remaining in the period. Rodriguez extended his lead to three with an escape and a late takedown in the period gave the senior an 12-6 decision.
Sophomore Wesley Tosto collected an early takedown at 149lbs over Delaware Valley's Andre Henene at the 2:25-mark. Henene tallied an escape and a takedown over the final two minutes and held a 3-2 edge heading into the second. Henene extended his lead to two with an escape at the 1:01-mark of the period and was awarded a takedown at the buzzer leading to a Bears challenge on the call. Director of Wrestling Joe Jamison's challenge paid off as the referee reversed the call, keeping Tosto's deficit to two at the beginning of the third. With Delaware Valley leading 4-2, Tosto nearly collected a reversal but instead was awarded an escape with 1:25 remaining. After an Aggies takedown, Andre Henene rode out the period on and was awarded a riding time point for a 7-3 decision.
After four matches Delaware Valley led 11-3 heading into the 157-pound bout. First-year Derek Giordano earned a quick takedown for the Bears in the opening seconds of the match over Delaware Valley's Greg Croce. After an Aggies escape, Croce connected on a dep single leg for a 3-2 advantage. Giordano bounced back with an escape to tie the match at three heading into the second period. In the second period after an escape on bottom, Croce collected four takedowns to push his lead to 12-6 to start the third. Croce continued to shine in the neutral position recording a handful of takedowns in the third period for a 18-10 major decision at the halfway point.
With Delaware Valley leading the dual 15-3 at the halfway point, senior Shawn Marchesano stepped to the mat for Ursinus at 157 pounds against Delaware Valley's Joseph McCullough. Neither guy could connect on a takedown in the first period of the match and the score was tied at zero heading in the second. Marchesano earned a reversal in the opening seconds of the second and after an escape from McCullough, the senior 165-pounder collected another takedown for a three-point advantage. With Marchesano holding a 6-2 advantage at the beginning of the third, McCullough collected an escape to cut the match deficit to three. Marchesano tallied a second takedown and held onto an 8-3 decision cutting the Bears dual deficit to nine.
At 174lbs, Delaware Valley's Adam Coleman earned the first takedown of the match with a sweep single over Ursinus first-year Anthony Cerulli. After an escape for Cerulli from bottom, Coleman tallied his second takedown with a single leg and held a 4-2 edge heading into the second period. Coleman quickly escaped from bottom in the opening seconds of the second stanza and after a takedown he held a 7-2 advantage midway through the period. Cerulli battled back in the third period but was unable to overcome the deficit as Coleman held onto a 12-5 decision.
Delaware Valley held a 18-6 match lead heading into the 184-pound bout between senior Gary Nagle and Luke Moore for the Aggies. Nagle collected the first takedown of the match at the 1:05-mark as he used an inside trip to a inside single leg. With 35 seconds remaining in the period, Moore recorded a reversal to tie the match at two a piece heading into the second period. Nagle opened the second on top and rode out the period in the same position to keep the score tied at two. For Ursinus, Nagle chose bottom to start the third stanza and quick escape for a 3-2 advantage. The match stayed in the neutral position for the remaining of the period as Nagle earned the 4-2 decision.
After eight matches, the Aggies held a 18-9 match lead heading into the 197-pound bout as Delaware Valley's Dan Eckley earned a first-period takedown over senior Kyle Schaffer. Heading into the second period Eckley converted on a takedown to extend his advantage to four at the halfway point. The Aggies earned a late escape in the third period as Dan Eckley collected an 5-0 decision to lock up the dual.
In the final bout at 285-pounds, senior Gavin Range matched up with Delaware Valley's Austin Williams with the Aggies earning a takedown at the 1:45-mark. Williams collected over a minute of riding time in the period and chose bottom to start the second. After an Aggies escape in the opening minute, Williams extended his lead to five after ducking under a headlock attempt from Range. With the score 5-1 heading into the third, Range collected an escape midway through the final stanza as Williams secured a late takedown for the 7-2 decision.
"Rough one tonight," Director of Wrestling Joe Jamison said. "We got outwrestled, plain and simple. We just need to put this one behind us and get ready for Saturday."
The Bears will return to action on Saturday as they jump back into Centennial Conference play with a tri-meet with Gettysburg College and United States Merchant Marine Academy.
Delaware Valley 24, Ursinus 9
125: Jacob Blair (DV) over Terry Adams (URSI) (Dec 6-4)
133: Ryan Kelly (DV) over Jagger Clapsadle (URSI) (TF 17-2 5:16)
141: Romeo Rodriguez (URSI) over Sean O`Toole (DV) (Dec 12-6)
149: Andre Henene (DV) over Wesley Tosto (URSI) (Dec 7-3)
157: Greg Croce (DV) over Derek Giordano (URSI) (MD 19-10)
165: Shawn Marchesano (URSI) over Joseph McCullough (DV) (Dec 8-4)
174: Adam Coleman (DV) over Anthony Cerulli (URSI) (Dec 12-5)
184: Gary Nagle (URSI) over Luke Moore (DV) (Dec 4-2)
197: Daniel Eckley (DV) over Kyle Schaffer (URSI) (Dec 6-0)
285: Austin Williams (DV) over Gavin Range (URSI) (Dec 7-2)
