Wrestling Sweeps Tri-Match with RIC & Trinity

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Top-ranked 174 lbs. Zachary Bates (Leyden, MA) and No. 2-ranked senior 165 lbs. Ethan Raymond (Middlebury, VT) each went 2-0 as Bridgewater State swept a pair of New England Wrestling Association (NEWA) matches at a tri-meet hosted by Rhode Island College.

The Bears defeated Trinity, 33-6, before clinching at least a share of the 2011 Pilgrim Wrestling League Championship with a 16-15 come-from-behind win over Rhode Island College (11-10, 3-2).

Bridgewater State (10-8-1, 4-0-1) could win the Pilgrim League title outright if Coast Guard can upset Johnson & Wales (14-6-1, 3-0-1) on Friday, Feb. 18. The Bears and Wildcats battled to a 19-19 tie back on Dec. 8.

Trinity (8-7) defeated RIC, 22-19, in the other match.

The Bantams squared off against the hosts to start the day's action. Sophomore William Youngblood (Bernardsville, NJ) helped Trinity snatch victory from the jaws of defeat as the Bantams were down to their last match vs. the Anchormen. With RIC up, 19-16, and senior Chris Dean (Copiague, NY) up, 4-3, at 184 lbs., Youngblood scored a takedown and then was awarded the pin with just 16 seconds left in the final period to shock the Anchormen and The Murray Center crowd.

The loss overshadowed a terrific match by RIC senior Brendan Guarino (Lodi, NJ), who snapped a 16-16 tie between the clubs with a takedown in the final two seconds of his match at 174 lbs. to defeat Trinity sophomore Mason West (Northbrook, IL), 3-1, just prior to Youngblood's heroics.

The visitors took an early, 9-0, lead with a decision and then a pin by junior Greg Vaughan (Hingham, MA) at 285 lbs. The Anchormen picked up a forfeit and a major decision by senior Travis Drappi (West Orange, NJ) to go up by one point, 10-9.

Back-to-back wins by senior Kevin Sutherland (Dauphin, PA) and sophomore Ryan Rheaume (Riverhead, NY) helped RIC build a 16-13 advantage with three matches to go, but Trinity senior Ben Speicher's (Boston, MA) victory at 165 lbs. set the stage for the late contest fireworks.

Bridgewater State quickly took control of its match with the Bantams as the Bears won nine straight bouts and never looked back en route to a 33-6 victory.

Freshman TJ Valle (Augusta, ME) started the ball rolling with a 3-0 win at 197 lbs. and classmate 285 lbs. Ricky Caruso (Waltham, MA) followed with a 9-6 decision.

A Trinity forfeit at 125 lbs. and sophomore Jerry Joubert's (Framingham, MA) injury default win at 141 lbs. dealt the Bantams a pair of six-point losses they were not able to recover from.

Raymond picked up a 6-2 decision over Speicher. Bates earned a 10-4 win at 174 lbs. to cap the nine-bout win streak.

Youngblood, who finished the day with two wins, prevented the shutout for Trinity to end the match with an injury default victory at 184 lbs.

Junior Michael Fenner (Bergenfield, NJ) capped a 13-0 rally with a 6-3 victory at 184 lbs. to lift Bridgewater State past RIC, 16-15, in the last match of the day. The Bears avenged a 30-13 loss to the Anchormen at the New England Duals back on Jan. 23 with the come-from-behind victory.

RIC fell behind, 3-0, but rallied to build a 15-3 lead by winning five consecutive decisions. In a battle of the two top-ranked wrestlers at 125 lbs., RIC junior Brandon Gauthier (Lowell, MA) knocked off No. 1-ranked junior Ken Francis (New Bedford, MA), 9-8. Gauthier was up 8-6 and was taken down as time expired in the third period, but a crucial riding time point proved to be the difference.

Sutherland's, 3-0, victory at 149 lbs. was the last win of the day for hosts. Raymond dealt a decisive blow with a four-point, 17-7 win at 165 lbs. during the Bears' rally. Bates' 7-3 triumph at 174 lbs. put BSU in position for Fenner's big win.

Sutherland, Gauthier and Drappi each went 2-0 on the day for RIC. Sutherland, Gauthier, Dean and Guarino were honored along with their families as part of Senior Day prior to the Bridgewater State match.

In upcoming action, Rhode Island College will compete at the 2011 New England Wrestling Association (NEWA) Championships, hosted by Trinity on Feb. 26-27.