Wrestling Drops Pair of Matches to Wesleyan & WPI

By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University wrestling team went 0-2 at a tri-match held at the Kelly Gym Saturday afternoon.

The Bears (0-3) lost the opener to Wesleyan University, 29-18, then was stopped by Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 30-17.

BSU was ranked 12th in the most recent New England Wrestling Association (NEWA) Team Tournament Rankings, while Wesleyan was sixth and WPI 14th.

Freshman Ethan Buonanducci (Enfield, Conn.) won both of his matches by pin to lead BSU in its next-to-last home competition of the season. Buonanducci was ranked fifth in the 133-pound weight class in the most recent NEWA Indivual Rankings.

Single wins were posted by junior Cqari Bacote (Springfield, Mass.), freshman Avery Carl (Bridport, Vt.), sophomore James Calabrese (Foxborough, Mass.), junior Christian Curley (Bridgewater, Mass.) and sophomore Mathew Piper (Townsend, Mass.).

Winning against Wesleyan (3-0) were Buonanducci, Curley and Piper.

Buonanducci won by fall at 2:04 against sophomore Sebastian Kristal (Glen Ridge, N.J.) for his first victory of the day at 133 pounds.

Curley, at 197 pounds, also won by fall at 2:27 over the Cardinals junior Roman Martinez (Miami, Fla.).

Piper, a heavyweight, defeated freshman Michael Diorio (Providence, R.I.) by fall at 3:12.

Winning for Wesleyan were junior Chris Hong (Paramus, N.J.) over senior Sei Dolomengi (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) at 125, junior Hayden Myers (Coventry,R.I.) over senior Malcolm Chrispin (Hyde Park, Mass.) by major decision, 14-1, at 141 pounds, and senior Ike Guttentag (Bethesda, Md.) at 149 pounds over Bacote by technical fall.

Hong was ranked fifth in the NEWA at 125 while Myers tops the NEWA Individual Rankings at 141. Guttentag is third in the 149-pound weight class 

Also, sophomore Ronnie Christolin (Bridgeport, Conn.) won a major decision at 157 over Carl, 14-5, senior Akiva Lind (Newton, Mass.) at 165 defeated Calabrese by a 4-2 decision, and freshman Rinaldo DiGiacopo (Boonton Township, N.J.) won over junior Paul Hough (Milford, Mass.) by a 15-2 major decision at 174.

Christolin is fourth in the NEWA rankings at 157.

Against WPI (4-3), Buonanducci prevailed by fall at 1:02 over freshman Joel Purl (Milford, Mass.). He is now 21-7 on the season with eight pins.

Bacote was a 14-10 decision winner over junior Mason Basara (Bethlehem, Pa.) and Carl gave BSU a win over junior Lucas Marchese (Branchburg, N.J.) by fall at 1:42. Carl now has a team-leading ten pins on the season.

Calabrese won a 7-5 decision over senior Ryan Addeche (Foxborough, Mass.).

Winners for WPI were senior Charlie Pavis (Bethlehem, Pa.) at 125 over Dolomengi (fall, 4:32), junior Mason Medina (Orlando, Fla.) by fall at 2:57 over Chrispin, senior Theo Sawyers (Boston, Mass.) won by fall at 3:45 over Hough and senior Trevor Bowen (Frenchtown, N.J.) was a 4-1 decision winner over Piper.

In the highly anticipated match of the day, junior Joe Bernard (Stratham, N.H.) edged Curley in a 9-8 decision at 197. Bernard was fourth and Curley seventh in the NEWA rankings. Curley led 7-3 in the third period before Bernard rallied with a pair of takedowns for the come-from-behind win.

In the first match of the day, Wesleyan defeated WPI, 30-18.

BSU concludes its home schedule on Saturday against WIlliams College on Senior Day at 12:30 p.m.

Wesleyan travels to Collegevill, Pa., on Saturday for the Will Abele Invitational while WPI will be at Coast Guard on Wednesday.