HOBOKEN, N.J. (December 9, 2011) – In the final match of the 2011 portion of the season, the Stevens Institute of Technology wrestling team topped the visitors from New York University, 22-15, on Alumni Night in Walker Gymnasium in front of a near packed house to improve to 6-0. The Ducks jumped out to an 18-3 lead over the first five bouts and held off the Violets to secure the victory.
In the first bout of the night, NYU's Janik Santana-Quinlan won by decision, 8-2, over freshman Anthony Geiger (South Amboy, N.J.) in the 125-lb. weight class to give the Violets their only lead of the match.
Stevens tied the match up at 133, after sophomore Andrew Boehm (Granville, Ohio) won a scrappy decision battle with Adlee Fayyaz, 11-7. Boehm jumped out to a 6-2 lead after the first period but Fayyaz fought back to bring the bout to within two after the second frame, 8-6. Boehm used a key takedown in the final period to earn the victory.
At 141, freshman Mike Polizzi (Montville, N.J.) won a crucial match by forfeit to extend the Ducks advantage to 9-3. In the very next matchup at 149, sophomore CJ Caserta (Mt. Arlington, N.J.) opened up a 13-3 lead with a major decision victory over Matt DiGiovanni, 19-6. After Caserta led, 8-2, at the conclusion of the first period, he scored eight points with three near falls to go up 16-4. He then added two more points in the final period, and another with over four minutes of riding time.
Freshman Jake Odell (South Windsor, Conn.) dominated his 157 matchup with a technical decision win, 18-3, 6:05 into the match to give the Ducks their largest lead, 18-3.
The next two bouts and 165 and 174 witnessed matchups of top-10 ranked grapplers. At 165, No. 8 David Rice defeated No. 5 junior Joey Favia (Brick, N.J.) in the tightest bout of the evening, 8-7, to win the decision. NYU recorded another decision win, 5-3, as No. 8 Gregg Martino handed No. 10 junior Ryan Dormann (Mickleton, N.J.) only his second loss of the year.
NYU would win the 184 and 197 bouts with decision victories to cut the Ducks' lead to just 18-15 going into the final bout. At 184, Pat Sheehan earned a come-from-behind victory over sophomore Alex Moreno (Tenafly, N.J.), 12-9. Sheehan trailed, 7-6, going into the final period and scored three points in the final minute to earn the win. In the 197 matchup, Steve Massey dropped freshman Chris Florek (Mendham, N.J.), 6-3.
Stevens' freshman Tyler Maher (Raleigh, N.C.) came up clutch once again in the heavyweight bout, claiming an 18-8 major decision victory over Rudy De La Cruz to give the Ducks their sixth straight win of the season and close out 2011 in fashion.
The Ducks return back to the mats on January 7 at the North/South Duals in Collegeville, Pa. The tournament will take place throughout the entire day.
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Stevens 22, NYU 15
125 lbs. – Santana-Quinlan (N) def. Geiger (S) by DEC (8-2) (NYU 3-0)
133 lbs. – Boehm (S) def. Fayyaz by DEC (11-7) (Tied 3-3)
141 lbs. – Polizzi (S) won by FOR (Stevens 9-3)
149 lbs. – Caserta (S) def. DiGiovanni (N) by MAJ DEC (19-6) (Stevens 13-3)
157 lbs. – Odell (S) def. Friedfeld (N) by TECH FALL (18-3, 6:05) (Stevens 18-3)
165 lbs. – Rice (N) def. Favia (S) by DEC (8-7) (Stevens 18-6)
174 lbs. – Martino (N) def. Dormann (S) by DEC (5-3) (Stevens 18-9)
184 lbs. – Sheehan (N) def. Moreno (S) by DEC (12-9) (Stevens 18-12)
197 lbs. – Massey (N) def. Florek (S) by DEC (6-3) (Stevens 18-15)
285 lbs. – Maher (S) def. De La Cruz (N) by MAJ DEC (18-8) (Stevens 22-15)
