HOBOKEN, N.J. (December 10, 2022)  – Seven different Ducks each won two bouts as the No. 3 Stevens Institute of Technology wrestling defeated both Delaware Valley University and Messiah University in convincing fashion Saturday in a triangular at Canavan Arena.

Junior Luke Hoerle, first-year Nico Diaz, senior Kyle Slendorn, senior Hunter Gutierrez, junior Stefan Major, senior Frank Medina and graduate student Michael Dooley each won their respective bouts for the Ducks, who defeated the Aggies 41-0 and the Falcons 34-16 to improve to 3-1 on the year. The sweep moved the Ducks to 28-3 inside Canavan Arena under current head coach Joe Favia. The events marked the first home duals contested in front of fans inside Canavan Arena since Februrary of 2020.

Garret Cornell, Zach Needles and Joe Embelton had victories for Messiah, who closed the day with a 3-3 record. Delaware Valley topped Messiah 30-16 in the first dual of the day to earn a split of its two duals to close the day 2-1. Stevens has won the last four duals with Delaware Valley to even the all-time series and each of the last two meetings with Messiah.

Prior to the Ducks' dual with Messiah, the athletic department presented championship rings to wrestling alumnus Brett Kaliner and track & field alumna Gina Dello Russo to recognize their national championship victories. Additionally, banners were unveiled inside Canavan Arena to forever enshrine those milestone accomplishments.  

Hoerle opened the day with a 6-3 decision victory over Delaware Valley's Jacob Blair. Hoerle, ranked fourth in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Division III Poll, built a lead in the first period with three takedowns to score his 10th win of the year. Diaz posted the Ducks' first bonus-point victory of the day with a 17-6 major decision over Ryan Arndt, scoring nine points in the final period to break the bout open.

Slendorn registered the first pin of the day at 141, stopping Malachi Harvey with time winding down in the opening period. Gutierrez made it two pins in as many matches, stopping Zach Zuckerman 2:41 in the match for his fifth pin of the season. First-year Ryan Smith pushed the Ducks' lead to 22-0 with an 8-3 decision victory over Greg Croce. Sophomore Chris Stathopoulos notched the third pin of the dual with a first-period fall over Cooper Kidd. 

Major, ranked third at 174 by both the NWCA and D3Wrestle.com, continued the impressive run, posting a 10-5 decision win over Luke Moore, building a 4-1 lead through the first period. Medina followed with the Ducks' final bonus-point win of the dual with a 19-5 major decision over Jaden Roberts, scoring an impressive 10 points in the final period to secure the win.

Sophomore Brendan Newbury scored six points in the third period to close out a 6-3 decision victory over Isaiah Johnson, while Dooley closed out the dual with a 7-5 decision over Logan Flynn to provide the final margin of victory. The Ducks' 41-point victory since a 46-3 victory over Gettysburg College on Jan. 21, 2017 and the shutout is the first for the program since a 49-0 win over McDaniel College on Feb. 6, 2016.

Hoerle opened scoring against Messiah with an impressive 20-4 technical fall over Caiden Heller, earning the stoppage with 42 seconds left in the opening period. Diaz followed with a tech fall of his own, earning the stoppage in the second period after amassing a 23-5 lead on the scoreboard.

Slendorn and Gutierrez each earned their second straight pins to push the Ducks' lead to 22-0. Slendorn pinned Messiah's Asa Brunk just under 90 seconds into the bout, while Gutierrez pinned Noah Rice 4:37 into the match. Messiah would earn victories at 157 and 165 to cut the Ducks' lead to 22-10, but Major pinned John Sumner in the first period to reclaim a 28-10 lead and Medina posted a dual-clinching 5-1 decision over Ryder Slayton.

Messiah picked up its final win of the day at 197 with Embelton pinning sophomore Max Ruiz, but Dooley scored a 9-3 win over Christian Conner to close out the day. 

While the first two duals were being contested, 18 extra countable matches were held on Mat Two, with the Ducks posting a 10-4 record. Junior Andrew Finateri (decision), senior James Snyder (pin), sophomore Jack Bailey (DQ, decision), sophomore Blaise Wagner (decision, pin), sophomore Branden Bulatao (pin), graduate student Jarrett Weir (decision), first-year Anthony Bistany (major decision) and Newbury (decision) collected wins on the day, with Bailey and Wagner each winning twice. Weir's 4-0 decision victory over Messiah's Jared Butler marked his season debut.

Up Next: No. 3 Wrestling returns from the holiday break on Jan. 13 for the two-day Budd Whitehill Duals, hosted by Lycoming College. This will mark the Ducks' first-ever appearance in the national event, which dates back to 1989 and honors the longtime Lycoming head coach.

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