Rutgers University
No. 25 Northwestern
No. 21 WRES Closes B1G Season With Ranked Win
Feb 08 | Wrestling
EVANSTON, Ill. - A 4-2 decision from 141-pounder Anthony Ashnault (South Plainfield, N.J.) in the second to last match of the night sealed a 22-19 win for No. 21 Rutgers wrestling at No. 25 Northwestern Sunday night at the Welsh-Ryan Arena.
The win was the first for the Scarlet Knights (12-7, 2-7 Big Ten) over a founding member of the Big Ten Conference, and wraps up the team's first league dual season. RU also jumped out to a 1-0 series lead against Northwestern, winning the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
Rutgers, which also topped No. 19 Oklahoma, 20-18, on Nov. 29 at the Asics/Journeymen Northeast Duals, picked up its second ranked win of the season.
"The win closes out the Big Ten season on a high note, and that was important," said head coach Scott Goodale. "I thought it was a good weekend trip. I think we're tired, so we really need to do a good job with our rest. But a win's a win, we'll take it any way, and it's good for us."
The night began at 157 pounds and included Northwestern forfeits in two of the first three matches. The forfeits at 157 and 174 pounds helped RU to a 15-9 lead at intermission.
No. 16/16/14/18 Anthony Perrotti (Roseland, N.J.) improved to 16-6 overall and 11-5 in duals on the season, and has now won four matches in a row. Redshirt sophomore Phil Bakuckas (Hammonton, N.J.) snapped a losing streak with his forfeit and is now 17-11 overall and 10-9 in dual competition.
In between the forfeits was a 4-0 decision from Wildcat Pierce Harger against 165-pounder Nick Visicaro (Long Branch, N.J.). The No. 8/8/7/7-ranked Harger used a first period takedown and second period escape on his way to the win with riding time.
After the forfeit at 174, redshirt sophomore Anthony Pafumi (Westfield, N.J.) locked up a 6-2 decision against Mitch Sliga at 184 pounds. Pafumi opened the scoring in the match with a first period takedown before two Sliga escapes tied it up, 2-2, entering the third period.
Sliga cut Pafumi loose from bottom to start the third period, and with 20 seconds to go got taken down by the St. Peter's Prep (N.J.) product to cap the match at 6-2 with riding time. Pafumi (13-11, 5-8 Duals) earned his first win since Jan. 25 at Maryland.
Junior Hayden Hrymack (Point Pleasant, N.J.) was edged by fall against No. 16/12/11/18 Alex Polizzi at 5:33 to make the team score 15-9 at the midway point.
Northwestern (9-8, 1-7 Big Ten) tied the dual, 15-15, with three bouts to go after picking up decisions at 125 and heavyweight. Three-time All-American Mike McMullan topped No. 14/18/20/11 Billy Smith (Wantage, N.J.), 8-2, while RU's Sean McCabe (Connetquot, N.Y.) lost a tight 7-5 decision to NU's Garrison White.
McCabe (14-8, 10-6 Duals) drew to within one of White with 23 seconds left following a stall point, getting into a scramble with White along the far edge as the bout concluded. But a 4-0 hole after the first period was too much for McCabe to overcome in the loss, as he was unable to force sudden victory with a takedown before time expired.
The South Plainfield, N.J. duo of No. 18/16/NR/17 133-pounder Scott DelVecchio (South Plainfield, N.J.) and No. 9/7/12/9 Ashnault secured the Scarlet Knights' second Big Ten with back-to-back victories.
A decision was on the horizon for DelVecchio (17-7, 11-5 Duals) with time winding down in the third period, but DelVecchio finished strong for bonus points.
Holding a 5-1 lead with 13 seconds to go, DelVecchio took Dominick Malone to the mat for a two-point takedown, making it 7-1. With the takedown came three near fall points at the final horn, sealing a 10-1 major decision.
Ashnault (21-4, 17-2 Duals) followed up with a 4-2 decision against Jameson Oster. Oster made things interesting with a reversal late in the third period, but Ashnault eventually escaped for the 4-2 final to tie as the team's wins leader.
The night ended at 149 pounds with No. 17/16/17/17 Ken Theobold (Toms River, N.J.) and No. 3/3/4/2 Jason Tsirtsis, last year's national champion in the weight class.
Tsirtsis got rolling early and did not relent in the bout, winning by a 12-2 major decision with riding time. The defeat for Theobold (21-5, 15-3 Duals) was his first since Jan. 2, and snaps an eight-match winning streak.
Next up for Rutgers is in-state rival Princeton on Feb. 14 at the College Ave. Gym. The match begins at 2 p.m. and is the final home dual of the year for the Scarlet Knights.
No. 21 Rutgers 22, No. 25 Northwestern 19
Dual started at 157 pounds
Location: Welsh-Ryan Arena
157: No. 16/16/14/18 Anthony Perrotti (RU) wins by forfeit; Rutgers leads, 6-0
165: No. 8/8/7/7 Pierce Harger (NU) dec. over Nick Visicaro (RU), 4-0; Rutgers leads, 6-3
174: No. NR/16/NR/NR Phillip Bakuckas (RU) wins by forfeit; Rutgers leads, 12-3
184: Anthony Pafumi (RU) dec. over Mitch Sliga (NU), 6-2; Rutgers leads, 15-3
197: No. 16/12/11/18 Alex Polizzi (NU) wins by fall over Hayden Hrymack (RU), 5:33; Rutgers leads, 15-9
285: No. 4/3/3/3 Mike McMullan (NU) dec. over No. 14/18/20/11 Billy Smith (RU), 8-2; Rutgers leads, 15-12
125: Garrison White (NU) dec. over Sean McCabe (RU), 7-5; Match tied, 15-15
133: No. 18/16/NR/17 Scott DelVecchio (RU) major dec. over Dominick Malone (NU), 10-1; Rutgers leads, 19-15
141: No. 9/7/12/9 Anthony Ashnault (RU) dec. over Jameson Oster (NU), 4-2; Rutgers leads, 22-15
149: No. 3/3/4/2 Jason Tsirtsis (NU) major dec. over No. 17/16/17/20 Ken Theobold (RU), 12-2; Rutgers wins, 22-19
Rankings (-/-/-): InterMat / The Open Mat / WIN Magazine/ Flo Wrestling (Feb. 3)
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