No. 18 Wrestling Drops Tight Dual with No. 1 Penn State in front of Sold-Out RAC

Sunday, January 28

Piscataway, NJ

2 p.m.

Rutgers University

Penn State

Photo by: Justin Tafoya

No. 18 Wrestling Drops Tight Dual with No. 1 Penn State in front of Sold-Out RAC

Jan 28 | Wrestling

Final Results Photo Gallery Post Match Press Conference

No. 1 Nick Suriano, No. 17 John Van Brill and No 19 Scott DelVecchio all with wins over top-ranked Nittany Lions

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – In front of a program-record 8,321 fans, No. 1 Nick Suriano (125), No. 19 Scott DelVecchio (133) and No. 17 John Van Brill (157) all picked up victories for Rutgers wrestling (5-5, 1-4) in its 25-15 loss to No. 1 Penn State (11-0, 7-0) Sunday afternoon at the RAC.

The announced attendance was the largest to watch Rutgers wrestling at the RAC in program history, as the Scarlet Knights have drew more than 5,000 fans to the RAC three times this season.

Today's attendance: 8,321.

That's a RAC record for collegiate wrestling here at Rutgers.

Thank you, fans!#RUWR | #RelentlessPursuit pic.twitter.com/pqWOHDFohj
— Rutgers Wrestling (@RUWrestling) January 28, 2018

"It's good for Rutgers University, it's good for Rutgers wrestling," said head coach Scott Goodale. "This was our vision; you guys know that. I hope our New Jersey fans leave here saying 'Wow, I'm excited, I need to come back.' This thing is going to get bigger and better. There is no question about it. These next couple of months are going to be exciting."

For Penn State – the reigning national champions with five returning individual champions – it marked the lowest margin of victory in conference action this season, with the 15 team points allowed the most for an opposing Big Ten program in 2017-18.

In his first action against his former team, Suriano lived up to his newly billed No. 1 ranking. The former Bergen Catholic star had eight takedowns against PSU's Devin Schnupp. With a 19-7 lead late in the third period, Suriano got Schnupp on his back for the fall, his first pin in dual action this season. The third-period fall gave RU a 6-0 lead to start the match.

Nick Suriano gave the crowd exactly what it wanted.

Relive the third-period pin here. #RUWR | #RelentlessPursuit pic.twitter.com/aABX4uqKQd
— Rutgers Wrestling (@RUWrestling) January 28, 2018

Suriano is now 19-0 this season, with four tech falls, three major decisions and a pin in his nine dual matches in 2017-18.

"Unbelievable. This is my favorite place to wrestle, by far," Suriano said. "I've been in all the arenas, I've been all over the country, I've competed at a high level. Like I keep saying, this is Jersey. This is my home. So it's a little different here. I can feel it. I don't know what to call it. The energy is just awesome. Everybody enjoys it, I think. It's a good environment."

DelVecchio continued the momentum for Rutgers, as the South Plainfield, New Jersey, native muscled a 6-2 decision over Corey Kenner, ranked No. 20 in the country by the Open Mat. DelVecchio delivered a last-second takedown in the final period to secure his eighth win of the dual season, putting RU ahead of Penn State, 9-0.

Get your hand raised, Scott!

Great effort by DelVecchio for the 6-2 decision. #RUWR | #RelentlessPursuit pic.twitter.com/VsCkKzDisl
— Rutgers Wrestling (@RUWrestling) January 28, 2018

Michael Van Brill (141) dropped a tight 5-2 decision to No. 7 Nick Lee, while No. 13 Eleazar DeLuca (149) suffered a 14-2 loss by major decision to No. 1 Zain Retherford to make it a 9-7 match with one bout to go before intermission.

John Van Brill faced No. 1 Jason Nolf, a two-time All-American and 2017 national champion. Van Brill was first to strike in the match, courtesy of a takedown, but Nolf held a 5-3 advantage after the first period. Van Brill continued to look for scoring opportunities, and as both were tangled up, Nolf suffered an undisclosed injury. With Nolf unable to return, Van Brill was awarded the six-point injury default.

The result gave Rutgers a 15-6 lead at intermission, as Penn State was deducted one team point for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty assessed to the team bench.

After intermission, No. 11 Richie Lewis (165) faced No. 1 Vincenzo Joseph, and the two went toe-to-toe in their 165-pound bout. Lewis tallied two escapes in the final period, trailing Joseph by just a 5-3 margin. Joseph was assessed a stall call to make it just a 5-4 match with the seconds winding down, but the reigning national champion was able to hold on for the win.

No. 12 Nicholas Gravina also partook in a ranked-versus-ranked bout with No. 1 Bo Nickal, and muscled a takedown midway through period two to trail just 5-3. A Gravina escape and a stall call on Nickal made it just a one-point match, but Nickal held on for the win.

The Nittany lions closed the bout with back-to-back major decisions for the final team result.

No. 1 Penn State (11-0, 7-0) 25, No. 18 Rutgers (5-5, 1-4) 15
Dual started at 125 pounds
Location: Rutgers Athletic Center, Piscataway, N.J.
Official: Nate Chapman
Attendance: 8,321 (RAC Wrestling Attendance Record)

125: No. 1/1/2 Nick Suriano (RU) wins by fall (5:41) over Devin Schnupp (PSU); RU leads, 6-0
133: No. 19/15/16 Scott DelVecchio (RU) wins by decision over Corey Keener (PSU), 6-2; RU leads, 9-0
141: No. 7/8/7 Nick Lee (PSU) wins by decision over Michael Van Brill (RU), 5-2; RU leads, 9-3
149: No. 1/1/1 Zain Retherford (PSU) wins by major decision over No. 13/13/11 Eleazar DeLuca (RU), 14-2; RU leads, 9-7
157: No. 17/15/15 John Van Brill (RU) wins by injury default over No. 1/1/1 Jason Nolf (PSU); RU leads 15-7
Intermission: Penn State deducted one team point for unsportsmanlike conduct. RU leads, 15-6
165: No. 1/1/1 Vincenzo Joseph (PSU) wins by decision over No. 11/11/11 Richie Lewis (RU), 5-4; RU leads, 15-9
174: No. 2/2/1 Mark Hall (PSU) wins by tech fall over Joseph Grello (RU), 24-9; RU leads, 15-14
184: No. 1/1/1 Bo Nickal (PSU) wins by decision over No. 12/13/12 Nicholas Gravina (RU), 6-5; PSU leads, 17-15
197: Anthony Cassar (PSU) wins by major decision over Anthony Messner (RU), 16-5; PSU leads, 21-15
HWT: No. 8/6/6 Nick Nevills (PSU) wins by major decision over Ralph Normandia (RU), 21-7; PSU wins dual 25-15

Rankings (-/-/-): InterMat / FloWrestling/The Open Mat
NR denotes not ranked

Postmatch Quotes
Rutgers Head Coach Scott Goodale
On whether the team made the strides he was looking for today:
"We wrestled really really hard. That's all I ask of these guys. I'm super, super proud of them. You don't ever like to lose. I'm not into moral victories at all. We knew we were up against it. It's a great team, an all-time team. I get it. But, we wrestled really, really hard. We brought the fight. So, I'm excited for that and, here's the thing with the Big Ten; you need to run it right back. So, we need to get ready for Friday and Sunday. But that's the type of effort you need against the best teams in the country."

On whether the team gave too much respect:
"I thought we went out to wrestle to win in most spots. Again, I thought the effort was awesome. I think we were going out there to try and score points, have fun, wrestle hard, and be aggressive. In some spots we are outmanned, I get it. But, I'm proud of the way we wrestled today."

On Gravina and Lewis's performances:
"They're close. They're close. But we have to beat those guys. I know that's the way they're thinking. I know what Richie is thinking and maybe he has to beat him one time in March. You know? But that's the bottom line, we have to beat those guys. We're going to have to beat Bo Nickell for Nick Gravina to be an All-American, a National Champ. Richie is going to have to beat Vincenzo Joseph. That's just the matches we're going to have to win. I feel like they believe they can win those matches. I know they trained that way all week. They prepared for it. They believe they can win those matches. They've just got to do it."

On whether Joseph's takedown changed the game plan for the Lewis match:
"I don't know. I'd have to really look at it. I think he stuck to his game plan. It was getting into a situation where there was one takedown in the first period. He was zoning in on a couple shots. He was isolating him, but that kid has got great hips, he's a great athlete and he's a defending national champ. It's going to be hard. You're going to have to put two or three or four together to overwhelm him to get a score. At least that's the way I think of it right now without watching it. That's kind of what I was seeing and I'm sure Richie thinks the same way."

On whether today's match is good for New Jersey wrestling:
"It's good for Rutgers University, it's good for Rutgers Wrestling. This was our vision; you guys know that. I hope our New Jersey fans leave here saying 'Wow, I'm excited, I need to come back.' This thing is going to get bigger and better. There is no question about it. These next couple of months are going to be exciting. I hope that's the way they leave here. I look around and say, 'yeah, that's pretty cool', you know? We want that to happen all the time. I'm sure a lot of it had to do with watching their guys, and watching Nick and watching everything going on with that. But, I just hope this state and these wrestling fans, a knowledgeable fan base, appreciate good, hard wrestling and don't leave here disappointed."

Rutgers 125-pounder Nick Suriano
On whether he felt any additional emotion going into today's match against his old team:
"I felt it a little bit. But, same preparation. Like I've said before, to me it's another match. I made sure I ramped it up and did what I had to do to get the fall. I was looking for the fall."

On whether Nolf's injury was tough for him to watch, having experienced a similar situation:
"Yes. It's tough to see that. I went through it, I broke my ankle right on the mat. I had my whole season stripped. That's how this whole dilemma began. So, I feel for him."

On the atmosphere wrestling in front of today's record crowd:
"Unbelievable. This is my favorite place to wrestle, by far. I've been in all the arenas, I've been all over the country, I've competed at a high level. Like I keep saying, this is Jersey, this is my home. So, it's a little different here. I can feel it. I don't know what to call it. The energy is just awesome. Everybody enjoys it, I think. It's a good environment."

On if he's glad that this match and the drama surrounding it is finally over:
"I moved on in the summer. Like I said, this is another match. I keep focusing on what I need to do better and that's for me and my coaches to talk about. So, keep plugging."

Penn State 165-pounder Vincenzo Joseph
On the competition overall:
"I thought both teams wrestled hard, it's a good environment for wrestling, I enjoyed it. I'm sure we'll be back here another time before I graduate, and I look forward to it."

On overcoming his teammate's injury:
"It sucks anytime a teammate goes down, but you have to focus on yourself really. The best way to help the team I to worry about yourself, so I still just focused on my match. Jason is going to be fine, though."

About if he anticipated Rutgers' high level of intensity and effort:
"Rutgers is a tough team. They come out ready to fight every time, especially in their home gym like this. We could see they were ready to battle, so it was a good match."

About if Suriano being at Rutgers came up among the team this week:
"No, not really. I saw him today, said what's up, that was really it. I like Nick Suriano a lot. He's a good dude, and I wish the best for him."

Did Rutgers bring more fight than he expected:
"We really don't like to underestimate anybody. We take every match individually. They're a good, Big Ten team, and they were tough."

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