Bucknell University
Penn
Wrestling Edged by Penn, 19-18
2/14/2016 5:17:00 PM | Wrestling
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Paul Petrov, Tyler Smith, Victor Lopez and Joe Stolfi each posted a bonus-point victory for Bucknell on Sunday at Penn, but the Quakers won six of the match's 10 bouts to edge the Bison wrestling team, 19-18. Bucknell's four-match winning streak came to an end as it fell to 10-6, 4-3 EIWA, while Penn improved to 6-5, 6-4 EIWA.
The Bison built an early 12-3 lead as Petrov (125), Smith (141) and Lopez (149) each won by major decision. However, Penn captured five consecutive bouts to take a 19-12 lead before Stolfi recorded his team-high 10th pin of the year to make the final margin just one point.
It was a close match as all five of Penn's wins by decision were by two points or less, and three of them were by just one point.
Bucknell has been strong in the upper weight classes in recent weeks. The Bison had won at least three of the four heaviest weights in each of the last 10 duals, sweeping in five of them. Penn won 174, 184 and 197 on Sunday, though.
Penn had five nationally ranked wrestlers in its lineup and all five posted victories on Sunday. Petrov, Smith and Stolfi are nationally ranked Bison who registered wins in the match. There were two matchups of nationally ranked opponents at 174 and 184 pounds with the Quakers' Casey Kent prevailing over Rustin Barrick and Lorenzo Thomas defeating Tom Sleigh.
Petrov, who missed Saturday's duals at American and George Mason due to sickness, came back to the lineup in fine fashion with a 10-2 major decision to open the match. It was his team-high 26th victory of the season.
Smith earned his fifth consecutive victory at 141 pounds with a 13-5 major decision against Marc Mastropietro. He is now 11-1 in his career in bouts decided by major decision.
Lopez won his fourth straight bout with a 10-0 shutout of Eric Friedman at 149 pounds. It staked the Bison to their 12-3 advantage.
Already the program's leader in career pins by a wide margin, Stolfi concluded the match with a fall of Patrik Garren in 4:41. The three-time NCAA qualifier is now 10-0 in bouts decided by fall this season and it was the 62nd pin of his career. Stolfi is an impressive 16-1 this year.
Smith, Lopez and Stolfi all finished the weekend with perfect 3-0 individual marks.
Bucknell will wrap up the regular season next weekend with a Friday match at Binghamton at 7 p.m. and a Saturday match at Columbia at 1 p.m. Columbia wrestled at Penn Sunday afternoon and defeated the Quakers in a close 19-16 match.
Penn 19, Bucknell 18
125: No. 11/9/12 Paul Petrov (B) maj. dec. Jeremy Schwartz (P), 10-2.
133: No. --/31/16 Caleb Richardson (P) dec. Grim Gonzalez (B), 4-3.
141: No. --/17/-- Tyler Smith (B) maj. dec. Marc Mastroprieto (P), 13-5.
149: Victor Lopez (B) maj. dec. Eric Friedman (P), 10-0.
157: No. --/31/-- May Bethea (P) dec. Zach Kelly (B), 6-5.
165: No. --/26/-- Ray Bethea (P) dec. Robert Schlitt (B), 5-3.
174: No. 15/16/17 Casey Kent (P) dec. No. 20/21/-- Rustin Barrick (B), 4-3.
184: No. 15/12/8 Lorenzo Thomas (P) maj. dec. No. --/23/-- Tom Sleigh (B), 13-5.
197: Frank Mattiace (P) dec. Tyler Greene (B), 3-1.
285: No. 8/8/15 Joe Stolfi (B) pinned Patrik Garren (P), 4:41.
Players Mentioned
