The Bloomsburg University wrestling team ended their regular season with a victory this past weekend over Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) foe Lock Haven by a 22-15 score. The Huskies moved their record to 10-8 overall, 2-4 in the EWL, while the Bald Eagles saw their season mark fall to 2-8 overall, 1-4 in the EWL. Coach John Stutzman said, “We came out with a lot of energy and fight, which is what I’ve been waiting to see for the past month. We also came out with the victory which I thought was important.”
Lock Haven got off to a good start as 125-pounder Nick Hyatt worked for the 16-2 major decision of James Bak. Hyatt held a 9-0 lead after the first period, and increased his lead to 11-1 after two periods, before picking up five more in the final period to seal the four-point victory.
The next match saw BU’s Jason Guffey defeat John Trumbetti in an 8-7 thriller to get the away team on the board. Trumbetti had been ranked in the top 20 in the nation, but the loss to Guffey knocked him out. Stutzman noted that this match stood out to him because, “In the last 40 seconds [Guffey] was able to escape, get a takedown, and ride the guy out for the win.” At 141 pounds, the Bald Eagles’ Owen Wilkinson picked up a 17-1 technical fall victory over Ian De Sol, increasing their lead to 9-3.
It was at this point that the Huskies began their comeback, beginning with a 6-3 decision by Frank Hickman, who bumped up from his usual spot at 141 pounds to 149, defeating Zach Kell. Ninth-ranked Matt Moley kept the ball rolling with a dominant 22-8 victory over Lock Haven’s Seth Creasy. Moley was able to amass 4:32 of riding time during the match and gave the Huskies their first lead of the match. It was a lead that they would not relinquish.
Moley commented, “I felt like I wrestled well, I wanted to go out and get a pin or at least a tech fall, but there isn’t too much you can do when your opponent runs away from you,” adding, “Mentally I’m feeling very confident and very excited for the national tournament. Physically, I feel as though I am more prepared than ever, my shape is good and I’m feeling confident in positions.”
At 165 pounds, BU’s 11th-ranked Rick Schmelyun was his usual dominant self, disposing of Kevin Dufresne with a pin in only 1:18. Schmelyun was able to secure the opening takedown of the match and transition it into his match-ending move. He used a crab half to tilt Dufresne for back points, and then was able to deeply sink his half-nelson to earn the slap of the mat.
Schmelyun stated, “I went out knowing that the team needed a pin so I was focused on getting on top and getting the kid to his back.” It was also the fourth straight match that Schmelyun has wrestled without giving up a point to his opponent, a very impressive feat. Schmelyun, who also feels great mentally and physically, said, “I think I'm peaking at the right time and I'm excited for conferences and nationals.”
Nate Graham continued Bloom’s hot streak, defeating Derek Caldwell in a 5-3 decision. The win increased BU’s lead to 19-9. The Bald Eagles were finally able to snap Bloomsburg’s streak of consecutive victories in the 184-pound match as Jeremie Cook defeated Derek Coffey by a 5-2 margin. The match was tied at two points apiece heading into the third period, but Cook was able to secure an early escape and a late takedown to assure the win.
Brian Shaw quickly put an end to that with his own 5-2 decision of LHU’s Harry Turner, putting the match out of reach at 22-12. The heavyweights faced off in the final match of the night and Dan Craig was able to pull out a 3-2 triumph over BU’s Zac Walsh, due to his escape in the third period.
The team was supposed to have one more dual meet this season, a non-league match against Rutgers, but it was cancelled due to the fact that Rutgers must make up a match with Lehigh that was cancelled due to last week’s winter storm. Stutzman feels this could be a good thing, explaining, “Now we can train the guys really hard this week.”
The Huskies will now enter the most important stage of their year; the post-season. The EWL Tournament in West Virginia awaits them in just a few weeks (March 7), and each individual’s performance in that tournament will determine whether they receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships, an at-large bid, or it ends their season. Stutzman said, “Everything is individual now, we’re focusing on attitude and ten guys coming together to win an EWL title.” He continued, “We just need to go out and win it.”
Heading into the post-season the team is led in wins, pins, and tech falls by Schmelyun (26, 9, 5), and major decisions by Moley (7). Moley also has the fewest losses on the team (3) of anyone who has wrestled over 20 matches.
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