DOYLESTOWN (Pa.) – The Delaware Valley University men's wrestling team won the final four matches of the evening to overcome an 18-3 deficit an earn a win by criteria over visiting Centenary University in the first home dual of the 2022-23 campaign.

The Aggies lost the five of the first six matches and went into the 174 pound match trailing by 15 points. They sent sophomore Adam Coleman out to take on Angelo Piazza in the seventh bout of the evening and Coleman turned the tide for the home team with a 5-3 win by decision. Coleman led by one after the first period thanks to a takedown and a point via stall. Coleman extended his lead with an escape in the second held on for the decision to make it an 18-6 match.

The biggest result of the day came from first-year Luke Moore wrestling up a weight at 184 pounds. Moore controlled graduate student Justin Hopman from the opening whistle. He got an early takedown and four back points before resetting at the middle of the mat. Immediately after the reset, Moore got inside on Hopman and drove him back to the mat. He worked his way to a cradle, rolled Hopman to his back, and finished the pin to five the Aggies six points and put them within striking distance with two matches to go.

Sophomore Dan Eckley battled an athletic wrestler in Keevon Berry and came out on the winning end of a narrow 5-4 decision to make it an 18-15 match. Berry countered a good shot from Eckley to turn it into a takedown and take a 2-1 lead after one. Early in the second, Eckley quickly escaped to tie the match. It remained a 2-2 lead into the third where Berry scored with an escape with 1:20 remaining. Trailing by one, Eckley quickly battled for a takedown with an ankle pick to regain the lead, 4-3, with a minute to go. Eckley knew he had riding time in his favor and allowed Berry to get up for the 5-4 final.

Trailing by three going into the final match, DelVal called upon senior team captain Austin Williams to face first-year Dalton Deevy in what would be the deciding match. The two wrestlers felt each other out for the first period and went into the second scoreless. Williams earned the first point with an escape in the second and went ahead 3-0 after two stall calls. Deevy got on the board with a two-point reversal with 1:20 left in the match, but Williams got to his feet for an escape to go back up by two. In the waning moments, Williams got around Deevy for one more takedown and a 6-2 win by decision.

Williams' decision tied the match at 18-18 and left the final decision to criteria. Based on the fourth criteria, total points scored in the match excluding wins by fall, the Aggies held a 47-44 edge to earn the 19-18 final.  

 

 

DELAWARE VALLEY 19, CENTENARY 18

125 – Jack Thode (CENT) by 7-4 dec. over Jacob Blair, 3-0 CENT

133 – Ryan Arndt (DVU) by 8-2 dec. over Danny Haws, 3-3

141 – Xavier Pena (CENT) by fall over Sean O'Toole (:58), 9-3 CENT

149 – Mark Venson (CENT) by 17-13 dec. over Bryce Vollman, 12-3 CENT

157 – Cameron Bruffy (CENT) by 3-1 (OT) dec. over Greg Croce, 15-3 CENT

165 – Perry Maio (CENT) by 6-5 dec. over Joey McCullough, 18-3 CENT

174 – Adam Coleman (DVU) by 5-3 dec. over Angelo Piazza, 18-6 CENT

184 – Luke Moore (DVU) by fall over Justin Hopman (2:36), 18-12 CENT

197 – Dan Eckley (DVU) by 5-4 dec. over Keevon Berry, 18-15 CENT

HWT – Austin Williams (DVU) by 6-2 dec. over Dalton Deevy, 18-18

(Fourth criteria – points scored, 47-44, DVU)