Wrestling Hosts Sacred Heart for Beauty & the Beast Saturday, Bucknell Sunday
1/23/2015 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Brown University wrestling will host Sacred Heart in its Beauty & the Beast meet on Saturday at 6 p.m. in conjunction with Brown gymnastics prior to welcoming Bucknell on Sunday at 4 p.m. in the Pizzitola Sports Center in a pair of EIWA dual meets.
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Brown wrestling and gymnastics will come together in a distinctive way on Saturday at 6 p.m. as the two programs will compete simultaneously in the school's first-ever Beauty & the Beast meet. The wrestling team will take on Sacred Heart while the gymnastics team will compete against Bridgeport, Rhode Island College, and the University of Rhode Island.
LAST TIME OUT
Senior Ricky McDonald won his bout in the 174-pound weight class as Brown fell to No. 7 nationally-ranked Cornell University, 33-9, in the Bears' home opener at the Pizzitola Sports Center on Jan. 17.
McDonald (Carson City, Nev.) gained a 7-3 decision over Cornell's Jesse Shanaman at 174 pounds while fellow senior Billy Watterson (Pound Ridge, N.Y.) garnered the Bears' other victory via forfeit at 125 pounds.
SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
Sacred Heart brings an 0-9 overall dual meet record and an 0-5 mark in EIWA meets into the weekend, coming off a 36-6 loss to Bucknell and a 23-13 setback to George Mason on Jan. 17.
Patrick Skinner earned a major decision victory for Sacred Heart at 125 pounds against George Mason while Brendand Goldup, Johnny Vrasidas, and Conan Schuster also won bouts against the Patriots.
Now in his third year, Andy Lausier serves as the head coach of the Pioneers. Derek Moore, a former national champion at UC Davis, works as the team's assistant coach.
SCOUTING THE BISON
Bucknell, the No. 3-ranked team in the EIWA's Dual Meet Team Rankings, carries an 8-3 overall mark and a 2-0 EIWA record into this weekend's competition. The Bison will take on Columbia on Friday and Harvard on Sunday prior to wrestling against Brown.
The Bison boast three wrestlers in the EIWA rankings – Paul Petrov comes in at No. 3 at 125 pounds, Victor Lopez checks in at No. 6 at 149 pounds, and Joe Stolfi ranks as the top wrestler at 285 pounds. Stolfi stands as the No. 19-ranked wrestler in the country in the heavyweight division according to Intermat.
Bucknell has each of its last three dual meets with a 25-12 win over Rider on Jan. 10, a 34-6 win over George Mason on Jan. 17, and a 36-6 triumph over Sacred Hear on Jan. 17.
EIWA RANKINGS
Brown carries five wrestlers on its roster who have earned a spot in the EIWA's rankings. Senior Billy Watterson (Pound Ridge, N.Y.) ranks fifth at 125, sophomore Justin Staudenmayer (Plymouth Meeting, Pa.) is third at 157, sophomore Richard Muniz (Corona, Calif.) is sixth at 165, senior Ricky McDonald (Carson City, Calif.) is fourth at 174, and senior Ophir Bernstein (Allen, Texas) is fourth at 184.
BERNSTEIN WITH THE PIN
Senior 184-pounder Ophir Bernstein (Allen, Texas), an NCAA All-American in 2013-14, leads Brown with eight pins on the season with his fastest fall occurring in 1:32.
He tallied three falls apiece at both the East Stroudsburg Open and the Navy Classic before earning a pin at the Cliff Keen Invitational and vs. Menlo. Bernstein holds a 19-10 overall record on the year.
STAUDENMAYER COLLECTING WINS
Sophomore 157-pounder Justin Staudenmayer (Plymouth Meeting, Pa.) paces the Bears in 2014-15 with 23 wins on the season as he carries a 23-6 overall mark into this weekend.
He posted nine wins over two events in the month of November, 10 victories over two competitions in December, and four triumphs in each of the Bears' first four dual meets in January. He has placed no lower than fifth in each of the four tournaments in which he has competed for Brown this season.
WATTERSON RETURNS TO THE MAT
After taking a break from his studies in 2013-14 to found the non-profit Beat the Streets Providence, senior 125-pounder Billy Watterson (Pound Ridge, N.Y.) has returned to the mat in 2014-15 and has logged a 12-10 overall record thus far this season. He went 3-1 in the team's dual meet swing through California from Jan. 10-11.
Beat the Streets Providence stands as an organization whose mission is to start scholastic wrestling teams in order to inspire urban youth and provide them with the resources they need in the after-school setting. The program has already spread from one to five middle schools in Providence in little over a year.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Brown vs. Sacred Heart (Jan. 24, 2015 | Pizzitola Sports Center)
125: Billy Watterson or Michael Russo (B) vs. Patrick Skinner (S)
133: Zeke Salvo or Brendan O'Connor (B) vs. Tim Johnson (S)
141: Anthony Finocchiaro (B) vs. Kyle Brady (S)
149: Steven Galiardo or William McDonald (B) vs. Brendan Goldup (S)
157: Justin Staudenmayer (B) vs. Casey Mitchell or Matt Fisher (S)
165: L.J. Remillard or Richard Muniz or Christian LaBrie (B) vs. Johnny Vrasidas (S)
174: Ricky McDonald (B) vs. Conan Schuster (S)
184: Ophir Bernstein (B) vs. Elliott Antler (S)
197: Augustus Marker, Sebastien Levin, or Austin Pfarr (B) vs. Sasha Oliinyk (S)
285: Augustus Marker, Sebastien Levin, or Austin Pfarr (B) vs. Dan Hayden or John Hartnett (S)
Brown vs. Bucknell (Jan. 25, 2015 | Pizzitola Sports Center)
125: Billy Watterson or Michael Russo (BR) vs. Paul Petrov (BK)
133: Zeke Salvo or Brendan O'Connor (BR) vs. Grim Gonzalez or Zach Valley (BK)
141: Anthony Finocchiaro (BR) vs. Tyler Smith (BK)
149: Steven Galiardo or William McDonald (BR) vs. Victor Lopez (BK)
157: Justin Staudenmayer (BR) vs. Rustin Barrick or Logan Kerin (BK)
165: L.J. Remillard or Richard Muniz or Christian LaBrie (B) vs. Robert Schlitt (BK)
174: Ricky McDonald (BR) vs. Rory Bonner (BK)
184: Ophir Bernstein (BR) vs. Tom Sleigh (BK)
197: Augustus Marker, Sebastien Levin, or Austin Pfarr (BR) vs. Tyler Lyster (BK)
285: Augustus Marker, Sebastien Levin, or Austin Pfarr (BR) vs. No. 19 Joe Stolfi (BK)
COMING SOON
Next, Brown competes in its fourth straight home dual meet when the Bears host Binghamton on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 1 p.m. in the Pizzitola Center.
