By Maximillian C. Burgos
Staff Writer
The wrestling team continued its strong performance this past week, beating No. 20 Roger Williams University, according to InterMat Wrestling, for the second time at the Metro/New England Duals on Saturday, Jan. 28. On Friday, Jan. 26, the Lions traveled to Massachusetts and dominated Springfield College, winning 27-9.
Lions got off to a fast start, emerging victorious in their first three bouts against Springfield. Sophomore Dan Ortega got things started for the Lions, winning his bout, 8-2, at the 125-pound bracket. Senior James Goldschmidt continued the Lions’ momentum and won his bout, 6-2, at the 133-pound bracket. Freshman Robert Dinger helped push the Lions lead out to 10-0 with a major decision victory at 141.
After giving up a decision at 149, the Lions picked up where they left off, prevailing in five of the next six bouts to win the meet. Freshman Dominic Fano kept his opponent scoreless at 157, winning the match, 4-0. Junior JT Beirne narrowly won his match, 5-4, in the 165-pound bracket, pushing the Lions lead to 16-3.
The Lions continued to rout Springfield after sophomore Dan Kilroy dismantled his opponent, winning by a technical fall at 174, solidifying the Lions’ lead. Freshman Thomas Anderson furthered the team’s success by winning his bout, 7-0, in the 184-bracket. Senior Pat Schinder also won the 197-pound bout, 3-1, contributing to the Lions’ overall score. Ultimately, the Lions won 27-9, winning eight of the 10 bouts.
On Saturday, Jan. 27, the Lions started off the day by defeating nationally ranked No. 20 Roger Williams University, 19-12. The match was close, but the Lions started off on the right foot, winning the first three bouts of the match. Ortega won his bout 10-5, earning the Lions’ first three points. Goldschmidt continued the momentum winning his bout 6-0 and getting the Lions another three points.
Dinger won his bout by major decision, pushing the Lions team score to 10-0. Roger Williams then won decisions at the 149, 157 and 165-pound bouts, bringing the score to 10-9. Kilroy won by decision, adding to the Lions’ lead. Anderson also won at 184 to add some more breathing room for the Lions. Senior Kyle Cocozza won his heavyweight bout, 7-0, winning the match for the team.
The Lions went on to prevail in their next two matches of the afternoon. They beat Williams College by 35-6 and won eight of 10 bouts. They also held Bridgewater State University scoreless, triumphing with a score of 47-0. Against Bridgewater State, Fano scored a technical fall while Kilroy, Schinder and Cocozza all pinned their opponents.
Kilroy and Anderson both went undefeated, winning all three of their matches. Cocozza, Schinder, Goldschmidt and Dinger all went 2-0. With their performance, the Lions climbed to No. 19 in the country, according to InterMat Wrestling. The Lions improved to 13-4 for the season.
