BOSTON, MA - With the Buffalo Bulls wrestling squad chomping at the bit to open a highly anticipated season, the team hit the road and jumped out to an impressive lead over Boston University Friday night. The team won three of the first four matches and held on for a 20-15 win to start the season on a high note.
Senior Jimmy Hamel picked up right where he left off, winning 3-1 for his 89th career win, this time at his new weight class of 184. This was also his first dual meet in his home state, as the Natick, MA native led off the match with an important win for the team.
After Boston squared the match back up at 3-3, sophomore heavyweight Brett Correll earned a 6-1 decision in his first match after missing most of last season due to injury. In the very next matchup, Taylor Golba made a terrific comeback to give the Bulls three crucial points. Down 5-0 going into the third period, the Buffalo, NY native went on a tear and had three takedowns and rode his opponent out to force an overtime period. Just fifteen seconds into extra time, Golba had yet another takedown to complete the comeback win at 125 pounds.
One of the marquee matchups of the night was at 133 pounds, where redshirt junior Kevin Smith took on 20th ranked Fred Santiate in a meeting of nationally ranked grapplers. Smith fell just shy of the win, losing 3-2 in a dramatic finish to the match. Again the Bulls rallied though, as Chris Conti earned a 7-0 shutout at 141 pounds.
The team got a big point boost in the 149 pound match, as defending Mid American Conference champion Desi Green earned a tech fall in a 22-6 win. The junior - who owns the program's single-season record for takedowns - proved why, picking up five in the first period alone before his tech fall helped the Bulls earn five points for a 17-6 lead in the overall meet.
Mark Lewandowski padded the lead in the team's final win of the night, a 7-1 win at 157 pounds. His opponent was the Minnesota state champion as a high school senior, but the Depew, NY native earned three near-fall points in the second period to take control of the match.
The win extended the Buffalo lead in the all-time series between the two schools, with the last meeting coming in 1998. With the season now officially underway and the team returning home 1-0, the Bulls return home to host the annual UB Open Sunday morning in an all-day event. The non-team-scoring event will feature wrestlers and teams that are among the NWCA/NCAA top 25 in the nation.
BUFFALO 20, BOSTON UNIVERSITY 15
184: Jimmy Hamel (BUF) dec. Bran Crudden (BU), 3-1
285: Brett Correll (BUF) dec. Kyle Innis (BU), 6-2
125: Taylor Golba (BUF) dec. Bubba McGinley, 8-6 (sv)
133: Fred Santaite (BU) dec. Kevin Smith (BUF), 3-2
141: Chris Conti (BUF) dec. Ian Squires (BU), 7-0
149: Desi Green (BUF) tech. fall Nestor Taffur (BU), 23-6
157: Mark Lewandowski (BUF) dec. Nick Tourville, 7-1
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