NEW YORK, NY—The Bloomsburg University wrestling team lost to the seventh-ranked Missouri Tigers, 22-9, on Sunday at Madison Square Garden as part of Grapple at the Garden. The event was the first-ever collegiate wrestling event at world famous arena.
 
“We wrestled well today,” said Bloomsburg head coach John Stutzman. “Obviously we wanted to win the match, but I am pleased with the effort we gave today. If you turn around a couple of our close losses and the upset at 157 and this is a different match.”
 
“Also, all three wins by our guys were over ranked wrestlers,” Sutzman said.
 
The match started with the Huskies' Sean Boylan (Seaville, NJ/St. Marks) losing a close 1-0 match to second-ranked Alan Waters, 1-0, while Nick Wilcox (Greene, NY/Greene Central) lost 5-2 to sixth-ranked Nate McCormick. Bloomsburg's Matt Rappo (Holland/Council Rock South) then knocked off 25th-ranked Nick Hucke 7-5 to put the Huskies on the board. After a win by Missouri at 149, the Huskies' Frank Hickman (Castle Hayne, NC/E.A. Laney), ranked seventh, was upset, 3-2.
 
Josh Veltre (Rochester, NY/Greece Olympia) then scored an 8-4 win at 165 pounds over No. 11 Zach Toal followed by two more wins for the Tigers. At 197 pounds the Huskies' Richard Perry (Meriden, CT/Middletown) won 5-2 to make it 19-9, before Missouri's Justin Grant (Easton/Easton) lost 10-6 to Dom Bradley, ranked second in the country. Both Grant and Bradley were unbeaten going into the bout.
 
“This was a great experience for our guys,” Stutzman continued. “They got to be part of a great atmosphere in a great town. I thought we represented Bloomsburg in a positive manner.”
 
Bloomsburg, now 6-2 on the season, will be back in action on Tuesday at 7 p.m. hosting the University of Buffalo at the Nelson Field House.
 
MATCH BY MATCH REVIEW
 
125-Bloomsburg's Sean Boylan (Seaville, NJ/St. Marks) versus Missouri's #2 Alan Waters …The wrestlers tied each other up in the early going with no score in the first period…Waters was down to start the second…Waters worked out to go up 1-0 with 1:22 left in the second…That was the only scoring of the period…The two wrestlers tied each other up but no score with Waters winning 1-0.
 
133- Bloomsburg' Nick Wilcox (Greene, NY/Greene Central), ranked 19th against #6 Nathan McCormick…Wilcox nearly had a takedown that McCormick turned into a takedown to go up 2-0 with 1:25 left in first…Wilcox got an escape with 58 seconds left in first to make it 2-1…McCormick then scored a takedown before the end of the period…The first period ended 4-1 in favor of McCormick….Wilcox was down to start the second…Wilcox escaped with 13 seconds left in the second to maker it 4-2 in favor of McCormick going to the third…McCormick escaped to start the third period to make it 5-2…The match ended 5-2.
 
141-Bloomsburg's Matt Rappo (Holland/Council Rock South) versus #24 Nick Hucke for Missouri…Rappo opened the match with a takedown just 15 seconds in to lead 2-0…Hucke escaped at 2:05 to make it 2-1…Rappo gets a takedown with 10 seconds left before Hucke quickly escapes. Rappo leads 4-2 after one period…Hucke down to start…Rappo held control of Hucke for the first 1:08 of the second period before Hucke escaped to make it 4-3 after two periods…The wrestlers start neutral in the third…Rappo works and gets the takedown with 1:08 to go up 6-3…Rucke with a reversal for a 6-5 lead..Rappo gets one point for Rucke's illegal move to go up 7-5… Rappo wins 7-5.
 
149-Bloomsburg's Simon Kitzis (Newton, MA/Wyoming Seminary) versus #16 Drake Houdashelt for Missouri….Houdashelt with a takedown with 1:42 to go in the first period…There was no further scoring in the first with Houdashelt building up 1:42 of riding time…In the second Houdashelt escaped to start the period and went up 3-0…Warning on Kitzis gives Houdashelt a 4-0 lead…Missouri wrestler with a takedown with 57 seconds left in the period to go up 6-0…Kitzis escapes to trail 6-1…Houdashelt with another takedown to lead 8-1 after two periods…Kitzis penalty gives Houdashelt 9-1 lead….Three more takedowns for Missouri gives Houdashelt and riding time give Houdashelt a win 18-5.
 
157—Bloomsburg's Frank Hickman (Castle Hayne, NC/E.A. Laney), ranked seventh for Bloomsburg and #29 Kyle Brady of Missouri…Hickman and Brady tied up in the early going…Hickman nearly scores a takedown but can't finish the move with 1:10 left in the period…period ends 0-0…Brady down to start the second period…Hickman working on move and Brady escapes…Brady gets a takedown for 3-0 lead …Hickman works out of trouble to make it 2-1...Hickman down to start third and escapes…trails 3-2…Hickman can't get takedown and falls 3-2.
 
165—Josh Veltre (Rochester, NY/Greece Olympia) for Bloomsburg versus #10 ranked Zach Toal for Missouri…Veltre jumps out 2-0 with takedown with 1:42 left in first period…Toal escapes to cut lead to 2-1…Period ends with Veltre leading 2-1…Veltre escapes for 3-1 lead…Gets takedown to go on top 5-1…Toal escapes and cuts lead to 5-2 at the end of three…Toal down to start third…Veltre in control and building riding time…Toal escapes, then Veltre with takedown…Toal escapes…Veltre wins 7-4.
 
174—Bloomsburg's Chris Smith (Mineral, Va./Chancelor) versus No. 17 Todd Porter of Missouri…Porter with the first takedown of the match at 1:45 left in the period…Smith escapes to make it 2-1…The period ends with no further scoring…Porter down to start the second…Porter escapes in the first 10 seconds to go up 3-1…Smith with a near takedown, but can't finish move. Period ends 3-1 in favor of Porter…Smith down to start third…Smith escapes to start third…Trails 3-2…Both wrestlers locked up at the head…Porter works a takedown with 22 seconds left in match…Porter wins 5-2.
 
184—Bloomsburg's Andre Petroski (Glenn Mills/Springfield) versus No. 6 ranked Missouri's Mike Larson…In the early going both wrestlers were locked up….Larson scores a takedown with 22 seconds left in the period to lead 2-0…The period with Larson leading 2-0…Larson down to start the period…After a long struggle Larson gets a reversal and two point near fall to lead 6-0…Petroski with a an escape to end the period trailing 6-1…Third period starts with the wrestlers neutral…Petroski with near takedown, but official blows whistle stopping action. No further scoring and Larson wins 6-1.
 
197—Bloomsburg's Richard Perry (Meriden, CT/Middletown), ranked 15th and John Eblen of Missouri…Perry directing the action early...nearly gets takedown, but called out of bounds…Perry finally gets the takedown with 15 seconds left in the first...period ends Perry up 2-0…Eblen and Perry start neutral in second….Both wrestlers locked up as they work around the mat…Period two ends with Perry up 2-0…In the third Eblen starts down…Eblen up quickly to make it 2-1…Eblen's moves backfires and Perry rolls into a takedown and leads 4-1…Eblen escapes and makes it 4-2…Match ends 5-2 in favor of Perry.
 
285—Bloomsburg's Justin Grant (Easton/Easton), ranked no. 15 and Tigers Dom Bradley, ranked second…Bradley scores takedown 20 seconds in to lead 2-0…Grant escapes but Bradley quickly comes back with a takedown for a 4-1 lead with 1:32 left in the period…Grant with an escape with 52 seconds left in the period…Bradley though comes back with a takedown and leads 6-2 as the period ends…Grant down to start…Bradley lets him go neutral…Grant scores takedown with 1:40 left in the period…Bradley escapes to make it 7-5 with a minute to go in the period…Second period ends with Bradley leading 7-5…Bradley down to start period…Bradley escapes and leads 8-5…Bradley with a takedown to go up 10-5…Grant escapes makes it 10-6…Bradley wins 10-6.
 
BOX SCORE
125-Alan Waters (M) dec. Sean Boylan (Seaville, NJ/St. Marks) (BU), 1-0
133-Nate McCormick (M) dec. Nick Wilcox (Greene, NY/Greene Central) (BU), 5-2
141-Matt Rappo (Holland/Council Rock South) (BU) dec. Nick Hucke (M), 7-5
149-Drake Houdashelt (M) maj dec. Simion Kitzis (BU), 17-5
157-Kyle Bradley (M) dec. Frtank Hickman (BU), 3-2
165-Josh Veltre (Rochester, NY/Greece Olympia) (BU) dec. Zach Toal (M), 7-4
174-Todd Porter (M) dec. Chris Smith (Mineral, Va./Chancelor) (BU), 5-2
184-Mike Larson (M) dec. Andre Petroski (Glenn Mills/Springfield) (BU), 6-1
197-Richard Perry (Meriden, CT/Middletown) (BU) dec. John Eblen (M), 4-2
285-Dom Bradley (M) dec. Justin Grant (Easton/Easton) (BU), 10-6