BETHLEHEM—The Bloomsburg University wrestling team dropped its season opening dual meet to Lehigh University, 22-13, on Friday night.
 
Starting the match at 141 pounds the Mountain Hawks jumped out to a 4-0 lead after Laike Gardner scored a major decision over Matt Rappo (Holland/Council Rock South). The Huskies narrowed the gap to 4-3 when 12th-ranked Bryce Busler (Mechanicsburg/Cumberland Valley) won by decision, 3-1. At the 157 pounds Kevin Hartnett (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell) from Bloomsburg was leading ninth-ranked Joey Napoli 3-1 in the third when Napoli got a reversal, then rolled in a cradle and scored a win by fall.
 
Bloomsburg's Josh Veltre (Rochester, NY/Greece Olympia), ranked seventh, then won by major decision, 16-6, before Elliot Riddick won by decision over Mike Dessino (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex), 3-1, at 174 pounds. At 184 pounds Lehigh's Zach Diekel won by decision over Sam Shirey (Beaver Springs/Midd-West), 9-5. The Huskies then scored back-to-back wins with 10th-ranked Richard Perry (Meriden, CT/Middletown) winning 3-2 at 197; while 17th-ranked Justin Grant (Easton/Easton) downed Doug Vollaro, 8-2.
 
Lehigh closed out the match with a pair of wins. At 125 pounds Darian Cruz got a takedown with :01 second left to beat Sean Boylan (Seaville, NJ/St. Marks), 3-1; then sixth-ranked Mason Beckman beat 13th-ranked Nick Wilcox (Greene, NY/Greene Central), 2-0, at 133 to win 22-13.
 
The Huskies, ranked 15th in this week's USA Today/NWCA/AWN Division I Coaches Poll, falls to 0-1 on the year. Lehigh goes to 1-1. Bloomsburg will host Arizona State on Nov. 22 at 7 p.m.
 
Lehigh 22 No. 15 Bloomsburg 13
141 – Laike Gardner (Lehigh) major dec. Matt Rappo (Holland/Council Rock South) (Bloomsburg) 11-3
149 – Bryce Busler (Mechanicsburg/Cumberland Valley) (Bloomsburg) dec. Mitch Minotti (Lehigh) 3-1
157 – Joey Napoli (Lehigh) Fall Kevin Hartnett (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell) (Bloomsburg) 5:13
165 – Josh Veltre (Rochester, NY/Greece Olympia) (Bloomsburg) major dec. Brian Brill (Lehigh) 16-6
174 – Elliot Riddick (Lehigh) dec. Mike Dessino (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) (Bloomsburg) 5-1
184 – Zach Diekel (Lehigh) dec. Sam Shirey (Beaver Springs/Midd-West) (Bloomsburg) 9-5
197 – Richard Perry (Meriden, CT/Middletown) (Bloomsburg) dec. John Bolich (Lehigh) 3-2
285 – Justin Grant (Easton/Easton) (Bloomsburg) dec. Doug Vollaro (Lehigh) 8-2
125 – Darian Cruz (Lehigh) dec. Sean Boylan (Seaville, NJ/St. Marks) (Bloomsburg) 3-1
133 – Mason Beckman (Lehigh) dec. Nick Wilcox (Greene, NY/Greene Central) (Bloomsburg) 2-0
 
Attendance – 1,509
Referee – John Hnath