Wrestling | 2/10/2019 3:43:00 PM

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg University wrestling team had to deal with some misfortune on Sunday afternoon as it suffered a 28-13 loss to visiting Rider University at the Nelson Field House. The Huskies dropped to 3-9 overall and 1-5 in the Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) standings while the Broncs improved to 8-4 overall and 5-1 against EWL opponents.

After two exciting matches at 125 and 133 pounds, the Huskies had to injury default the next two matches as freshman Aaron Coleman (Iselin, N.J./John F. Kennedy Memorial) was injured just over a minute into the 141-pound match and redshirt junior Grant Bond (Carlisle, Pa./Boiling Springs) suffered the same fate exactly one minute into the 149-pound bout. The two setbacks turned a 3-3 score into a 15-3 advantage for Rider and put the Broncs in control of the afternoon.

Bloomsburg fell behind 3-0 when Rider's Jonathan Tropea edged junior Willy Girard (Williamstown, Pa/Williams Valley), 9-8, in an offensive battle to start the afternoon. Tropea took a 4-2 lead after the opening period and then held a 6-4 advantage through two. After an escape by Tropea to start the third, Girard answered with a takedown to cut the lead to 7-6. Another escape by Tropea was countered by two penalty points that went in favor of Girard to tie the bout at 8-8. Girard nearly scored a takedown at the buzzer but, after video review, no takedown was awarded and, with Tropea's riding-time advantage, gave the Rider junior a 9-8 victory.

Sophomore Shawn Orem (Pasadena, Md./Mount Saint Joseph) tied the match at 3-3 as he upset senior Anthony Cefolo, 12-7, at 133 pounds. Cefolo entered the bout ranked 27th in the country but Orem was the aggressor early with a quick takedown and a four-point nearfall. After an escape and a takedown by Cefolo, Orem picked up an escape and took a 7-3 advantage after the opening period. Orem maintained a 9-6 lead after two then used an escape and a takedown to hold off Cefolo for the victory. It was Orem's second win of the weekend as he improved to 5-10 on the year.

After the Huskies' misfortune at 141 and 149, junior Nate Newberry (Biglerville, Pa./Biglerville) continued his hot streak with a 5-4 win at 157 pounds to cut the Rider lead to 15-6. Newberry scored the first point of the match against Gino Fluri with an escape to start the second period. Fluri countered with a takedown before another escape by Newberry tied the bout at 2-2 heading to the third. Fluri scored a reversal to take a 4-2 lead but Newberry escaped and then scored a takedown late to earn the 5-4 win. The Huskies' junior improved to 14-11 on the year and has won nine of his last 12 bouts.

Rider scored a major decision at 165 and a pinfall at 174 to extend its lead to 25-6 before redshirt junior Trevor Allard (Mexico, N.Y./Mexico) scored a 4-3 victory at 184 pounds cut the advantage. The Broncs' Michale Fagg-Daves scored a takedown, countered by an escape from Allard, to take a 2-1 lead after the opening period. Fagg-Daves added an escape in the second for a 3-1 lead through two periods. Allard cut the lead to one with an escape and then excited the Huskies' faithful with a takedown just before the buzzer to earn the 4-3 win. Allard improved to 21-10 on the year and has won 17 of his last 21 matches.

Rider's Ethan Laird was able to earn a 3-1 win in the first tiebreaker over junior Kyle Murphy (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) at 197 before junior Bruce Graeber (Feasterville, Pa./Neshaminy) pinned Ryan Cloud with 40 seconds left in the match for the final margin. Graeber held a 3-1 lead at the time and was able to get Cloud on his back and earn his second pin of the weekend and third of the season. The Huskies' junior improved to 11-13 with the victory.

Bloomsburg will return to action on Friday, February 15, when it hosts Ohio University at the Nelson Field House. Start time is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

Stay up to date with the Huskies all season long by following us on our official social media accounts: Twitter (@GoBUHuskies), Facebook (BUHuskies), and Instagram (BUHuskies).

RIDER 28, BLOOMSBURG 15

125 - Jonathan Tropea decision over Willy Girard (Williamstown, Pa/Williams Valley), 9-8 [RIDER 3-0]
133 - Shawn Orem (Pasadena, Md./Mount Saint Joseph) decision over Anthony Cefolo, 12-7 [3-3]
141 - Travis Layton injury default over Aaron Coleman (Iselin, N.J./John F. Kennedy Memorial), 1:18 [RIDER 9-3]
149 - Evan Fidelibus injury default over Grant Bond (Carlisle, Pa./Boiling Springs), 1:00 [RIDER 15-3]
157 - Nate Newberry (Biglerville, Pa./Biglerville) decision over Gino Fluri, 5-4 [RIDER 15-6]
165 - Jesse Dellavecchia major decision over Alex Carida (Hackettstown, N.J./Hackettstown), 10-2 [RIDER 19-6]
174 - Dean Sherry fall over Gavin Hale (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West), 2:29 [RIDER 25-6]
184 - Trevor Allard (Mexico, N.Y./Mexico) decision over Michale Fagg-Daves, 4-3 [RIDER 25-9]
197 - Ethan Laird decision over Kyle Murphy (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan), 3-1 (TB-1) [RIDER 28-9]
285 - Bruce Graeber (Feasterville, Pa./Neshaminy) fall over Ryan Cloud, 6:20 [RIDER 28-15]