Rutgers wrestling ends Big Ten schedule with solid win over Maryland

PISCATAWAY – No. 14 Rutgers proved again Friday night it is one of the better third-tier programs from a very deep Big Ten Conference.

The Scarlet Knights snapped a four match losing streak with a 27-12 win over Maryland before a crowd of 3,895 at Jersey Mikes Arena in their final conference match of the season.

Rutgers, which wrestled without starting 197-pounder John Poznanski for the second straight match due to illness, won seven of the first eight bouts. That included key wins at 133 and 141 pounds in bouts between ranked wrestlers. It also won at two weights it was a combined 1-13 in Big Ten matches before Friday night – 157 and 165.

Rutgers’ Dylan Shawver (left), shown against Ohio State’s Nic Bouzakis on Feb. 4, will have another key bout against Maryland’s returning NCAA qualifier Braxton Brown Friday night.

The Scarlet Knights (11-5, 4-4) received a pin from Brian Soldano (184), a win by technical fall by Dean Peterson (125) and a major decision from Al Desantis (157).

Rutgers’ defeats in the conference came to Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio State and No. 1 Penn State. Michigan is ranked 10th; Minnesota 12th and Ohio State sixth.

The Scarlet Knights’ wins were over Indiana, Purdue, Michigan State and Maryland (4-7, 2-6) programs which are all in the same tier of the league as Rutgers.

Penn State is in a tier by itself. Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska and Ohio State are all in the second tier.

“From a team standpoint, we’re probably middle of the pack. I think that’s fair,” Rutgers coach Scott Goodale said.

But, after Wednesday night’s season-finale against Bloomsburg – a match in which Goodale said some regulars will not wrestle in – the individual part of the season will be here.

The Big Ten Tournament is March 9-10 at Maryland. The NCAA Tournament is March 21-23 in Kansas City.

“From an individual standpoint, we have to get better the next three weeks,” Goodale said. “We’re going to have to upset some guys to make that semifinal and final round (of the Big Ten Tournament) for sure. We do have some guys in pretty good spots. For example, Dylan Shawver (Rutgers’ 133-pounder).

“But, it’s the Big Ten Tournament. I promise you this: Everybody on that line and in that bracket in every single weight class is very, very good, so it really doesn’t matter where you’re placed on the line. ”

Goodale said Poznanski (12-2), the NCAA fourth-place finisher at 184 in 2021, will be ready for the Big Ten Tournament.

Shawver may now be Rutgers’ best wrestler.

Before the season, junior Dylan Shawver (133) was not the first name, or the second one or probably even the third or fourth one that came to mind when one thought of Rutgers.

Now Shawver after seamlessly making the move up to 133 from 125 appears to be Rutgers’ best All-American hope.

“He’s always been really, really good,” Goodale said. “Maybe 25 (125) was a stretch for him. That kind of took away a little bit of his wrestling in that he was concentrating totally on the weight.”

Shawver, who went 2-2 in the 2022 NCAA Tournament at 125, recorded his third straight win over a wrestler ranked in the top 16 with a 9-5 victory over Braxton Brown. Brown was an NCAA qualifier last year at 125.

He has shown he is very good on his feet and is excellent at scrambling. Shawver (20-5, 6-6 Big Ten) has moved into the top 10 in the rankings by both intermatwrestle.com and flowrestling.org.

“He’s beaten a lot of these guys in the freestyle ranks,” Goodale said. “He believes he can beat everybody. That’s the coolest part about him. He loves to compete.”

Friday night, Shawver recorded a takedown off a wild scramble at the buzzer of the first period and two more in the third.

Shawver is 5-3 against ranked wrestlers. He could be seeded as high as second in the Big Ten Tournament. Goodale said he will not wrestle against Bloomsburg because he has reached the NCAA limit of wrestling in 16 dual meets.

“He’ll start his preparation (for the Big Ten Tournament) Sunday,” Goodale said. “He’ll be in the thick of every single match going forward.”

Desantis solidfies postseason starting spot?

Junior Al Desantis may have the inside track to be the Scarlet Knights’ starter at 157 in the postseason with a solid 13-5 major decision over Michael North. North was ranked 32nd in the country by flowrestling.org.

Desantis’ win also broke a six-bout losing streak at 157 for Rutgers in Big Ten matches. The Scarlet Knights went 2-6 at the weight in conference matches. Both wins were major decisions by Desantis. He had a 9-0 win in Rutgers’ win over Indiana’s Zack Rotkvich in the conference opener.

Due to injuries, Rutgers has had four different wrestlers during the season at 157- three in Big Ten matches.

Returning NCAA qualifier Andrew Clark was projected to be the starter in the preseason. He missed the first month of the season due to an injury, came back and wrestled for a month before he was sidelined for the season with another injury. Rutgers head coach Scott Goodale has said Clark will apply for a medical redshirt.

Graduate student Jacob Butler, who began the season as the starter at 149 pounds, sustained a knee injury Nov. 19, missed over two months, came back won the Mat Town Open at 157 Jan. 28 at Lock Haven, Pa. and wrestled in the match against at 157 Ohio State on Feb. 4 before he sustained what appeared to be another injury.

Dylan Weaver wrestled against Penn State’s No. 1 ranked Levi Haines last Monday night.

Desantis (6-10), the NJSIAA seventh-place finisher and Region 5 champion at 138 in 2020, when he was a senior at Shore Regional, dominated Friday night’s bout.

He recorded an early takedown, turned North to his back and almost pinned him at the start of the third period, got another takedown and the riding time point.

White breaks his losing streak.

Redshirt sophomore 165-pounder Anthony White recorded his first win since Dec. 29 at the Midlands, broke a six-bout losing streak and gave Rutgers its first win in a Big Ten match at the weight with a 7-4 win over A.J. Rodrigues

Rutgers had not recorded a takedown a takedown or reversal at the weight in the Big Ten.

White (10-11), who was an NCAA qualifier at 149 last season and the 2021 NJSIAA 145-pound champion when he was a senior at South Plainfield, recorded a takedown in the second period. He got a stalling point in the third and the riding time point.

Rutgers has been plauged by injuries and inconsistency at 165 the last several years. White and redshirt freshman Luke Gayer have been competing for the postseason spot. Gayer went 0-2 in Big Ten bouts. White went 1-5 in the conference.

“Theose guys (at 157 and 165) have heard a lot of stuff,” Goodale said. “I’m proud of those guys for sticking with it, for continuning to come in and train. There’s been ups and there’s been downs, but the best thing about our team is the blue-collar mentality. They come to work every day, try to get better. I’m super proud of both Anthony (White) and Al (Desantis).”

Brian Soldano doing Brian Soldano things

Soldano is never boring when he is on the mat. Take your eyes off one of his bouts and you will miss something dramatic either for or against him.

Friday night, he flipped Chase Mielnik over and pinned him with 1:18 remaining.

“It was a little bit of a freestyle move,” Soldano said. “We call it a Whizzer Kick – just get him up and over. Last year and this year, I’ve been so comfortable with my over, unders. (Friday night), I got into my comfort spot.”

Soldano said Goodale may owe something at the end of the season.

“Goody is going to owe me a steak dinner for the team point race,” Soldano said.

Edgar and Rivera honored

Rutger honored both Frankie Edgar and Sebastian Rivera after the second bout of the match. . Both of them have ties to Rutgers.

Edgar, who was an assistant coach at Rutgers during the 2008-09 season and is a former UFC lightweight champion, will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame later this year.

More: ‘Back to my hometown’: UFC Hall of Famer Frankie Edgar aims for MMA gym in Toms River

Rivera earned the last two of his five All-American medals at Rutgers in 2021 and 2022. He will wrestle for Puerto Rico this summer at 65 kg in the Olympics in Paris.

Rutgers 27, Maryland 12

125: 19/18 Dean Peterson (R) tf. Tommy Capul 3:25 (17-2).

133: 9/7 Dylan Shawver (R) d. 16/14 Braxton Brown 9-5.

141: 21/16 Mitch Moore (R) d. 28/21 Kal Miller 2-0.

149: 12/18 Ethen Miller (M) md. 25/33 Michael Cetta 13-3

157: Al Desantis (R) md. NR/32 Michael North 13-5.

165: Anthony White (R) d. A.J. Rodriguez 7-4.

174: 14/16 Jackson Turley (R) d. Dominic Solis 1-0

184: 19/22 Brian Soldano (R) p. Chase Mielnik 5:42.

197: 4/3 Jaxon Smith (M) tf. Haydn Packer 5:18 (22-5).

HWT: 26/32 Seth Nevills (M) d. 10/10 Yaraslau Slavikouski 4-2

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Rutgers wrestling ends Big Ten schedule with solid win over Maryland