Terrier Wrestlers Earn 23-16 League Win At Sacred Heart
January 9, 2004 | Men's Wrestling
FAIRFIELD, Conn. - Juniors Joey Rivera (Stroudsburg, Pa.) and Rayes Gonzalez (Las Vegas, Nev.) won back-to-back major decisions in the final two bouts of the evening to lead the Boston University wrestling team to a 23-16 win over Sacred Heart University in a Colonial Athletic Association match on Friday, Jan 9.
B. U. (4-2, 2-1 CAA) trailed the Pioneers, 16-15, going into the final two matchups at 141 and 149 pounds. Rivera shutout the Pioneer's Nick Dalicandro, 9-0, to give the Terriers a 19-16 lead. Gonzalez then cemented the win for the visitors by beating Sacred Heart freshman Jesse Fendryk, 13-4.
Senior Rob Bellville started the match off for SHU by beating sophomore Zack Johns (Owings Mills, Md.), 7-2, at 157 pounds, but senior Leighton Brady (Tulsa, Okla.) came right back for the Terriers to even the match by winning a decision over Sherwood Fendryk, 5-3. Senior Ben Schilens (Westlake, Ohio) gave B. U. a 6-3 lead with an overtime decision over SHU's Wayne Oakley at 174 pounds.
Sacred Heart (4-2, 2-1 CAA) took the lead when freshman Kevin Fox pinned sophomore Tom Sforza (Lindenhurst, N. Y.) in 1:33. Freshman John DaCruz (Ludlow, Mass.) answered immediately for the Terriers by registering a pin for the Terriers at 197 pounds in 6:22 over Max Pazdan.
The swing bout of the match may have occurred at heavyweight when junior Courtney Howard (Sitka, Alaska) earned a 6-5 decision over Sacred Heart's Payam Zarrinpour, who came into the match with an 18-6 record. Zarrinpour had defeated Howard in an invitational earlier this season.
B. U. hosts Brown (4 p.m.) and Springfield (6:30 p.m.) on Saturday, Jan. 17 at Case Gym.
BOSTON UNIVERSITY 23, SACRED HEART 16 157 - Robert Bellville (SHU) dec. Zack Johns (BU) 7-2 165 - Leighton Brady (BU) dec. Sherwood Fendryk (SHU) 5-3 174 - Ben Schliens (BU) dec. Wayne Oakley (SHU), 12-10 (ot) 184 - Kevin Fox (SHU) pinned Tom Sforza (BU) 1:33 197 - John DaCruz (BU) pinned Max Pazdan (SHU) 6:22 285 - Courtney Howard (BU) dec. Payam Zarrinpour (SHU) 6-5 125 - Philip Kalil (SHU) dec. Brett Frimer (BU) 3-1 133 - Mike Messina (SHU) maj. dec. Mike Galorenzo (BU) 12-3 141 - Joey Rivera (BU) maj. dec. Nick Dalicandro (SHU) 9-0 149 - Rayes Gonzalez (BU) maj. dec. Jesse Fendryk (SHU)13-4
