PREVIEW/PREDICITONS: Rutgers Hosts Princeton in B1G/IVY Rivalry
The B1G/IVY Rivalry returns tonight, as Rutgers takes on the Princeton Tigers in a Friday night home dual. This friendly rivalry has become very fun in recent years, as the Tigers have steadily improved over the last several seasons.
Due to the Ivy League wrestling season being cancelled in 2021, Rutgers and Princeton have not squared off since 2020, where Princeton ended a twenty-three-year drought of losing to their in-state rival, as Princeton won 20 – 13.
Rutgers will be heavily favored at 133, 141, and 149. Princeton will have the big edge at 125 and 157. The key bouts will be from 165 – 197, where there are four bouts that can go in either direction.
One of the marquee bouts will be at 184-lbs, where a struggling John Poznanski will look to get back on track, as he takes on the nationally ranked Travis Stefanik. Stefanik was a key contributor to Princeton’s win in 2020 over Rutgers, where he upset Billy Janzer at 184-lbs.
Another match to keep an eye on is 197-lbs, which will be between Rutgers’ star transfer, Greg Bulsak, who will battle with the talented freshman, Luke Stout.
This is a dual meet that always appeals to the die-hard New Jersey wrestling fan base, and the Jersey Mike’s Arena should be filled with fans from both sides. Rutgers will be looking to use the home crowd to propel their momentum in what could be a very tight dual meet.
125 – No. 31 Dylan Shawver vs. No. 2 Pat Glory
Princeton is going to look to go up big in the opening match, as Pat Glory is going to be heavily favored over Dylan Shawver. Glory looks like a man on a mission, and has his sights set on the 125-lb national title. Dylan Shawver has one job here, and that is to keep it to a decision. It will not be easy, but even keeping it to a major decision is a win for Rutgers here.
Outcome: Glory via tech fall
Team Score: 5-0 PRINCETON
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133 – No. 16 Joey Olivieri vs. Nick Kayal
Losing a national podium contender is never a good thing, but thankfully for Rutgers, they have more depth than ever before. Joey Olivieri has done as good of job as possible filling in for Sammy Alvarez, and has even managed to become a fixture in the national rankings. He will be taking on Bergen Catholic product, Nick Kayal, who is a scrappy opponent. This should be a fun match, but I think Olivieri controls the tempo and cruises to a decision. The possibility for bonus points is not out of the question here if Olivieri can get to work quickly in the first period.
Outcome: Olivieri by decision
Team Score: 5-3 PRINCETON
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141 – No. 3 Sebastian Rivera vs. Danny Coles
You cannot say enough good things about Sebastian Rivera’s final season. The Seabass has been on a tear, securing bonus points in twenty of his twenty-one wins. Danny Coles has given up bonus point losses to some common opponents he shares with Rivera, so expect Rivera to continue his reign of dominance.
Outcome: Rivera via tech fall
Team Score: 8-5 RUTGERS
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149 – No. 15 Mike Van Brill vs. Marshall Keller
It has been a fun ride for Mike Van Brill on the banks. The Rutgers wrestling faithful has witnessed a very successful progression for MVB, who struggled early on in his career, but has turned into a consistent and reliable team leader. Van Brill can help out his team here with a win over Marshall Keller, who has had an up-and-down season for the Tigers. Keller has given up several bonus point losses, including one to Rutgers’ own, Tony White. However, he has had some tight matches with ranked opponents such as Tariq Wilson of NC State and Arizona State’s Kyle Parco. As long as Van Brill stays in position, he should be able to handle business.
Outcome: Van Brill via decision
Team Score: 11-5 RUTGERS
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157 – Rob Kanniard vs. No. 7 Quincy Monday
Princeton will have a chance to propel themselves back into the match with two-time NCAA qualifier, Quincy Monday. Two of Monday’s three losses this season are at the hands of No. 2 and No. 3 in the country. The one thing on Rutgers side in this match is that for as good as Monday is, he does not put up a lot of bonus points. Kanniard has to slow the match down in the first period, and keep this as tight as can be going into the later periods. We have seen Kanniard do this before with ranked opponents, so it is not out of the question. If Monday gets bonus points, it could be a problem for Rutgers down the stretch.
Outcome: Monday via decision
Team Score: 11-8 RUTGERS
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165 – Andrew Clark vs. Jake Marsh
Coming out of the intermission will be a huge swing match for both teams. Andrew Clark had a rough start to his first season as a full-time starter. However, Clark has absolutely improved as the season has progressed, and has held his own for the most part. Princeton’s Jake Marsh is 4 – 7 this year, but he had a monster win over Cornell’s Julian Ramirez just a few weeks ago. Do not let the 4 – 7 record fool you, as Marsh’s schedule has been very tough this season, with matches against seven wrestlers ranked in the top 25. This should be a tight one, but I am giving a slight edge to a very battle-tested Marsh.
Outcome: Marsh via decision
Team Score: 11-11 TIED
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174 – Connor O’Neill vs. Nate Dugan
This will be a rematch from the Matmen Open, where Connor O’Neill won a 5 – 2 decision. Nate Dugan is tough, and that was a tight match, so by no means is O’Neill a lock. However, Rutgers should feel comfortable going down the stretch here. Again, this is a spot where Rutgers has shown their depth, with O’Neill doing a very serviceable job filling in for the injured All-American, Jackson Turley. Dugan is going to put up a very tough fight, and he did recently defeat Rider’s Shane Reitsma, who beat O’Neill in the dual meet with Rider. However, I like O’Neill to squeak out a decision, and set the stage for the upper-weights to close it out.
Outcome: O'Neill via decision
Team Score: 14-11 RUTGERS
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184 – No. 11 John Poznanski vs. No. 23 Travis Stefanik
Multiple times this season, John Poznanski has been in position to play hero, and propel Rutgers to dual meet wins. In those moments, which were against Michigan State and Ohio State, Poznanski had upset losses. Poznanski is actually 1 – 4 in his last five matches, which includes a surprising loss to Maryland’s Kyle Cochran. Hopefully for Rutgers, third time is a charm, as the Scarlet Knights will desperately need a win from Poznanski. He will face Travis Stefanik, who has been the emotional leader of this Princeton Tigers team for the last several seasons. Stefanik is tough, stingy, and will not shy away from the big moment. This match will either blow the roof of the Jersey Mike’s Arena, or completely silence the crowd. Tonight is the night Poz gets the monkey off his back, and steps up in a major way for his team.
Outcome: Poznanski via decision
Team Score: 17-11 RUTGERS
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197 – No. 11 Greg Bulsak vs. No. 20 Luke Stout
If you do not know who Luke Stout is, you will soon enough. Stout has had a stellar freshman campaign, holding a 17 – 3 record against a fairly tough schedule. Stout is very similar to Greg Bulsak, as he has a big frame and a lot of horse power. What is going to be the x-factor is Bulsak’s prowess from top. If Bulsak can get in his boots, and ride Stout, possibly even turn him, he will be in a favorable position to win the match. However, Stout is tough to take down, so if Bulsak struggles to get on top, it would not be a surprise to see Stout steal this match late in the third period. This is the bout I am looking forward to the most, as I think it will be a very fun and tight match. I am giving a SLIGHT edge to the veteran, with Bulsak picking up a one or two point decision, and bringing the Big-Ivy Trophy back home to Rutgers
Outcome: Bulsak via decision
Team Score: 20-11 RUTGERS
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HWT – Boone McDermott vs. Matt Cover
Boone McDermott has done a decent job in his first year starting as the full-time heavyweight. McDermott’s matches really are dictated on the feet. The more offensive he is in neutral, the more success he has. His opponent, Matt Cover, is a 6 – 5 sophomore, who has struggled with tougher competition. It would not be a surprise to see Boone get to the upper-body ties, where he is comfortable, and put the cherry on top of this win with a big throw. Regardless of how he gets the job done, the Rutgers staff will just want to see him be aggressive and take some chances, as the post season looms in the not-so-distant future.
Outcome: McDermott via pin
Team Score: 26-11 RUTGERS
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