Opening Day Eve Season Preview
The time has come…
We are officially on the eve of opening day for the Rutgers wrestling team. It has been a quiet off-season for the most part, as the Scarlet Knights have spent their summer healing up their core group of upperclassmen, while priming new-comers for the opportunity to contribute to a team that has set high expectations for themselves.
Tomorrow, on November 3rd, the Knights will open their season with a quad meet at the RAC, featuring the Fresno State Bulldogs, Centenary Cyclones, and Johnson & Wales Wildcats. The three visiting teams come in as massive underdogs, attempting to knock off a Rutgers team that is coming into the season with a chip on their shoulder. We can expect to see some underclassmen and back-ups get action tomorrow, giving the fans a glimpse at a majority of the roster.
With the official start of the season beginning for the Scarlet Knights tomorrow, let’s take a deep dive into coach Goodale’s thoughts heading into this season, the potential starting lineup, and dates of importance for the Scarlet Knights.
Goodale Has High Expectations for his Team
Coach Scott Goodale has had his fair share of trials and tribulations throughout his 11 seasons as the leader of the Scarlet Knights. The former Jackson Jaguar went from high school coach, to producing one of the most exciting teams and atmospheres in all of college wrestling. After leading his team to a program high 11th place finish at the 2018 NCAA tournament, Goodale knows he has a great team coming back, but they have to prove it on the mat.
“On paper it looks really, really good, but you don’t wrestle matches on paper”, Goodale said of his team, “we have a lot of guys with national tournament experience – a couple all-americans, a couple round of twelve guys”. Rutgers will feature one of their most talented lineups to date, with 2018 NCAA 2nd place finisher, Nick Suriano; three-time NCAA all-american, Anthony Ashnault; and senior leaders Nick Gravina and John Van Brill.
With a strong group of core veterans, and some promising newcomers sprinkled in, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights have imposed some high expectations for themselves. Coach Goodale said him and his team do not feel external pressure, it is simply the matter of accomplishing goals they know that they are capable of.
“There’s always expectations with this program – we felt we were top 10 last year”, Goodale said of his team that had a Rutgers record-setting NCAA finish. “As far as pressure, no. There’s expectations, but we feel this program needs to win a trophy at the national tournament, that’s where we’re at. We have the guys to do it”.
The Knights were in position to finish in the top 10 of the 2018 NCAA tournament, until Arizona State’s Zahid Valencia beat Penn State’s Mark Hall in the 174 – lb final, which knocked the Knights down to 11th place. This year Goodale and his team will not only look to break the top 10, but to bring home an NCAA team trophy. But in order to do so, there are some health concerns that still remain.
Goodale noted that the key to this season is keeping an eye on the health and training of his wrestlers – especially the upperclassmen. Senior 184 – lber, Nick Gravina, will be returning late due to a shoulder surgery, but so far the staff is pleased with his recovery. Meanwhile, Anthony Ashnault may not be coming off of a recent injury, but has had his fair share of ailments over the years. Ashnault, Nick Gravina, and a handful of other Knights will be closely monitored throughout the season, keeping them as close to 100% as possible for the national tournament.
If the Scarlet Knights do put their best and most healthy lineup out in the post season, this will be a team that can surprise a lot of people. The youth and lack of experience is a bit of a concern, but the upperclassmen in this lineup have the ability to land high on the podium. Will it be enough for a top 10 finish? A team trophy, even? Only time will tell. “Will we do it?” asked Goodale, “We probably need a heck of a tournament to do it, but we have the guys to do it”.
The (Potential) Lineup
125lbs: Shane Metzler – Metzler was up-ended in his wrestle-off to true freshman, Nic Agulair, which makes it a bit of a surprise to see him featured as the starter. Goodale has said that there is a potential plan to redshirt Agulair, meaning one of two things: 1.) Suriano has the intentions of dropping to 125 for the post-season, and the staff does not want to waste an NCAA year for Agulair if that be the case. 2.) Agulair is simply not quite ready for the big stage, and the coaches feel he will be best prepared with a full year of training under his belt. Metlzer will be serviceable for the Knights, but he is unproven beyond that. Fans should expect to see Metzler beat the kids he should, lose to the kids he shouldn’t beat, and maybe pull a surprised upset here or there. His role will be to get points on the board where he can, and keep losses to a decision where he is outmatched.
133lbs: Nick Suriano – It came with little surprise to see the returning 125 – lb NCAA runner up make the jump to 133 – lbs. Suriano hinted at the weight change throughout the off – season, citing health reasons as one of the main driving points for the jump. Although he is at a new slot, the expectations remain the same for Nick Suriano. He intends to dominate, as he did last year, and to put on a show for the Rutgers faithful. Suriano will see tough competition throughout the year, running into Stevan Micic of Michigan, and Austin DeSanto of Iowa in the dual meet part of the season. Those two match-ups will indicate where it is Suriano stands on the 133 – lb ladder.
141lbs: Mike Van Brill – Mike Van Brill was a bit of a sparkplug last season, filling in for an injured Anthony Ashnault, and doing quite well in the role. Van Brill’s matches were usually high-paced and high-scoring, but he was streaky throughout the year. This season, the coaches will look for more consistency from Van Brill and will expect him to be a regular fixture in the top 20 of the country. The podium is a reach for Van Brill this year, but he has the ability to be a productive member of this squad, and an NCAA qualifier come year-end.
149lbs: Anthony Ashnault – He’s baaaccccck. Anthony Ashnault has returned for his final season, and one last run at the top of the NCAA podium. The 149 – lb world should be on notice. Ashnault is as loose and poised as he’s ever been, planning to leave it all on the mat in 2018 – 19. The fans should anticipate a hungry and relentless Ashnault, who is seeking to dominate every time he steps foot on the mat. Ashnault will be a legitimate threat for the 149 – lb crown, with two of his most difficult obstacles being Princeton’s Matthew Kolodzik, and Micha Jordan of Ohio State. Ashnault has the potential to see both foes, as Ohio State will be participating in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Open, and when the Knights square off with Princeton in the “Big-Ivy Rivalry”. After those two events, the world will have an idea of who the front runner is for the 149 – lb title.
157lbs: John Van Brill – If you were to write a story of the absolute worst possible ending to a wrestling season, it would sound a lot like John Van Brill’s blood-round match at the 2018 NCAA tournament. JVB could taste All-American status, and the smell of it has made JVB hungrier than ever. Van Brill came into this off-season unsure of what weight he would be at. Both him and freshman Stephan Glasgow were bound to be the 157/165 duo, it was just a matter of what order the pair would be featured in. JVB won the wrestle-off with Glasgow, and is now at the spot he wanted. The rest, from here on out, is up to him. JVB has podium talent, but can sometimes be his own worst enemy. If Van Brill can keep his emotions in-check, expect to see him capture the podium spot that was within his grasp last year.
165lbs: Stephan Glasgow – The most anticipated newcomer to the Rutgers roster is undoubtedly Stephan Glasgow. Glasgow was a star at neighboring high school, Bound Brook, where he captured two NJSIAA state championships. Glasgow took a prep year in 2017 at St. Benedicts, and is now officially with the Scarlet Knights for the 2018 – 19 season. Goodale is very high on Glasgow, and expects big things out of the true freshman. Glasgow has NCAA qualifying ability, but he will experience some growing pains throughout the season. If he were at 157 – lbs, the Bound Brook native would probably have a more favorable shot at the NCAA podium this year. Being up a weight class, it’s safe to say that a 2-2 finish at the NCAA tournament is most likely the best you’ll see from the frosh this year.
174lbs: Joe Grello – Grello saw some time last year, showing grit and toughness that Goodale and co. like to see in their wrestlers. Grello was apart of a bit of a carousel at the weight, being one of several wrestlers that saw time at the 174 – lb spot. He gets the nod to start off the year, but if Grello does not preform up to the staff’s standards, expect to see Jordan Pagano, Willie Scott or someone else be given the opportunity to seize this weight class.
184lbs: Nick Gravina (eventually) – Nick Gravina will start the season on the sidelines, but make no mistake about it, this is his spot when he is ready. Gravina is recovering from shoulder surgery in May, and in the meantime, Jordan Pagano or freshman Billy Janzer will most likely man the spot. Gravina has been a constant fixture in the program over the last five years, and has become a fan favorite for the Scarlet Knight crowd. If Gravina makes a full recovery, he will be a contender for All-American status. Gravina has a number of ranked wins under his belt, but just has not been healthy enough to put together a complete season. In his final run, Nick Gravina is hopeful to stay on the mat after his return, and make a charge at the NCAA podium in Pittsburgh.
197lbs: Max Wright – This is one most people did not see coming. Matt Correnti is a NCAA qualifier and was coming off a redshirt year, looking as a definite part of the 2018 – 19 Rutgers lineup. Air Force Prep transfer, Max Wright, had other plans. Wright stunned Correnti, and the Scarlet Knight fans, by beating Correnti in their wrestle-off. This is probably not a definitive answer to who will be in the 197 – lb slot for the post-season. Wright has the spot for now, but if does not perform, or is beaten by Correnti in another wrestle-off down the road and/or at a tournament, this spot could flip-flop. Either way, this wrestle-off victory has created a buzz around Max Wright, and has the Rutgers fans eager to see what he brings to the banks.
285lbs: Christian Colucci – Heavyweight was a giant question mark for the Knights in the Spring of 2018. There seemed to be a panic across the state of New Jersey, as there were no signs that the Scarlet Knights would have a definitive big man for the upcoming season. Little did we know, across the border in Pennsylvania, a heavyweight was looking to come home, and compete for his native sate. Colucci saw little time at Lehigh, but is someone who impressed the coaching staff as soon as he stepped foot on the Rutgers campus. Colucci is not going to be the most dominant big man in the conference, but he will be in the middle of the pack. Colucci should earn a ticket to Pittsburgh this season, and with a good tournament, could find his way into the bloodround.
Dates of Importance
November 30th – CKLV Open: The mini national tournament in Sin City will feature a number of ranked teams and wrestlers, giving the Knights a great opportunity to knock off some big names.
January 13th – Oklahoma State: For the first time ever, Okie State is coming to New Jersey. The atmosphere is going to be UNREAL. We’ll see where the Knights stack up against a top 5 opponent who is from outside the conference.
February 3rd – Princeton: The “Big-Ivy Rivalry” has become a fun one for the Garden State. Princeton will be bringing in a tough team, and will look to bring the trophy back down Route 1 to the Tigers’ campus. Most notably, we will see another chapter in the Ashnault/Kolodzik rivalry, which could be a preview of the 149 – lb national championship match.
March 9th & 10th – Big Ten Championships: Does this really need an explanation?
March 21st, 22nd & 23rd – NCAA Championships: See above
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