Rutgers wrestling opens Big Ten schedule with defeat to Indiana
The inconsistences Rutgers University wrestling coach Scott Goodale has said his team had shown during the nonconference portion of its schedule showed up Friday night in the Scarlet Knights' 24-16 defeat at Indiana University in their Big Ten Conference opener.
Indiana (6-1, 2-1) won six of the final seven bouts, including a stunning pin in the third period at 165 pounds by Nick South of Robert Kanniard in a bout Kanniard was winning, and rallied from a 10-point deficit.
A 2-1 win by Nick Wilham over Billy Janzer at 197 pounds on the riding time point gave Indiana the lead for good at 19-16 and Hossiers' heavyweight Jacob Bullock defeated John O'Donnell by technical fall in the final bout to clinch the match.
O'Donnell was taking the place of starter Boone McDermott, who did not weigh in. McDermott was injured in his bout with Rider's David Szuba last Sunday and had to default after two periods of that bout.
South's win came when he rode Janzer for the first 1:04 of the second period and then escaped two seconds into the third period for a 1:02 edge in riding time.
KEY BOUT
South turned the match on its head and put Rutgers (8-2, 0-1) in trouble with his pin.
Kanniard was leading 5-2 early in the third period when South took him down and then quickly to his back for the pin with 1:18 left.
The pin gave Indiana its first lead of the night at 12-10.
The Hoosiers' two-time NCAA qualifier D.J. Washington (174) followed with a 14-5 major decision over 2021 NCAA eighth-place finisher Jackson Turley to extend the Hoosiers' lead to 16-10.
Washington took control of the bout with a takedown and four back points in the second period as he avenged a defeat by technical fall to Turley in 2021 NCAA Tournament wrestlebacks.
SOLDANO COMES UP BIG
Rutgers tied the match 16-16 with more heroics from talented freshman Brian Soldano.
Wrestling Clayton Fielden, it looked like Soldano was going to get thrown to his back.
However, as he often does, when it looks like he is in trouble, Soldano was able to turn it around and he threw Fielden to his back and recorded the fall with 1:15 left in the first period.
THE BEGINNING OF INDIANA'S RALLY
Rutgers won the first three bouts and led 10-0 before wins by Graham Rooks (149) and Derek Gilcher (157) began Indiana's rally.
Gilcher's win was 5-3 in sudden victory period No. 1 over Andrew Clark on a takedown at the upper right edge of the mat with 24 seconds remaining in the extra period.
Clark had sent the bout into sudden victory with a takedown with 17 seconds left in regulation. The takedown technically gave Clark a 3-2 lead, but Gilcher already had the riding time point locked up
A reversal 16 seconds into the second period and subsequent ride out had enabled Gilcher to go into the third period with a 2-0.
Rooks (149) got the Hoosiers on the board with a 7-1 win over Anthony White. A takedown near the end of the second period followed by two back points gave Rooks control of the bout.
OLIVERI MAKES SOLID DUAL-MEET SEASON DEBUT
Joey Olivieri returned to the Scarlet Knights' dual-meet lineup in style Friday night.
A sophomore 141-pounder Olivieri dominated Cayden Rooks in a 15-2 major decision that gave Rutgers a 10-0 lead after three bouts.
Olivieri was going to redshirt this season, but the redshirt was pulled after Sammy Alvarez did not weigh-in last Sunday during Rutgers' match at Rider due to what Scarlet Knights' head coach Scott Goodale said were "discipline issues with his weight''. Alvarez then entered the NCAA Transfer Portal on Wednesday.
It is the second straight season Olivieri has had his redshirt pulled because of weight issues with Alvarez. Last season, it happened in early January at 133 pounds. Olivieri went on to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
Friday night, Olivieri put Rooks on his back twice in the first period for six back points after he got a quick takedown. The first came with a cradle. The second with a chin-whip. He added a takedown in the second period and two more takedowns in the third.
PETERSON AND HEILMAN GOT RUTGERS OFF TO A SOLID START
Redshirt freshman 125-pounder Dean Peterson and graduate student Joe Heilmann (133) got Rutgers off to a good start and a 6-0 with dominant displays in top wrestling.
Peterson defeated Jacob Moran 8-4. Heilmann recorded a 6-1 win over Henry Porter.
After a quick takedown, Peterson rode Moran for the last 2:34 of the first period. He did it for the final 45 seconds of the second period after another takedown and for over a minute near the end of the bout after a reversal.
Heilmann rode Porter out in the second period, which included getting two stalling points. He also had a takedown in the first period.
UP NEXT
Rutgers wrestles at Ohio State (7-1, 1-0), ranked No. 7 nationally Sunday at 1 p.m. The match will be streamed on Big Ten Plus.
More:Sammy Alvarez leaving Rutgers wrestling team, enters the transfer portal
More:Devon Britton, Robert Kanniard spark Rutgers wrestling to win over Rider
INDIANA 24, RUTGERS 16
125: Dean Peterson (R) d. Jacob Moran 8-4.
133: Joe Heimann (R) d. Henry Porter 6-1
141: Joey Olivieri (R) md. Cayden Rooks 15-2.
149: Graham Rooks (I) d. Anthony White 7-1
157: Derek Gilcher (I) d. Andrew Clark 5-3 (Sudden Victory Period No. 1).
165: Nick South (I) p. Robert Kanniard 5:42
174: D.J. Washington (I) md. Jackson Turley 14-5.
184: Brian Soldano (R) p. Clayton Fielden 1:45.
197: Nick Wilham (I) d. Billy Janzer 2-1
HWT: Jacob Bullock (I) tf. John O'Donnell (15-0).
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Rutgers wrestling: Scarlet Knights drop Big Ten opener to Indiana
