CASTLETON, Vt. – The Castleton University wrestling team overcame a 10-point deficit Friday night, winning four of the final five bouts to collect a 21-16 win over Western New England University in front of a raucous crowd at Glenbrook Gym.
Castleton improves to 14-7 in dual matches this season with the win, while WNE falls to 9-7 in duals. Castleton received individual victories from Nick Camacho, Michael Angers, Chance LaPier, Mitchell LaFlam and Joseph Galusha in the win.
The night began with four consecutive decisions in the first four bouts, with the Golden Bears taking a 9-3 lead through the 149-pound class. Nicholas Arborio, the No. 3 125-pounder in the New England Wrestling Association, defeated fifth-ranked Joseph Valentino in an 8-2 decision to open the night. Camacho knotted it up at 3-3 with an 8-3 decision of his own, before Antonio Pallaria dropped a 5-3 decision to Justin DeLucia—the No. 6 141-pounder the NEWA. Alex Starr, ranked seventh in the NEWA at 149, capped the run of decisions with a 5-2 victory of Cqari Bacote, putting Western New England ahead 9-3.
WNE's Ryan Monteiro, the NEWA's top 157-pounder, cruised to a 13-5 win via major decision over Cooper Fleming, pushing the Golden Bears' lead to 13-3, but Angers responded with a pin for the Spartans at 165 to draw the Spartans closer at 13-9. LaPier backed up Angers' pin with a 9-5 decision in the first sudden-victory period, making it 13-12 WNE, but the reigning National Champion at 184 pounds—John Boyle—broke Castleton's brief winning streak with a 7-2 decision over Jason Hoffman, pushing Western New England's lead back to four, 16-12.
LaFlam stepped to the mat with a chance to tie or give Castleton the lead, and deliver he did. Leading the 197-pound bout midway through the second period against the No. 8 wrestler in the NEWA, LaFlam gave the Spartans an 18-16 lead with a pin against Daniel Price at the 4:08 mark. The two-point lead was not enough to guarantee the Spartans victory, however, with the heavyweight bout turning into a winner-take-all matchup. Galusha picked up a first-period takedown to go ahead 2-0, and earned a third point for an escape in the second period. He capped the match with a point for riding time to claim a 4-0 decision over Chase LaRusso and seal the victory for Castleton, 21-16.
Castleton also had a strong showing in exhibition matches, winning 11 of the 14 exhibition bouts on the day. Logan Dubuque, Jacob Woodside, Alexander Green and Lucas Morse all registered pins in the exhibitions.
Castleton returns to the mat Saturday at Springfield College for a quad match. The Spartans do battle with No. 8 Johnson & Wales, SUNY Cortland and Springfield.
