WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University wrestling team opened the 2017-18 season with a 25-24 defeat against Division II Millersville University Friday night at the Marts Center.
 
Matthew Judge (Eynon, PA/Valley View) opened the match at 184-pounds receiving a forfeit to give Wilkes a 6-0 lead. Millersville answered back with a technical fall at 197-pounds to cut the Colonel advantage to 6-5 after two bouts.
 
The heavyweight match saw a flurry of action late in the third period as Nicholas Goff (Jamesburg, NJ/Monroe Twp.) scored a takedown with just over a minute left to take a 3-1 lead. Nick Yackenchick responded escaping and converting his own takedown to take back the advantage 4-3 with 2.8 seconds remaining. Yackenchick rode the final seconds out to earn the decision giving Millersville its first lead of the match up 8-6.
 
Millersville extended its lead to 13-6 with a technical fall at 125-pounds.
 
At 133-pounds, Jake Dimarsico (Thiells, NY/North Rockland) trailed 2-1 late in the first period before a takedown with under five seconds put the senior on top 3-2 after one. An escape to start the second extended his lead to 4-2 before a stalling violation on Wilkes ended the second with Dimarsico leading 4-3. Millersville's Alex Baider tied the bout at 4-4 with an escape with 1:00 remaining in the third where it remained tied going into overtime. Baider then scored the match with a takedown thirty-five seconds into the extra period pushing the Marauders advantage to 16-6 after five bouts.
 
Matthew Grossmann (Lancaster, PA/Manheim Township) put Wilkes back on the board making quick work of Kevin Constantine at 141-pounds earning the fall in 1:35 as the Colonels inched back into the match down 16-12.
 
At 149-pounds, after a scoreless first period, Millersville DJ Mele used a reversal and two back points to take a 4-0 lead through two frames. A Millersville stalling point and violation point brought the bout to 4-2, but the sophomore was unable to mount the full comeback even after earning riding time losing 4-3.
 
Millersville put the match out of reach with a fall at 157-pounds leading 25-12 with two bouts remaining.
 
At 165-pounds, Nicholas Racanelli (West Creek, NJ/Southern Regional) took the lead 3-2 after an escape and takedown late in the first period. A stalling call on Millersville  and an escape upped Racanelli's advantage to 5-2 midway through the second. The senior closed out the second with a near fall before earning the fall with :19 remaining.
 
John Ritter (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) closed out the match with a fall in 4:44 at 174-pounds as Millersville held on for the 25-24 dual match victory.
 
Wilkes returns to the mat tomorrow (Saturday) traveling cross-town to compete in the Ned McGinley Invitational Tournament hosted by King's College starting at 10:00 a.m.
 
Millersville 25, Wilkes 24
184 – M. Judge (W) won by forfeit
197 – C. Dull (M) tech. fall J. Huling (W) 16-0 (2:32)
285 – Z. Yackenchick (M) dec. N. Goff (W) 4-3
125 – A. Wildonger (M) tech. fall S. Reed (W) 23-8 (7:00)
133 – A. Baider (M) dec. J. Dimarsico (W) 6-4 OT
141 – M. Grossmann (W) fall K. Constantine (M) 1:35
149 – DJ Mele (M) dec. K. Medrow (W) 4-3
157 – S. Decker (M) fall A. Gyenizs (W) 1:20
165 – N. Racanelli (W) fall S. Ruhnke (M) 4:41
174 – J. Ritter (W) fall C. Cossitor (M) 4:44
 
Exhibition:
197 – J. Fetterman (M) major dec. M. Almeky (W) 11-1