Instead, he made it an incredible 70 seconds.
Reich ignited an impressive 28-15 win for Princeton in its 2018 Ivy League finale over Penn with a first-period fall, and his teammates followed his lead with one their most complete efforts of the season. A technical fall by Matthew Gancayco and a thrilling Top-20 win for freshman Patrick Brucki over the reigning EIWA champion were among the highlights for Princeton Saturday afternoon, a win that gave Princeton its third-straight second-place finish in the Ivy League.
Reich started his final home weekend in style, as he put Thomas DiGiovanni to the mat seconds into their opening match at 141, and he followed with four quick back points to lead 6-0. Reich was determined for more, and he turned Thomas DiGiovanni again seconds later. This time, he kept pressure on the upper body until he earned the fall at the 1:10 mark.
That fall was an ideal lead in to the power duo of 12th-ranked Matthew Kolodzik and 13th-ranked Mike D'Angelo, both of whom were in full control of their matches. Kolodzik topped Patrick Munn 12-3 for his 19th win of the year, while D'Angelo picked up the 19th of his season with an 11-1 victory over Joseph Velliquette.
One of the featured matches of the afternoon lived up to the hype at 165, as 17th-ranked May Bethea of Penn took on Princeton's three-time NCAA qualifier Jonathan Schleifer. Bethea had early control with a six-point move, but Schleifer hit a four-point move of his own in the second period to get right back into the match. Schleifer added a pair of takedowns the rest of the way and a riding time point to make it all the way back to overtime, but Bethea had the final answer in OT for a 10-8 win.
Gancayco made sure the momentum was short-lived for Penn, as he turned Quinton Hiles to his back multiple times in an 18-3 technical fall at 174. Gancayco actually trailed 2-0 early, but he turned it on from there to grab full control. Hiles tried to hold on for the major, but Gancayco hit a quick shot on a restart late in the third period to secure the five team points.
Sophomore Kevin Parker followed with an aggressive performance against Penn veteran Joe Heyob. Parker hit the first takedown of the match and had another in the third period to get within one point, but Heyob was able to hold on for the 12-7 win.
The second featured match of the day came at 197, and it also lived up to expectations. Brucki, who scored a number of early-period takedowns last weekend against 3rd-ranked Ben Darmstadt, did it again Saturday against 9th-ranked and reigning EIWA champion Frank Mattiace. Brucki got around the waist and was able to trip Mattiace just inside the edge of the mat for a 2-0 lead less than 20 seconds into the match. Mattiace got the escape and rode Brucki for more than a minute in the second period before the Princeton freshman escaped. That gave Brucki a 3-1 lead, but it also forced him to ride Mattiace long enough to get rid of the ride time point that could force overtime. Once again, Brucki was up for the challenge; he cut riding time to only 57 seconds before giving up the escape, and then he scrambled for the final minute with the Quaker veteran without allowing the go-ahead takedown.
Tiger heavyweight Christian Araneo continued his return from a midseason injury and was able to grab an early lead over Penn's Tyler Hall, but Hall was able to get back points and riding time to pull out a 7-6 win. Princeton got a forfeit at 125, and Giovanni Ghione scored a fall at 6:09 in the finale at 133 to finish a 28-15 Princeton victory.
The Tigers will wrestle in their 2017-18 regular season finale Sunday at 1 pm against Rutgers in Dillon Gym. The all-time series is fairly close (Rutgers leads 42-33-5), but the Scarlet Knights have dominated it in recent years. Rutgers has won the last 21 matchups, including the 2016 "Battle at the Birthplace" when the Scarlet Knights claimed a tight 19-16 win in front of more than 16,000 fans at High Point Solutions Stadium. The Scarlet Knights, who defeated Wisconsin 24-12 Friday, bring a 7-7 record into Jadwin and have a loaded starting lineup that has been tested by the gauntlet of a Big Ten schedule. Of course, Princeton can put its schedule up against any team in the country, as seven of its eight losses have come to Top-25 programs.
Rutgers has five nationally ranked starters, including New Jersey native Nick Suriano, the Penn State transfer who is 20-0 on the season and ranked #1 at 125. #7 Richie Lewis is 12-3 at 165 and is set to face Schleifer, while 12th-ranked Nicholas Gravina is 12-3 at 184 and could be the opponent for Parker.
The highlight match is expected to come at 149, as Princeton All-American Matthew Kolodzik (18-5) is ranked #12 nationally, one spot behind Rutgers senior Eleazar DeLuca (9-7). This will be the first collegiate meeting between the two.
Sunday will also be Senior Day for Princeton, which will honor Trey Aslanian, Francesco Fabozzi, Michael Markulec, Jordan Reich, and Schleifer prior to the match. Fans will want to arrive early for more than just the Senior Day festivities, as the first 250 in attendance will receive a Princeton Wrestling bobblehead.
Results:
141 – Jordan Reich (Pr) WBF Thomas DiGiovanni 1:10
149 – #12 Matthew Kolodzik (Pr) mdec. Patrick Munn 12-3
157 – #13 Mike D'Angelo (Pr) mdec. Joseph Velliquette 11-1
165 – #17 May Bethea dec. Jonathan Schleifer 10-8, sv-1
174 – Matthew Gancayco (Pr) TF Quinton Hiles 18-3
184 – Joe Heyob (Pe) dec. Kevin Parker 12-7
197 – #17 Patrick Brucki (Pr) dec. #9 Frank Mattiace 3-2
285 – Tyler Hall (Pe) dec. Christian Araneo 7-6
125 – Matteo DeVincenzo (Pr) wins by forfeit
133 – Giovanni Ghione (Pe) WBF Jonathan Gomez 6:09
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