Difficulties continue in loss

Extending its season-long dry spell, the wrestling team dropped another match, 39-6, at East Stroudsburg University (1-6) on Friday. With their latest loss, the Tigers are 0-11 overall and 0-7 in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA).

This match was particularly disappointing because Princeton was coming off its most laudable match of the year, its 30-18 loss to Davidson on Jan. 7. Besides being the only time they managed to score double digits, it also was the sole occasion where the Tigers had two victories in a single contest, getting wins from sophomore Danny Scotton and senior Jesse Palermo.

East Stroudsburg, showing skills belied by its winless record, would dominate the match. The only points Princeton earned in the contest came from the forfeit win given to freshman Zach Morse at 197 pounds. Ironically, if faced with an opponent, Morse certainly had a good shot at winning. As one of the strongest wrestlers on the Tigers' squad, he is the only one who has earned two victories for the team this season.

Morse's six points, earned by the forfeit, were balanced because Princeton had to forfeit to the Warriors' 133-pound Matt Swallow, essentially making the match 0-0, meaning the Tigers would have to earn any advantage.

At 141 pounds, Scotton was the only Tiger up for the challenge. Scotton gave Princeton its closest opportunity to earn a victory. The Warriors' Sean Carr narrowly defeated Scotton 15-11 in the day's most contested grapple. After a prolonged absence from the Tiger lineup with a disk injury, this was Scotton's second match this year. He won the first last week.

The rest of the competition was not as pleasant for Princeton. At 149 pounds, Palermo, the second victor last week, lost by a technical fall at five minutes, 42 seconds. Sophomore Oliver Noteware was pinned with 12 seconds left at 184 pounds. 165-pound sophomore Matt Collins and 174-pound junior John Clore lost major decisions with respective scores of 11-2 and 17-5. Sophomore Nikhil Pereira and senior Kris Berr were scoreless in their defeats by major decisions at 125 and 285 pounds, respectively.

Princeton continues its season with three matches at Dillon after two weeks off. It faces off against Harvard on Friday, Feb. 2 and both Brown and Franklin & Marshall the next day. At the end of the regular season, Princeton will return to East Stroudsburg for the EIWA championships.