Oneonta, NY --- Lucas Muntz (West Hartford, CT) highlighted five multiple WPI winners on the day by notching a pair of pins as the Engineers competed Saturday in the Northeast Duals hosted by Oneonta State.   The Crimson and Gray, ranked No. 25 in the most recent NWCA Top 25, defeated Niagara County Community College, one of the top junior colleges in the country, 33-13 in the opener before dropping one-point decisions to the host Red Dragons (19-18) and No. 14 Cortland State (16-15). 

Michael Aquino (Boston, MA) got WPI out to a 3-0 lead against Niagara County CC by grinding out a 4-1 victory at 125 pounds.  After the Thunder Wolves got on the board with a pin at 133, the Engineers seized control of the match with three consecutive major decision victories by Andrew Ellis (Arlington, MA) at 141 (8-0), Jack Nigro (Closter, NJ) at 149 (9-1) and Tyler Marsh (Upper Black Eddy, PA) at 157 (9-1).  NCCC stopped the spurt with a major decision win of its own at 165 but the Boynton Hillers bounced back with falls in three of the last four bouts to wrap up the win.  Brandon Weyant (Chesterfield, MA) and Muntz began the pin parade with a falls at 5:23 at 174 and 1:32 184 before Nick Day (Northampton, MA) closed out the match with a third period pin at heavyweight. 

In the middle match, Brian Amato (Newington, MA) got the Crimson and Gray on the board first by posting a 3-2 decision at 125 pounds.  Oneonta surged ahead with 10 points in victories in the next two classes before Pete Nash (Liverpool, NY) closed the gap to 10-6 with a 5-0 shutout at 149 pounds.  Two more Red Dragons triumphs pushed the advantage to 16-6 before the Engineers rallied with three straight victories to claim a 18-16 bulge.  Weyant (5-2 at 174) and Michael Curtis (Wells, MA) (5-1 at 197) netted wins by decision sandwiched around a first period pin by Muntz at 184 to give WPI a 18-16 edge headed into the final bout by the hosts were able to eke out the 19-18 team victory when James Bethel (Saugerties, NY) posted a 4-0 win in a match-up of nationally-ranked heavyweights.  

For the third time Saturday, WPI started a match with a win at 125 pounds as Aquino recorded a 6-4 win over his Cortland State opponent.  The two nationally-ranked teams traded wins over the first eight bouts, with seven of them (and nine overall in the match) decided by simple decisions.  Ellis blanked his opponent 6-0 at 141 while Marsh had his hand raised follow a 6-5 TB2 victory at 157 and Anton Libsch (Milton, MA) registered a 10-3 win at 174.  Cortland, who got the long extra point in the match with a major decision at 165, halted the alternative wins with a 6-4 SV 1 triumph at 197 to take 16-12 lead into the heavyweight bout.  Austin Shrewsbury (Westfield, MA) posted a 4-0 shutout for the Engineers but it was not enough as the Crimson and Gray absorbed its second one point loss of the day. 

Joining Muntz with two victories on the day were Aquino, Ellis, Marsh and Weyant. 

WPI (4-2) returns to the mat in four weeks at the Roger Williams Open on Saturday, January 7th.  Action is slated to begin at 9:30am. 

WPI 33, Niagara County Community College 13 

Oneonta State 19, WPI 18 

Cortland State 16, WPI 15