WORCESTER, Mass. (February 15, 2025) – The Western New England men's wrestling team fell in their final dual match of the season on Saturday evening at the hands of the Engineers of Worcester Polytechnic Institute in a close 22-17 match. Western New England would win half of the weight classes, but it would not be enough to pull out the victory in the end.

How it Happened:

The match started in the 125 lb. weight class, where WPI would pick up the major decision win. In fact, the Engineers came away with victories in the first two matches overall at both 125 and 133 before the Golden Bears would record their first win of the night. The first win for Western New England came on a 4-2 decision win in the 141 lb. weight class when Ayden Cheng picked up the victory for the Golden Bears over WPI's Mason Medina. James Linder would wrestle next at 149 for the blue and gold and would come away with a decision win over his own, picking up a 9-7 win over WPI's Mason Basara. WPI would lead the match 8-6 following the first four weight classes of the night.

At 157, reigning NEWA Rookie Wrestler of the Week Colin Carlin would continue to dominate on the mat, taking down WPI's Joey Baisley on an 8-0 major decision to earn Western New England four points. WNE would take the match lead 10-8 following Carlin's victory. At 165, WNE picked up their third decision win of the night as David Lisk would come up with the 6-2 win over WPI's Ryan Hsu as the Golden Bears looked to be in the driver's seat for a victory, now leading 13-8. Cameron Hines continued the winning streak for Western New England in the 174 lb. weight class, earning a major decision win, 15-6 over Joe Tully, adding five more points to Western New England's total. WNE would lead 17-8 coming out of the match.

WPI would storm back with a win at 184, picking up a decision win 8-4, getting back on the scoreboard, now trailing 17-11. The Engineers would flip the match around and tie it in the 197 lb. weight class when Nicolas LeSieur collected a fall victory in 4:41 over WNE, evening the match at 17-17 with one final weight class to go. In the heavyweight bout, WPI's Joe Bernard would win the Engineers the match, coming away with an 18-3 technical fall victory in 6:23, giving WPI a 22-17 dual match victory, ending Western New England's win streak at five, and dropping WNE to 13-5 in duals this season.

Results:
125 – Tanner Thatcher (WPI) over Beniamino Dicooco (WNE) – MD, 17-4
133 – Charlie Pavis (WPI) over Antonio Intintoli (WNE) – MD, 13-0
141 – Ayden Cheng (WNE) over Mason Medina (WPI) – Dec, 4-2
149 – James Linder (WNE) over Mason Basara (WPI) – Dec, 9-7
157 – Colin Carlin (WNE) over Joey Baisley (WPI) – MD, 8-0
165 – David Lisk (WNE) over Ryan Hsu (WPI) – Dec, 6-2
174 – Cameron Hines (WNE) over Joe Tully (WPI) – MD, 15-6
184 – Ethan Edmondson (WPI) over Michael Bluhm (WNE) – Dec, 8-4
197 – Nicolas LeSieur (WPI) over Charles Maloy (WNE) – Fall, 4:41
285 – Joe Bernard (WPI) over Colton Wells (WNE) – TF, 18-3 (6:23)
Extra (157): Matthew Rodriguez (WNE) over Ethan Wilson (WPI) – Fall, 4:58

Up Next on the Schedule:

• WNE men's wrestling hosts the NEWA Futures Tournament on Sunday, February 23 beginning at 10:00 AM from the Anthony S. Caprio Alumni Healthful Living Center.