Instead of coming out of Mount Pleasant, Mich., with a massive upset, the UB Bulls wrestling team came home on a down note as they fell to the 16th-ranked Central Michigan Chippewas.
Central Michigan got huge victories at the 174-pound and 197-pound division and downed the visiting Buffalo Bulls Friday night, 19-12.
In what probably was the turning point of the entire match, UB's Gary Cooper had his personal 18-match winning streak snapped when he lost 6-3 to Mitch Hancock in the 174-pound matchup. It gave Central a 9-3 lead in the dual, and it was Cooper's first loss this season.
UB would not fall yet, however, as Garrett Bontempo would make the score 9-6 with an impressive 8-2 win over Alex Lammers to improve to 28-6 and 10-2 in dual meets.
Unfortunately for the Bulls, a major blow was about to be dealt.
In another huge upset, Kyle Cerminara suffered his first ever loss to a MAC opponent, as he lost in overtime to Brett Faustman by a score of 3-2 that gave Central a 12-6 lead in the match.
Buffalo would bounce back again, led by freshman Tom Curl, as he got a 6-4 victory over Bill Stoufer. But the match was not to be won for them, since the Bulls would end up getting only one more victory on the day.
The final win came from Mike Trotta at 133 pounds, winning by a score of 9-2, and improving his record on the season to 26-11.
The day started with the 149-pound weight class when ninth-ranked Ty Morgan won a decision over Ryan Bentley 8-2. UB got on board in the next match in the 157-pound division as Lane Black pulled off a big upset over the tenth ranked David Boylard Black won 6-4 as by scoring a takedown with 10 seconds left to give him the immense victory.
Yet the Chippewas would regain the lead when eighth-ranked Kevin Carr held off the Bulls' Tom Paladino, 4-1.
UB is off for two weeks before they finish off their season against Northern Illinois and Eastern Michigan on Saturday, Feb. 22, and then against the Ohio Bobcats Feb. 23.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
