Bulls win overshadowed by major loss

Greatness can be marked by a team's ability to respond to adversity.
On Wednesday night, the wrestling team rallied from a disappointing loss in its first Mid-American Conference contest to defeat the Eastern Michigan Eagles (10-9-1, 0-2 MAC), 28-12.
Senior Dan Bishop got the ball rolling for the Bulls (8-5-1, 1-1 MAC) as he pinned the Eagles' Greg Ebert in the 125-pound weight class for his 15th victory of the season.
'It's very important to get off to a good start in conference play,' Beichner said. 'I love that I have guys who want to go out there, set the tone and get us off to a good start.'
Sophomore Kevin Smith, who is ranked 19th in the nation in the 133-pound weight class, earned a decision win over Eastern Michigan's Chris Jenkins. Smith currently has a record of 23-8 this season and is off to a 2-0 start in MAC contests.
After a defeat in the 184-pound weight class, the reigning MAC Wrestler of the Week, junior Jimmy Hamel, earned the last victory of the evening for the Bulls by collecting a dominant decision over the Eagles' Travis Stanback in the 197-pound weight class. The win was Hamel's 23rd of the season.
In his MAC debut, junior Brian Sheehan pinned Eastern Michigan's Nick Hendrick for his first MAC victory in the 174-pound weight class. Senior Andrew Stella and freshman Andrew Schutt also picked up decision wins, while 19th ranked John-Martin Cannon won a decision for his 19th win of the year.
Several Bulls added to their impressive records and solidified their national rankings. Hamel earned MAC Wrestler of the Week honors to join Cannon, who won it last week, and sophomore Desi Green, who won the award for the week of Jan. 12.
Beichner attributed the team's good fortune to the success of his athletes and their national rankings.
'To be ranked, you've got to beat opponents who are ranked,' Beichner said. 'Our guys have put in the hard work and have taken advantage of their opportunities.'
Buffalo's win was overshadowed by a serious setback that could impair the team's MAC Championship aspirations. Green, who is ranked 16th nationally in the 149 weight class and has an overall record of 26-6, went down with a knee injury in his match against Eastern Michigan's David Pienaar. The status of Buffalo's top wrestler remains unknown, but Beichner did not seem optimistic that his star athlete would return this year.
'Desi has to go in and have the knee looked at,' Beichner said. 'Hopefully we can have him back by the MAC championships, but it's possible that we've lost him for the entire season.'
The Bulls have some stiff competition in their upcoming matches including No. 20 Kent State and No. 7 Central Michigan.
'The key for us will be to remain healthy,' Beichner said. 'If we can stay healthy, then we will be just fine.'
The Bulls will be competing in their final home match of the season against Central Michigan on Feb. 14. Start time is set for 1 p.m.

E-mail: sports@ubspectrum.com