Ewing, NJ… The College of New Jersey wrestling team bounced back from an early deficit by winning five straight weight classes on its way to a 25-16 win over the United States Merchant Marine Academy on Tuesday.
 
The win was the third straight for the 29^th-ranked Lions as they improved to 9-4 on the season.
 
The match featured two coaches who were both two-time All-Americans at TCNJ. Lion coach Joe Galante '07 earned All-American honors in 2005 and 2007, while USMMA's Greg Ilaria '04 received his citations in 2003 and 2004.
 
The Mariners (4-8) won the first two weight classes to take a 7-0 lead, but the Lions collected their first points of the match when freshman Ryan Budzek (Point Pleasant Boro, NJ/Point Pleasant Boro) secured a 7-1 victory at 141. That win cut the margin to 7-3. TCNJ crept to within a point as junior Dylan Thorsen (Belvidere, NJ/Belvidere) won a hard-fought 3-1 decision at 149.
 
At 157, TCNJ took its first lead of the match when sophomore Nick Herring (Middletown, NJ/Middletown South) won by major decision. His 13-5 victory put the hosts in front 10-7.
 
Freshman Kellen Whitney (Hammonton, NJ/Hammonton) added to that lead at 165 with an 8-1 triumph. That bumped TCNJ's lead to 13-7.
 
Senior Zach Zotollo (Paramus, NJ/Paramus), the nation's top-ranked wrestler at 174 pounds, kept the Lions rolling as he remained undefeated with a pin in 3:50. That win moved him to 11-0 on the season.
 
The Mariners made a comeback with wins at 184 and 197, but freshman Brandon Simon (Iselin, NJ/John F. Kennedy Memorial) clinched the team win for TCNJ with pin in 4:44 at heavyweight.
 
The Lions are right back on the mat this Friday, hosting Centenary College for an in-state battle at 7 p.m.

#29 The College of New Jersey 25. U.S. Merchant Marine Academy 16
125 Mike Mui (USMMA) major dec. Jimmy Gill (TCNJ), 8-0 (USMMA 4-0)
133 Tom Healy (USMMA) dec. James Goldschmidt (TCNJ), 13-8 (USMMA 7-0)
141 Ryan Budzek (TCNJ) dec. Trent Dolby (USMMA), 7-1 (USMMA 7-3)
149 Dylan Thorsen (TCNJ) dec. Nathan Twito (USMMA), 3-1 (USMMA 7-6)
157 Nick Herring (TCNJ) maj. dec. Michael Maye (USMMA), 13-5 (TCNJ 10-7)
165 Kellen Whitney (TCNJ) dec. Nic Watson (USMMA), 8-1 (TCNJ 13-7)
174 #1 Zach Zotollo (TCNJ) pinned Jake Sherman (USMMA), 3:50 (TCNJ 19-7)
184 Patrick Rooney (USMMA) dec. Dan Wojtaszek (TCNJ), 7-4 (TCNJ 19-10)  
197 Ricky Fisher (USMMA) pinned Nathaniel Leer (TCNJ), 5:23 (TCNJ 19-16)
285 Brandon Simon (TCNJ) pinned Greg Stanczuk (USMMA), 4:44 (TCNJ 25-16)