This was supposed to be a close match. I watched the guys walk out of the locker room to get on the bus and something seemed different about the team. There wasn't the usual joking and pushing around. The guys weren't smiling. What I saw on their faces was intensity. I don't know what Coach McLaughlin said to them to get them ready for the match, but whatever it was, it transformed the team into 45 guys with a single vision. That vision was the league championship.  There was never any doubt in the minds of the wrestlers, this championship would not be taken from them this year. They wrestled to win.

The match started at 135 with John Lebron putting on a valiant effort against West Side's Jose Flores. John came out on the short side of a 7 – 2 score and the Terriers went up 3-0. It would be seven matches later before they would score their next points. Central recorded pins at 140 (Bemnet Banks), 145 (Manny Ocasio), 152 (Anthony Brooks), and 160 (Anthony Williams). Estavon Gonzalez then won a decision over Slav Piserenko 9-2. Nate Collins was up next in what was easily the most exciting match of the night. Ilii Cojucaro bumped up from 171 to face Collins and Nate was victorious 5-4 in double overtime. That put the score at 30 – 3. West Side pulled closer by registering pins at 215 (Aslan Veysalov) and 285(Matt Mercier) to make the score 30- 15.The Golden Eagles then put the match away by registering pins by Tyrique Dowdell (103), Danial Salgado (112) and Peter Hager (119).West Side came back to grab 12 points with pins at 125 (Shawn Le) and 130 (Risan Umarov) but it was too little, too late.

This was the first step for the Golden Eagles heading into the post season and marks the end of the regular season. West Side and Central should meet again (barring upsets) on Saturday in Westfield at the Western Mass dual meet championships. Saturday should be a much different match if West Side has all their wrestlers available. The question is, will the Golden Eagles be able to sustain the intensity that they had tonight. If they wrestle with that same intensity on Saturday, the outcome should be the same.