Faced with the challenge of replacing five starters from a 1995-96 squad that posted a 10-4 dual meet mark, finished third in the East Coast Wrestling Association (ECWA) Tournament and sent two wrestlers to the NCAA Championships, the Bulls responded strong in 1996-97 with a 12-2-2 dual meet mark and duplicated their ECWA third-place finish. Head coach Jim Beichner, in only his second season at the helm of the UB wrestling program, has shown through the team's performance athletically and academically over the past two seasons, that the UB Bulls are indeed a team on the rise.

UB opened their 1996-97 season with three tournaments, first on the road at the Bloomsburg (PA) Invitational (11/23) where they finished third out of eight teams. The Bulls were led by 150-pound tri-captain John Stutzman, who captured his first career tournament championship. Stutzman scored one of the biggest wins of his career, upsetting nationally-ranked Bill Brown of Drexel in the semifinals enroute to the title. Senior 126-pound tri-captain Jason Wartinger appeared to have his fourth career tournament title in hand late in the championship bout, but gave up a takedown as time expired to Bloomsburg's Brett Tullo who was the upset winner. Senior 177-pound tri-captain Eric Gross was the third Bull to advance to the championship bout, but finished second.

At the R.I.T. Invitational (12/7/96) two weeks later, the Bulls again performed strong with three individual champions and a third-place team finish. John Stutzman won his second tournament title of the season, while Wartinger and Gross both captured championships at 126 and 177 pounds respectively. Sophomore 118-pounder Brian Schaal finished third for the Bulls, as did freshman heavyweight Mike Garofalo, seeing his first action for UB.

The Bulls made their third-straight tournament appearance when they traveled south to Florida for the Sunshine Open (12/29-12/30). Stutzman's success continued as he captured his third title in as many tournaments at 150 pounds, while Wartinger and Gross again captured second-place finishes. UB also performed strong as a team, finishing fifth out of a 16-team field which included Miami (OH), Navy, Maryland, James Madison, American and Appalachian State.

After a brief break for the holidays, UB opened their dual meet season with a tough weekend first at defending NCAA Division II National Champions Pittsburgh (Johnstown) on Saturday (1/4), and then at home against nationally-ranked and ECWA-member Rider University on Sunday (1/5). The Bulls started out slow against the Pitt-Johnstown Mountain Cats with Wartinger (126) posting the only win for UB in the first four weight classes, and were down 12-6 midway through the meet. However, a win by Stutzman at 150 pounds, coupled with three straight wins at 177 pounds by Eric Gross, 190 pounds by freshman John Eschenfelder, and at heavyweight Mike Garofalo helped the Bulls salvage an 18-18 tie.

Following the meet with the Mountain Cats on Saturday, UB returned home on Sunday to face the 15th-ranked Rider Broncs. Rider got out of the gates in a hurry and opened up a quick 16-0 lead with victories at 118, 126, 134 and 142 pounds. John Stutzman finally got the Bulls on the board with a close 3-2 win at 150 pounds to close the gap to 16-3. The Broncs got wins at 158, 167 and 177pounds, and despite wins by Eschenfelder (190) and Garofalo (Hwt), the Bulls couldn't close the gap in losing 25-12.

The following weekend saw the Bulls travel to Washington D.C. for a pair of back-to-back dual meets against American and James Madison. In the first match, UB posted victories in the first three matches on their way to a 32-9 victory over James Madison. Brian Schaal earned a win-by-fall at 118 pounds, while Wartinger (126) and 134-pounder Jeromy McVige both decisioned their opponents. Stutzman recorded his 16th-straight victory, while Eschenfelder (190) and Garofalo (Hwt) both pinned their opponents.

After Schaal was decisioned at 118 pounds by American's 1997 national qualifier Robert Chevez in the day's second match, the Bulls scored five straight victories at 126, 134, 142, 150 and 158 en route to a 32-10 win. The Bulls, now 2-1-1 in dual meets on the year, returned home where they would host the 1996 New York State Collegiate Championship.

The Bulls scored their best finish since a third-place showing in the 1978 New York State Collegiate Championship by finishing second only to nationally-ranked Cornell in the 17-team field. UB had two champions and eight placewinners, led by Jason Wartinger at 126 pounds and John Stutzman at 150 pounds. Wartinger became the first UB wrestler to win two NYS titles since Bob Martineck in 1976 and 1977 while John Stutzman won his first-ever NYS championship and third tournament title of the year. Jeromy McVige (134) and Eric Gross (167) both advanced to the finals of their respective weight classes where they finished second.

UB returned to the mat the following Saturday (1/25) for a pair of dual meets against ECWA-foe Wagner and Mid-American Conference member Kent. After a 50-0 win over the Seahawks of Wagner, UB faced off against the Kent Golden Flashes, then ranked in the top 30 in the country for one of the most thrilling duals of the season.

After Brian Schaal dropped a close 8-6 decision at 118 pounds, Jason Wartinger scored a hard-fought victory over Steve Daugherty at 126 in sudden-death overtime. In addition, the Golden Flashes had one point deducted by referee Fred Brown for unsportsmanlike conduct, giving the Bulls a 3-2 lead. Victories by McVige at 134 and Stutzman at 150 pounds gave the Bulls a 9-5 lead halfway through the meet. However, the Bulls suffered losses in four of the last five bouts, including Mike Garofalo's in an overtime thriller with two-time national qualifier Stephen Terebienec at heavyweight, as the Golden Flashes defeated them 18-12.

Despite the tough loss to Kent, UB rebounded the following day with a tie against ECWA-foe Boston University at Union-Endicott High School in Endicott, NY. The Bulls got off to a fast start, posting wins in the first three weight classes, including Wartinger's win-by-fall at 126 pounds, for a 12-0 lead. After a loss at 142, Stutzman (150) and Gross (167) sandwiched wins around Mazzeo's tough loss to BU's 20-match winner Dave Leonardo at 158 pounds for a 20-7 Buffalo lead. The Terriers would not go without a fight however, and scored wins at 177, 190 and a pin at heavyweight to salvage a tie at 20-20.

Following the tie with Boston University, the Bulls went on a tear, winning all nine of their remaining meets. February 2nd saw UB in a tri-meet at Wilkes University with conference opponent Seton Hall, Cheyney State and host Wilkes. The Bulls showed no mercy on this day as they swept all three opponents by a combined score of 136-16. Although Stutzman's 25-match winning streak was broken against R.J. Galioto, Buffalo defeated the Seton Hall Pirates 31-12 behind two pins at 167 and 177 pounds. After Arturo Mazzeo earned a hard-fought victory at 158 in an overtime tie-breaker for a 16-6 UB lead, senior George Chamoun scored the sixth-fastest fall in school history after he took his opponent down and pinned him :27 seconds into the bout for a 22-6 UB advantage. In the next bout at 177 pounds, Eric Gross dominated his opponent from the start, finally pinning him at 6:25 for six team points and a 28-6 lead. Although Ricci was defeated by the Pirates' two-time national qualifier Kesner Dufresne at 190, Garofalo scored a victory at heavyweight for a 32-12 Bulls' win.

The next two matches against Cheyney State and Wilkes saw Buffalo score easy victories against the undermanned squads. Cheyney State forfeited five weight classes and Mazzeo, Chamoun and Ricci all scored technical falls as the Bulls cruised to a 51-4 victory. UB scored their highest point output of the year against Wilkes with a 54-0 shutout victory. Jeromy McVige and George Chamoun both posted wins-by-fall while Arturo Mazzeo scored his second technical fall in as many matches for the Bulls.

Two days later on Tuesday (2/2), UB downed Slippery Rock 32-12 at Alumni Arena, raising their record to 7-2-2 for the season. Brian Schaal and Jeromy McVige sandwiched wins around the Rockets' Tony Abbate win at 126 pounds, while Stutzman got back on track with a victory at 150. George Chamoun scored his second win-by-fall in as many bouts, while Garofalo pinned his opponent at 1:23 of the heavyweight bout.

The Bulls next traveled to Lewisburg, PA to wrestle the first of three-straight conference meets starting with Bucknell on February 8th. The Bison were ready for UB as they won two of the first four bouts, and were very competitive throughout. Jason Wartinger scored a win at 126, as did Dave DuBrava who stepped in at 142 pounds. Stutzman posted a major decision at 150 pounds for a 10-6 UB lead, but Bucknell came right back when national qualifier Jeff Fazio decisioned Mazzeo in a spirited contest to narrow the gap to 10-9. However, the Bulls' upper-weight wrestlers stepped-up and paved the way to victory with wins in three of the final four bouts. Eric Gross scored a major decision at 167 pounds, John Eschenfelder returned from injury and won at 190 pounds while Garofalo was strong in a 6-4 decision at heavyweight.

Buffalo hosted Hofstra and Boston College a week later in Alumni Arena and promptly won their ninth and tenth dual meets of the season. In the first match against the Boston College, John Stutzman became UB's single-season and career leader in dual meet takedowns, defeating the Eagles' Eugene Swanzey by technical fall. George Chamoun (167) and Matt Ricci (177) won-by-fall, as did heavyweight Mike Garofalo, as Buffalo rolled to a 44-6 victory.

The second match against the Hofstra Flying Dutchmen saw the Bulls take advantage of three forfeits enroute to a 40-4 win. Matt Ricci pinned his second straight opponent while Garofalo won his seventh straight. Although Buffalo improved to 10-2-2 and 5-1-1 in the ECWA, they would face stiff competition the next weekend at Duquesne (2/22) and at Ohio (2/23).

Despite earning two victories by forfeit against the Duquesne Dukes, the Bulls struggled to a 27-14 victory. Following a forfeit win by Don Klein at 118 pounds, Jason Wartinger scored a tough one-point win at 126 pounds while Jeromy McVige scored an escape in the overtime tie-breaker for a victory at 134. The Bulls would lose bouts at 142 and 150 pounds before Mazzeo pinned his opponent for an 18-6 Bulls' lead. Eric Gross won at 167 pounds and Matt Ricci won by forfeit at 177 pounds, as UB would hang for the 13-point win.

The Bulls earned the 400th win in program history the next day as they defeated Mid-American Conference (MAC)-member Ohio 25-14. After Klein's second straight win by forfeit, Wartinger and McVige would win hard-fought back-to-back overtime matches for a 12-0 UB lead. The Bobcats got on the board with wins at 142 and 158 pounds, sandwiched around Stutzman's 5-1 decision at 150 pounds making the score UB 15, Ohio 7. Buffalo would get wins from Eric Gross at 167 pounds and John Eschenfelder at 190 pounds as they bettered Ohio by nine points. With their best dual meet finish in over 10 years with a 12-2-2 record, the Bulls would have two weeks rest before the ECWA National Qualifier March 8-9, 1997 at Bucknell University.

Buffalo would have a strong showing at the ECWA Tournament, finishing third for the second consecutive season behind Boston University and conference champion Rider. Although Jason Wartinger (118), John Stutzman (150), and Eric Gross (167) all reached the finals of their weight classes, all finished second with only one, Wartinger, obtaining one of the at-large berths for the NCAA Tournament. Wartinger, the #2 seed at 118 pounds was defeated by Rider's John Carvalheira, a 1997 All-American, Stutzman, the #1 seed at 150 pounds, was upset by Boston University's Dave Leonardo and Gross, the #2 seed at 167 pounds, was defeated by Rider's Chad Liott. Not being selected by the ECWA coaches as one of the at-large qualifiers was an extremely bitter pill for Stutzman to swallow after winning more matches than any other ECWA wrestler during the regular season. However, despite the disappointment experienced by Gross and Stutzman, there other UB wrestlers who contributed to their third-place team finish. Brian Schaal wrestled for the first time at 126 pounds and finished third, Jeromy McVige (134) rebounded from a tough overtime loss to 1997 All-American Jason Nase of Rider to finish third, and heavyweight Mike Garofalo finished third in his first ECWA Tournament. Arturo Mazzeo finished fourth at 158 pounds, as did John Eschenfelder at 190 pounds.

Making his third career appearance at the NCAA Tournament, Jason Wartinger was poised to become the University at Buffalo's first NCAA Division I All-American. However the first-round draw was not kind to him as he was pinned in the first round by the fourth seed, Shane Valdez of Oklahoma State. Undeterred, Wartinger bounced back in the consolations, defeating Robert Chevez of American University 7-3. Unfortunately, Wartinger's career would come to a close in the next round of consolations as he dropped a tough 5-3 decision to Howard's Derrick Hinson.

The 1996-97 Bulls had a memorable season, posting a 12-2-2 dual meet record with top-five finishes in all five tournaments they wrestled in. With 22 dual meet wins and third-place finishes in the ECWA Tournament the past two seasons, the UB Bulls are clearly one of the rising teams in the East.