Women's Wrestling to Start Inaugural Season at Sunday's East Stroudsburg Open
Purple Knights will compete in 10 meets prior to the NCAA Regionals set for late February.
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – Just about a full year since University of Bridgeport announced women's wrestling as its 20th varsity sport, the Purple Knights will compete for the very first time this Sunday at the East Stroudsburg Open.
THE SEASON OPENER
East Stroudsburg is set to host the 58th annual men's and fifth annual women's wrestling open this Sunday at the Koehler Fieldhouse in East Stroudsburg, Pa. ESU is expecting to host more than 700 wrestlers in an event that featured 22 schools on the women's side and 17 on the men's side last year.
Fans can catch the action with various live stream links that are located HERE.
THE REST OF THE 2025-26 SCHEDULE
Following their meet at East Stroudsburg, the Purple Knights are set to compete in nine additional events leading up to the NCAA Regionals, scheduled for Feb. 21-22 in Elmira, N.Y.
Two of those meets will be held at home, including the Bridgeport Open on Nov. 22—which will feature several local programs—and a tri-meet with New England College and Norwich University on Feb. 8.
Another highlight of the schedule comes on Jan. 18, when UB makes the short trip to Sacred Heart for a tri-meet against the Pioneers and Eastern Connecticut State.
The first-ever NCAA Women's Wrestling Championship is scheduled for March 5-7 at the Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa.
THE ROSTER
UB's inaugural women's wrestling roster features 14 student-athletes, including 12 freshmen and a pair of sophomores. The group is largely homegrown, with 11 Purple Knights from Connecticut, while the remaining three hail from Georgia, New Jersey, and New York.
THE COACH
Peter Del Gallo was named the first-ever head coach of UB women's wrestling on Oct. 24, 2024. He came to UB after serving as an assistant coach at the University of Southern Maine (USM), where he helped guide the program's first freshman NCAA Division III All-American.
Del Gallo has also coached at the Southside Wrestling Club in Bridgeport as the associate head coach for men's and women's freestyle and spent the 2023-24 season as an assistant coach at Staples High School in Westport, Conn.
Before entering the coaching ranks, Del Gallo was a two-time All-American at USM, compiling an impressive 133-10 career record and placing third at the 2019 NCAA Championships. He was a NEWA and Pilgrim Wrestling League All-Star and held the nation's top ranking at 125 pounds for much of his junior season.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING (QUOTES)
Peter Del Gallo – Head Coach, First Season
"I'm excited to kick off the new women's wrestling program at the University of Bridgeport! This is the start of something special, and I'm proud to help lay the foundation for a team built on hard work, resilience, and pride. I can't wait to see our athletes grow and make history in our first season together."
Jocelyn Sanchez - Freshman
"I'm honored to be a part of UB and represent our community through wrestling. Women's wrestling is emerging, and I'm happy to make history here at UB with the team."
Lindsey Rywolt – Sophomore
"Being part of this first-year women's wrestling program is such an exciting opportunity. We're not just building a team, we're building history and creating a path for future female wrestlers."
FOLLOW ALONG
For all information regarding Bridgeport Athletics, visit www.UBKnights.com and follow UB Athletics on Facebook (UBPurpleKnights), X (@UBPurpleKnights) and Instagram (@UBPurpleKnights).