The Hofstra University wrestling team dueled in a double-header Ivy League match-up against Harvard University and Brown University. The Pride fought hard but ultimately lost 25-9 against Harvard and 22-17 against Brown. Hofstra’s Gauge Shipp (133) and Chase Liardi (141) both showed up with wins during both matches.
During the dual against Harvard, Hofstra pulled through with three wins by Shipp, Liardi and Will Conlon (197). Shipp started his match against Coleman Nogle with a scoreless first period. At the start of the second, Nogle chose to start on the bottom, and Shipp used his strength to get four near fall points. To close out the match, Shipp started the third period on the bottom, getting an escape with the end score 5-1. Conlon won his match against Harvard’s Hudson Skove 1-0. The match-up was head-to-head with a scoreless first and second period. At the beginning of the third, Conlon started on the bottom and was able to get the escape point to seal the win. Before the match against Brown, Hofstra recognized all four of their seniors graduating this spring: Liardi, Eric Shindel, Matt Rogers and Adrian Sans.
“It’s always a special moment having their families in to see how they grow so fast and then leave … We’ll be missing all those guys in the future,” said Hofstra head coach Jamie Franco.
Sans (285) had a great matchup with Harvard’s Daniel Bittner. Throughout the match, Sans and Bittner went head-to-head. It was at the end of the third period that Harvard got the 3-point takedown. After a challenge thrown by Franco, the referees kept the takedown for Harvard with a final score of 4-1.
During the second match of the day versus Brown, Hofstra kept a close team score throughout, only trailing by one or two matches. During the dual, Shipp had an excellent performance, pinning Brown’s Douglas Shipers in the first period. Following Shipps’ win, Liardi secured a 2-0 win on senior night. Jake Slotnick (165) had a nailbiter match against Max Norman for the Bears. The two fought in a scoreless first period. In the beginning of the second and third periods, Slotnick and Norman each got one point for escapes. Toward the end of the third period, Slotnick got the takedown for an additional three points for the 4-2 win.
“I mean [we] came up short,” Franco said. “Harvard is a little bit different than Brown. Brown came down to their last match. You know, obviously up against a tough ranked opponent.”
The Pride took on Rutgers University on Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 6 p.m. The Pride heads into end of season matches with Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Championships starting on March 6.
If wrestlers qualify, they will take part in the NCAA Wrestling Championship starting on March 19.
