By Kevin Carroll – ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
The Hofstra wrestling team’s first dual match of the season, the Northeast Journeyman/Asics Northeast Duals, was one that they would likely want to forget.
The Pride ran into a buzzsaw on Sunday, dropping all three of its matches on the day, to some of the most highly touted teams in the country. The team was routed in its opening match against Northern Iowa by a score of 39-3, then lost 24-12 to Lock Haven University before finishing up the event on the wrong end of a 31-9 final score against the University of Michigan.
Hofstra’s first opponent, the 25th-ranked Panthers, wasted no time pouncing on an overmatched Hofstra squad, winning the fist six matches to run the lead to 30-0. Junior Frank Affronti put the Pride on the board with an 8-3 victory over UNI’s Drew Foster at the 174-weight class, but his victory would be the only one for the Pride in the opening match.
The Pride’s contest with the Bald Eagles of Lock Haven saw a similar start, with Hofstra falling behind early, 9-0. Not helping the Pride’s cause was a loss via forfeit at the 133-weight class, an occurrence that plagued the Pride in all three of its matchups.
Victories from Jamel Hudson, Jahlani Callender, and a second win for Affronti would keep the Pride alive, pulling to within 15-9. But Lock Haven was able to put the match out of reach with a major decision and a tech fall at the 184 and 197 classes, respectively. Pride junior Mike Hughes won a 4-0 decision to close out the match, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Bald Eagles.
The Pride finished their day with a match against the mighty Michigan Wolverines, one of the best teams in the nation. It certainly showed, as Michigan ran out to an early 9-0 lead, and stayed out in front of the Pride the entire way, cruising to a 30-9 victory.
The same three wrestlers picking up wins for the Pride against Lock Haven were also victorious against the Wolverines, with Affronti putting the finishing touches on a undefeated day with a 3-2 decision over Davonte Mahomes.
The Pride will be back in action this Sunday, Nov. 22, when they head up to Ithaca to compete in the New York State Collegiate Championships. The tournament is being hosted by Cornell University, and will begin at 9 a.m.
