The Hofstra University wrestling team dominated their cross-island and conference opponent Long Island University (LIU) in their third dual meet victory of the season on Monday, Feb. 9. The Pride outscored the Sharks 31-11, winning seven of the 10 matches with Teague Strobel (125) and Gauge Shipp (133) and igniting a win streak with their bonus point victories.
“I thought it was a great performance up and down the lineup, all 10 weight classes,” said Hofstra head coach Jamie Franco. “We’ve been looking for these guys to wrestle complete at all 10 weights, and I think this was our first dual meet of the year that we got all 10 guys to show up the way we know they can compete. Even the ones that we dropped, they were outmatched and, they kept it close, and they were in there to win. And I thought, ‘For the first time this year, we wrestled the way we know we can,’ and we’re starting to peak at the right time of the year.”
The dual was split to victories a piece, with the Pride leading 9-7 going into Strobel’s match against Sawyer Ostroff. Strobel got to work using a combination of takedowns and near-fall points from tilts to win the match by technical fall 17-2.
“I just think it brought a lot of excitement to the fans and to the guys wrestling behind us,” Strobel said. “Putting on a performance like that [is] a lot of fun; it can easily shift the tide of the dual. That team thought they were in it for the most part, and you look at the score and then, yeah.”
Shipp followed with a dominant performance of his own, pinning Carter Pack early into the second period. The win is Shipp’s third win in a row and his 17th of the season. With it, Shipp ties for the team’s lead on games won this season.
“The whole coaching staff has been really emphasizing for me to just let it fly, believe in myself, and I feel like my confidence is really rising – especially in the room – so anytime I get to step on the mat, it’s just having fun, and I feel like I’ve really been letting go lately,” Shipp said.
It was a strong showing across the board for Hofstra. Matthew Waddell (174) started the night with a 17-3 win by major decision. Josh Jorgge (184) put up a fight against former national qualifier Anthony D’Alesio but fell by major decision 15-4. Will Conlon (197) earned his first win of the season by technical fall over Kalbe Wright 19-4. The 285-pounds match went LIU’s way when Adrian Sans fell 3-1. Chase Liardi (141) followed Strobel and Shipp with the victories, winning by major decision 9-1. Alex Turley (149) then won 5-4 by decision, and Frank Volpe (157) wasn’t far behind with his third win in a row from a 13-3 major-decision victory. Chase Hontz (165) wrestled in the last match of the night, struggling before falling by decision to Brayden Roberts 8-0.
The win snapped the Pride’s six-match losing streak, making their record 3-12 and 3-5 in Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association action. Hofstra is now 11-0 all-time against LIU, dating back to the LIU Post days.
The homestead in Hempstead continues for the Pride as they host Harvard University and Brown University on Sunday, Feb. 15, at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m., respectively, at the David S. Mack Physical Education Center.
