Hempstead, NY – The Hofstra Wrestling team begins their 2014-15 Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) schedule this Thursday, November 6 when they travel to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to face the 15th-ranked Mountain Hawks of Lehigh University. Match time at Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall is 7 p.m.
Hofstra (1-0) is coming off a thrilling, 17-16 come-from-behind victory over Lock Haven in the Mack Sports Complex last Sunday. The Pride trailed 13-3 after five matches before winning four of the final five match-ups to pull out the victory on a 4-2 decision by graduate-student
Cody Ruggirello over Lock Haven's Dan Neff at 149. Ruggirello would not have been in the position for the win had it not been for the big 21-6 tech fall win by sophomore
Jamel Hudson over LHU's Bobby Rehm at 141. Hudson, who moved up to 141 this season after posting a 16-4 mark at 133 in 2013-14, brought the Pride to within two points with his victory. Sophomore
Jahlani Callender at 157,
Michael Hughes at 285 and
Travis Passaro at 125 also recorded victories for the Pride against the Bald Eagles.
Hofstra begins its second season in the EIWA after placing fourth in the conference championship last March at Penn. The Pride finished behind the champions, Cornell, as well as Lehigh and Rutgers. Hofstra was 4-3 in EIWA matches last season.
Lehigh, which has competed in 102 EIWA Championship tournaments, begins their 2014-15 season Thursday night. The Mountain Hawks are ranked 15th in the USA Today/NWCA Division I Poll and 17th in this week's InterMat poll. Lehigh, which was 8-6 overall and 4-2 in the EIWA last season, placed second to Cornell in the conference championships last March. The Mountain Hawks are led by junior Nathaniel Brown, who is ranked third by InterMat at 184 and sophomore Elliot Riddick, who is rated 18th at 197.
Thursday's match at Lehigh is the first match in the EIWA this season. Hofstra and Lehigh have not met since a 34-7 Mountain Hawk victory over the Pride on November 30, 2012. Lehigh was ranked 21st in the country at the time of the match. The last time Hofstra recorded a win over Lehigh was on February 8, 2008 when the Pride notched a 25-11 win in Bethlehem.
