Hempstead, NY –The Hofstra Wrestling team will wrap up its 2015-16 home schedule and honor its graduating seniors on Sunday, February 14 when the Pride host EIWA-rival the Dragons of Drexel at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex. Match time is 4:30 p.m.
Pride Productions will provide live audio and video of the Hofstra match Sunday while live stats can be accessed on Track Wrestling or on GoHofstra.com.
The Pride will honor its five graduating seniors,
Marcus Begay at 133,
Jamel Hudson at 141,
Alex Mirante at 149,
Cory Goshkagarian at 157 and
Jermaine John at 165 in prematch ceremonies on Sunday.
Hofstra is 5-10 overall and 1-4 in the EIWA. The Pride is coming off a 31-7 loss at Rider in Lawrenceville, New Jersey Thursday night. Juniors
Michael Hughes at 285 and
Frank Affronti at 174 recorded Hofstra victories against the Broncs. Hughes posted his team-leading 11th major decision of the season to improve to 31-7 on the season. Affronti, who won in overtime, recorded his team-leading 18th decision to improve to 26-11.
Thursday evening, the NCAA released the second of four coaches' panel rankings and a preliminary release of the ratings percentage index (RPI) for the 2015-16 wrestling season. The final rankings and RPI will be two of the tools used as part of the selection process to determine the qualifiers and seeding for the 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, hosted by Hofstra University, at Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 17-19.
Wrestlers in each weight class will be measured by winning percentage, rating percentage index (RPI) and coaches' rankings to earn spots in their qualifying tournaments for the 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. The coaches' rankings are compiled by a vote of coaches representing each qualifying tournament. For ranking purposes, coaches may only consider a wrestler that has been designated as a starter at a respective weight class.
In order to be eligible for the rankings, wrestlers must have participated in at least five matches against Division I opponents in the weight class and have wrestled within the last 30 days. To be eligible for an RPI ranking, a wrestler must have a minimum of 17 Division I matches at a given weight class.
Hofstra continues to have three wrestlers ranked in the second of four NCAA Coaches Panel Rankings, from February 11 and two in the preliminary RPI rankings.
Michael Hughes is ranked 20th in the coaches panel and 19th in the RPI rankings.
Frank Affronti is ranked 31st in the coaches poll and 32nd in the RPI. Senior
Jamel Hudson is ranked 26th in the coaches panel and unranked in the RPI at 141 pounds.
Hofstra also continues to have three wrestlers ranked in the national polls this week. Hughes is ranked 18th by The Open Mat and 22nd by The Wrestling Report this week. Hughes is now 31-7 overall and 12-3 in duals on the season. He has won 11 of his last 12 matches. Hudson, who is 16-5 on the season including 8-3 in duals, is ranked in two of the polls this week. He is ranked 18th by The Open Mat and 26th by The Wrestling Report. Hudson has won eight of his last 10 matches. Affronti is now ranked 30th by The Wrestling Report this week. He has already topped his single season career-best victory total this year and is now 26-11 overall and 12-3 in duals. Affronti has won seven of his last 10 matches.
Drexel is 8-7 overall and 4-3 in the EIWA. The Dragons have wins over Campbell (21-15), Cal Poly (28-12), Northwestern (21-20), American (21-16), Army West Point (25-7), Sacred Heart (48-0), Franklin and Marshall (34-3) and Rider (21-14). Their losses have come against West Virginia (26-7), Arizona State (27-6), Cornell (37-3), Illinois (31-9), Maryland (24-10), Navy (25-14) and Binghamton (16-15).
The Dragons have five wrestlers ranked in either the NCAA Coaches Panel or the RPI. Junior Matt Cimato is 27-5 on the year at 149 pounds and is ranked 11th in the coaches panel and 15th in the RPI. Sophomore Joey Goodhart is 19-9 and ranked 32nd by the coaches and 33rd in the RPI at 285. Junior David Pearce is 12-7 on the year and ranked 23rd at 133. Sophomore Stephen Loiseau is 16-11 and ranked 31st at 184 in the RPI. Classmate Zach Fuentes is 16-11 and ranked 33rd at 125 pounds in the RPI.
Following the Drexel match, Hofstra will hit the road for two matches at Harvard on Friday, February 19 and Brown on Saturday, February 20. After those two matches, Hofstra will prepare for the EIWA Championships at Princeton University on Saturday and Sunday, March 5-6.
