To: “Jim B. Sheehan” <Jim.B.Sheehan@hofstra.edu>
Sent: Thursday, December 18, 2014 2:25:32 PM
Subject: Wrestling: Hofstra Preps For Maryland and Bucknell In The Grapple At The Garden Sunday
Wrestling: Hofstra Preps For Maryland and Bucknell In The Grapple At The Garden Sunday
Courtesy: Hofstra Athletic Communications
For Release: Thursday, December 18, 2014
– Live Stats
– Pride Production Live Audio
– FloWrestling Live Video (Pay)
– Grapple at the Garden Digital Magazine
– Hofstra Athletics on Twitter
– Hofstra Match Notes
Hempstead, NY – Hempstead, NY – The Hofstra Pride Wrestling team returns to action this Sunday, December 21 when the Pride take on the University of Maryland and Bucknell University in the Grapple at the Garden, presented by Muscle Pharm, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Hofstra, 2-4 on the season and 1-1 in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association, will face Maryland (4-5) at 10 a.m. before squaring off against EIWA member Bucknell (0-1) at noon in the World’s Most Famous Arena. Pride Productions will have the live audio coverage of both Hofstra matches.
The 2014 Grapple at the Garden marks the third consecutive year that Hofstra has participated in the collegiate, high school and scholastic wrestling extravaganza. The Pride is 2-2 in the Grapple at the Garden, defeating Army and Boston University last year after falling to #4 Ohio State and #5 Iowa in 2012.
The day kicks off on all eight mats at 7 a.m. with a youth tournament finals. At 8 a.m., five collegiate matches and three high school contests will take center stage. At 10 a.m., seven Division I matches and one Division II contest will be held before another seven Division I matches and a club team battle between Team Joe Warren and Team Renzo Gracie. The day wraps up with a special exhibition at 2:10 p.m. between four-time NCAA Champion Kyle Dake and 2014 World Champion Arsen Julfalakyan.
Hofstra continues to have three wrestlers, graduate-student Cody Ruggirello, sophomore Jamel Hudson and sophomore Michael Hughes, ranked in the five individual polls this week.
Ruggirello (Walden, NY) is ranked in four of the five polls at 149 pounds this week after winning 13 of his first 16 outings. He placed fifth at the Cliff Keen-Las Vegas Invitational two weeks ago. Ruggirello is ranked 13th by The Wrestling Report, 15th by WIN Magazine, 17th by The Open Mat and 18th by Amateur Wrestling News. A 2014 NCAA Championship qualifier, Ruggirello has won six of his last eight matches and is 13-3 on the year.
After being ranked in all five polls two weeks ago, sophomore Jamel Hudson (Bay Shore, NY) returned to being ranked in all five at 141 pounds this week. He is ranked 14th by The Wrestling Report, 17th by The Open Mat, 18th by InterMat, 19th by Amateur Wrestling News and 20th by WIN Magazine. Hudson, who has also won six of his last eight matches, is now 8-3 on the season.
Sophomore Michael Hughes (Smithtown, NY), who joined Ruggirello as the only two Pride wrestlers to compete on day two of the CKLV Invitational, remained at 26th in The Wrestling Report rankings at 285 pounds. Hughes, who has won 10 of his last 13 matches, is now 11-4 on the season.
The Terrapins of Maryland, coached by Long Island-product and 2014 Hall of Fame inductee, Kerry McCoy, are 4-5 on the season including a 0-3 mark in the Big Ten. The Terps are coming off a 38-3 loss to #4 Penn State in their last outing on December 11 in College Park.
Maryland has wins over Johns Hopkins (49-0), Kutztown (35-10), Davidson (36-9) and Alderson Broaddus (40-3) and losses to George Mason (17-16), #17 Wisconsin (28-12), #7 Nebraska (42-3), #11 Pittsburgh (26-9) and #4 Penn State (38-3). The Terps are led by junior Geoff Alexander, who is 5-1 on the year and ranked 11th at 133 pounds by InterMat. Sophomore Shyheim Brown is 10-1 on the season at 141 pounds.
Sunday’s encounter will be the Pride’s first meeting with Maryland since a 34-6 loss in College Park on February 14, 2010.
The Bison of Bucknell are 0-1 on the season heading into their home opener against Virginia on Saturday afternoon before coming to the Garden for matches against Davidson and Hofstra. The Bison opened the season on November 8 with a 22-11 loss to 14th-ranked Pittsburgh. Bucknell is led by junior Paul Petrov, who is 7-2 and ranked 16th at 125 pounds. Senior Joe Stolfi, who is 13-5 and ranked 20th in the country at 285 pounds.
Hofstra will be facing the Bison for the first time since a 24-15 victory at the Northeast Duals on November 24, 2007.
Jim Sheehan
Sports information Director
Hofstra University
PEB – Room 233
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Hempstead, NY 11550
516-463-6764 – Office
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