The match started at 125, where Cornell sends impressive freshman Troy Nickerson to the mat. Hofstra, struggling with injuries, forfeited the 125 pound bout and also the 133 pound match, where Cornell senior Mike Mormile was scheduled to wrestle.
Armed with a quick 12-0 lead, the Big Red sent junior Matt Easter to the mat for the 141 pound match, where he would face No. 12 Charles Griffin. Griffin scored a takedown in the first period to take the 2-0 lead. Griffin chose bottom to start the second and escaped 25 seconds in. After two penalty points against Easter, one for unsportsmanlike conduct and one for unnecessary roughness, Griffin scored a late takedown. With the riding time point, Griffin took the 8-0 major decision.
At 149 pounds, Keith Dickey faced No. 4 Jon Masa. There was no scoring in either of the first two periods, as neither wrestler could score a takedown in the first and Masa rode out Dickey in the second. Masa chose bottom to start the third and eventually escaped to grab the 1-0 lead. Dickey would continue to take shots, but was unable to control Masa, who eventually scored a takedown with under one minute remaining. After Dickey escaped, he tried for the reversal, but Masa retreated out of bounds and was hit with a penalty point, bringing Dickey within 3-2. However, Dickey could not score the final takedown in the last 49 seconds of the bout and, with the riding time point, Masa won 4-2.
No. 5 Dustin Manotti took on No. 15 James Strouse in the 157 pound match. Just over two minutes into the first period, Manotti got what would prove to be the only takedown of the match. Strouse got to within 2-1 with an escape in the second period, but Manotti took back the two-point lead with an escape of his own to open the third. With time winding down in the match, Manotti was hit with a penalty point for stalling, but it wouldnt matter as the Cornell senior tri-captain held on for a 3-2 win.
Through five bouts, the Big Red held a 15-7 lead.
In the 165 pound bout, Cornells 13th-ranked Steve Anceravage took on Chris Vondruska. Anceravage got a takedown in the first and an escape in the second to go up 3-1. There was no scoring in the third and the Cornell sophomore got the riding time point for a 4-1 win.
Cornell senior Dan Miracola faced off against No. 5 Mike Patrovich at 174 pounds and would give the Hofstra senior a tough test. Patrovich took a 2-0 lead with an early takedown in the first and extended the lead to 4-0 lead with a takedown halfway through the second period. Miracola scored an escape late in the second and, after choosing bottom to start the third, he got to within 4-2 with another escape. Miracola needed a takedown in the last 1:53 of the match and took quality shots that came close to controlling Patrovich. However, Patrovich warded off Miracolas offense and held on for a 4-2 win.
At 184 pounds, No. 5 Joe Mazzurco faced Hofstras 19th-ranked Joe Rovelli in a matchup of two top-20 wrestlers. Mazzurco got two first period takedowns and led 4-1 after one. After Rovelli deferred the decision to start the second, Mazzurco chose neutral, but neither wrestler could record a point. The third period saw Rovelli choose top as he would ride Mazzurco for the entire period without being able to turn the Cornell All-American for back points and the match ended at 4-1 in favor of Mazzurco.
Seventh-ranked Jerry Rinaldi took to the mat for the 197 pound match against Chris Weidman in what proved to be a tough, closely contested match. Rinaldi got a takedown in the final 30 seconds of the first period and Weidman scored a takedown of his own in the final 20 seconds of the second period to tie it up at 2-2. With time winding down in the period, Weidman was unable to ride Rinaldi to the end of the second, as the Cornell junior escaped to regain the lead. Rinaldi chose down to start the third, escaped and would eventually hold on for the win, 4-3.
Senior Matt Pollock made his dual meet debut for the Big Red in the heavyweight contest. The Big Red senior, who also plays on the defensive line for the Cornell football team faced Jon Andriac in the final bout of the afternoon. There was no scoring in the first, but Andriac escaped once in the second and third to take a 2-0 lead. With time winding down, Pollock shot at Andriacs legs, getting Andriac on his heels, but they tumbled out of bounds before Pollock could gain control. That would turn out to be Pollocks best shot at scoring, as he dropped a 2-0 decision.
The Big Red will be in action again next weekend, when it takes on No. 22 Penn, Princeton and Rider. The Penn match, the winner of which will have the inside track on the Ivy League title, is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 10 at 2 p.m., in Philadelphia, Pa. On Saturday, Feb. 11, the Big Red will take on Princeton in Princeton, N.J., before heading to Lawrenceville, N.J. to face Rider.
No. 21 Hofstra at No. 13 Cornell
125: No. 6 Troy Nickerson (Cornell) win by forfeit; C: 6, H: 0
133: No. 14 Mike Mormile (Cornell) win by forfeit; C: 12, H: 0
141: No. 12 Charles Griffin (Hofstra) defeated Matt Easter (Cornell), 8-0 (md); C: 12, H: 4
149: No. 4 Jon Masa (Hofstra) defeated Keith Dickey (Cornell), 4-2; C: 12, H: 7
157: No. 5 Dustin Manotti (Cornell) defeated No. 15 James Strouse (Hofstra), 3-2; C: 15, H: 7
165: No. 13 Steve Anceravage (Cornell) defeated Chris Vondruska (Hofstra), 4-1; C: 18, H: 7
174: No. 5 Mike Patrovich (Hofstra) defeated Dan Miracola (Cornell), 4-2; C: 18, H: 10
184: No. 5 Joe Mazzurco (Cornell) defeated No. 19 Joe Rovelli (Hofstra), 4-1; C: 21, H: 10
197: No. 7 Jerry Rinaldi (Cornell) defeated Chris Weidman (Hofstra), 4-3; C: 24, H: 10
285: Jon Andriac (Hofstra) defeated Matt Pollock (Cornell), 2-0; C: 24, H: 13
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