Buffalo, NY - Hofstra won the first six weight classes, including a tech fall victory by Justin Hoyle at 141 pounds, to jump out to a 20-0 lead and went on to post a 23-9 victory over Buffalo Sunday afternoon at Alumni Arena. The Pride won a total of seven of the 10 weight classes to snap a two-match losing streak. 

Hofstra moved to 1-2 on the season with the victory. The Bulls slipped to 6-9 with their second consecutive loss. 

The match began with a 3-1 victory by the Pride's Jacob Moon at 125 pounds over Mason Bush. Moon used a second period escape and a third period reversal to build a 3-0 lead. Bush had an escape in the third period and neither wrestler had an advantage after that. Chase Liardi followed with a 5-3 victory over Tommy Maddox at 133 pounds. Liardi took a 4-0 lead in the second period following an escape, a penalty point, and a takedown. Maddox made it interesting in the third with an escape and a takedown to make it a one-point contest. But Liardi earned an escape in the period to push it back up to two points and held off Maddox for the win. 

Hoyle continued the Pride's strong start with a 19-3 tech fall win over Jack Marlow. The Hofstra junior scored a takedown in the first and had a two-point nearfall in the second to build a 4-0 lead. Hoyle would earn four back points just before the end of the second period and led 12-3. An escape, a takedown and four more back points in the third resulted in the tech fall. Michael Leandrou and Matt Ryan put on an entertaining match at 149 pounds. The match was tied at four early in the third period and neither would score again to force overtime. In the extra session, Leandrou scored a single leg takedown 20 seconds in to pick up the 6-4 win. 

Another overtime match at 157 pounds ended in another Hofstra victory as Joe McGinty earned an 8-6 decision over Kaleb Burgess with a takedown more than one minute into the extra period. Eric Shindel kept things rolling for the Pride as he defeated Ty Raines at 165 pounds, 3-1. Shindel scored all three points in the second period with an escape and a takedown. Ross McFarland and Jay Nivison battled at 174 pounds in what was another close contest and the third extra time match of the day. Nivison, a 2022 NCAA qualifier, had a second period escape, while McFarland picked up an escape to start the third period. But in the third overtime, Nivison earned an escape and held on for the 2-1 victory for the Bulls first victory on the day. 

In what was the marquee matchup of the day, featuring a pair of ranked wrestlers, Hofstra's No. 24 Jacob Ferreira took on No. 28 Giuseppe Hoose at 184 pounds. Ferreira jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second period before Hoose scored an escape and then a takedown at the horn to tie the match at three. Hoose took the lead with an escape to start the third period and held on for the win. Sam Mitchell picked up a third consecutive win for the Bulls with a 4-0 victory over Nikolas Miller at 197 pounds. 

The final match of the night pitted a pair of former Nassau Community College teammates in Zachary Knighton-Ward for Hofstra and Greg Hodulick for Buffalo. Knighton-Ward started with a takedown before allowing an escape and a takedown to trail 3-2 after one period. The Hofstra graduate student started the second period with an escape and then added another takedown to build a 5-3 advantage. Knighton-Ward picked up another two points at the start of the third period. After an escape, Knighton-Ward got another takedown and rode out the rest of the match for the 9-4 decision. 

Hofstra will return home for its next dual match when it takes on Franklin & Marshall in an EIWA contest at 4 p.m. on Saturday, January 21 at the David S. Mack Physical Education Center. 

Notes:
-The series between Hofstra and Buffalo is tied at 6-6-1.
-Hoyle picked up his first tech fall of the season.
-Leandrou earned his first win of the season. 
-Knighton-Ward is 2-0 this season versus Hodulick. 

Hofstra 23, Buffalo 9
125-Jacob Moon (Hofstra) dec. Mason Bush (Buffalo), 3-1 (3-0)
133-Chase Liardi (Hofstra) dec. Tommy Maddox (Buffalo), 5-3 (6-0)
141-Justin Hoyle (Hofstra) tech fall Jack Marlow (Buffalo), 6:47 (11-0)
149-Michael Leandrou (Hofstra) dec. Matt Ryan (Buffalo), 6-4 (sv) (14-0)
157-Joe McGinty (Hofstra) dec. Kaleb Burgess (Buffalo), 8-6 (sv) (17-0)
165-Eric Shindel (Hofstra) dec. Ty Raines (Buffalo), 3-1 (20-0)
174-Jay Nivison (Buffalo) dec. Ross McFarland (Hofstra), 2-1 (OT3) (20-3)
184-#28 Giuseppe Hoose (Buffalo) dec. #24 Jacob Ferreira (Hofstra), 4-3 (20-6)
197-Sam Mitchell (Buffalo) dec. Nikolas Miller (Hofstra), 4-0 (20-9)
285-Zachary Knighton-Ward (Hofstra) vs. Greg Hodulick (Buffalo), 9-4 (23-9)