No. 11 Wrestling Downs Hofstra

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – No. 11 Rutgers wrestling (14-5) downed Hofstra (3-15), 45-3, on Wednesday night at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Center. The Scarlet Knights worked a 9-1 match split with the Pride, which included pins from No. 6 Joseph Olivieri (141), No. 19 Hunter Catka (HWT) and Jordan Chapman (184).

Closing the regular season with a six-match win streak, RU secured 14 or more dual wins in a season for the ninth time under head coach Scott Goodale. The program has posted double-digit dual wins in 17 out of 19 seasons since Goodale took over the program.

Including its three pins, RU registered seven bonus-point victories against Hofstra, as No. 20 Lenny Pinto (174), No. 28 Andrew Clark (149) and Devon Magro (157) all picked up tech falls. PJ Casale (197) added a win by injury default.

Hofstra's Teague Strobel was able to pick off No. 24 Ayden Smith (125) in tiebreakers, giving the Pride a quick 3-0 lead. No. 25 Dylan Shawver (133) countered with a 13-8 decision over reigning EIWA Wrestler of the Week Gauge Shipp to tie the team score at 3-3.

Olivieri sparked three consecutive bonus-point wins for RU, catching Chase Liardi on his back in the second period for the fall. Clark landed three takedowns and added two four-point tilts on Jackson Slotnick, with his second near fall giving him an 18-0 tech fall. Making his first dual start since December, Magro wrestled up a weight class against Eric Schindel, cruising to a 17-2 tech fall to give the Scarlet Knights a 19-3 advantage through the first five bouts of the night.

No. 19 Andrew Barbosa (165) wrestled tough in his 4-1 decision over Jake Slotnick, while a tech fall from Pinto over Matt Rogers put the dual out of reach with a 27-3 team lead heading into the final three bouts of the night.

Chapman got the call against Josh Jorgge, pinning his opponent in the first period. After an injury default from Will Conlon with 17 seconds remaining in the second period gave Casale a win, Catka closed the night with a five-takedown opening period before pinning Adrian Sans.

Up Next

Rutgers gets a few weeks off before competing at the 2026 Big Ten Championships March 7-8 in State College, Pennsylvania.

Box Score

No. 11 Rutgers 45, Hofstra 3

125: Teague Strobel (HOF) over 24/23 Ayden Smith (RU) by TB2, 3-2; HOF leads, 3-0

133: 25/31 Dylan Shawver (RU) over Gauge Shipp (HOF) by dec., 13-8; Match tied, 3-3

141: 6/7 Joseph Olivieri (RU) over Chase Liardi (HOF) by fall (3:36); RU leads, 9-3

149: 28/NR Andrew Clark (RU) over Jackson Slotnick (HOF) by TF, 18-0 (5:49); RU leads, 14-3

157: Devon Magro (RU) over Eric Schindel (HOF) by TF, 17-2 (7:00); RU leads, 19-3

165: 18/20 Andrew Barbosa (RU) over Jake Slotnick (HOF) by dec., 4-1; RU leads, 22-3

174: 20/23 Lenny Pinto (RU) over Matt Rogers (HOF) by TF, 18-3 (5:58); RU leads, 27-3

184: Jordan Chapman (RU) over Josh Jorgge (HOF) by fall (2:06); RU leads, 33-3

197: PJ Casale (RU) over Will Conlon (HOF) by inj. def (4:43); RU leads, 39-3

HWT: 19/19 Hunter Catka (RU) over Adrian Sans (HOF) by fall (2:31); RU wins, 45-3