Rutgers University announced on Feb. 17 that its No. 11 ranked wrestling team will conclude the regular season with a match against Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. The dual is scheduled for Wednesday at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Center, beginning at 6 p.m., and will be streamed live on FloWrestling.
The matchup marks an opportunity for Rutgers to secure its ninth season with at least 14 dual wins under head coach Scott Goodale. The Scarlet Knights currently hold a record of 13-5 and are riding a five-match winning streak, including a recent victory over Princeton by a score of 28-9.
The projected lineup for Rutgers features all ten starters who appear in the latest NCAA coaches’ rankings, with eight also holding Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) positions. Notably, Joseph Olivieri is the program’s highest-ranked individual, appearing as high as No. 6 nationally according to Intermat.
In their last outing, Rutgers defeated Princeton for the fifth consecutive year before a crowd of 3,820 at Jersey Mike’s Arena. Several wrestlers contributed ranked victories and bonus points during that match, helping the team retain the B1G-IVY Trophy. Senior Night was also observed during this event, recognizing athletes including Hunter Catka, Andrew Clark, Joseph Olivieri, Anthony White, Patrick Adams, Brandan Chletsos, Eric Freeman, Sebastiano Nini, Lenny Pinto and Dylan Shawver.
Rutgers has dominated its series against Hofstra in recent years and leads the all-time record between the programs at 16-9-1. The Scarlet Knights have won five straight meetings since 2013 and twelve of the last thirteen since 1990.
Following Wednesday’s match against Hofstra, Rutgers will have several weeks off before competing in the Big Ten Championships scheduled for March 7-8 in State College.