Nov. 21, 2008
Beginning at 2 p.m. (CT) in the Hearnes Center, fifth-ranked Missouri and 16th-ranked Hofstra will go head-to-head in a battle of the unbeatens. Both programs enter the afternoon meet with a 2-0 record, however it's the Tigers that own a 3-0 advantage in the all-time series with the Pride.
The first-ever "Wrestling Supporting Wrestling" dual is expected to draw thousands of Missouri fans, with all proceeds from ticket sales going directly to the Wrestling Endowment Fund. Fans are encouraged to arrive early to purchase tickets. Doors and the ticket office will open promptly at 12:30 p.m.
Fans unable to attend the event can watch the dual live, for a small fee, through Missouri's All-Access system available online at mutigers.com. Live scoring will also be available through the Tiger website.
This year's pairing will vary quite significantly from last year's matchup between the two squads. Only two of the 10 bouts contested hold the possibility of a rematch. Wrestling at 157 pounds for Hofstra is 15th-ranked Jonny Bonilla-Bowman. For Missouri, seventh-ranked senior Michael Chandler could clash once again with Bonilla-Bowman, Chandler won last year's bout by major decision. Senior Emanuel Brooks could make his third start of the season, setting the stage for a new matchup at 157 pounds. Wrestling at 165 pounds, Missouri's second-ranked Nicholas Marable will likely battle with Ryan Patrovich for the second time of his career. Marable walked away victorious in last year's bout by a score of 10-2.
Since the two teams first met in 2002, Missouri has outscored Hofstra 66-47, with last year's dual decided, 22-21, in favor of Missouri. The Tigers relied on heavyweight Mark Ellis to help clinch last season's victory. Entering the final bout, Hofstra held a four point advantage over Missouri, so nothing less than a Tiger win by fall or technical fall would do. Ellis obliged, winning his match, 21-6, in 6:39.
Missouri brings five ranked wrestlers to Saturday's match, while Hofstra has four. Three of the 10 projected matches will feature ranked wrestlers competing against each other. The 174 pound match showcases two wrestlers ranked among the top-10 of their weight class, with Tiger Raymond Jordan owning a No. 3 ranking and Hofstra's Alton Lucas ranked as high as eighth.
Following Saturday's match, the Tigers will return to the Hearnes Center for Sunday's ninth annual Missouri Open held in the Fieldhouse. Wrestling begins at 9 a.m. (CT) and entrance is free to the public. Individuals from top-ranked programs such as Illinois, Indiana, Hofstra, Missouri and Northwestern will compete for a Missouri Open title.
Scouting the PRIDEPreviously unranked Hofstra knocked off then-No. 7 Penn State, 18-15, on Nov. 16, to receive a No. 16 ranking in this week's USA Today/NWCA/InterMat poll. The Pride left University Park, Pa., with wins in five weight classes and sent the Nittany Lions down in the rankings to No. 14. Entering the Hearnes Center for the first time in program history, four members of the projected 10-man lineup are currently ranked among the top-20 in the nation in their respective weight class with 133 pounder Lou Ruggirello ranked as high as seventh in the nation. Ruggirello, who was awarded the Gorarrian Award for most falls at the 2008 NCAA Championships is currently 6-0 on the season, earning his first five wins by fall.
Hofstra, led by Head Coach Tom Shiflett, now in his third year with the Pride, enters Saturday's dual with a perfect 2-0 record. The Pride opened the dual portion of its schedule Nov. 12 with a 53-0 shutout of Wagner College. Win No. 2 came over Penn State. Hofstra has won 11 of its last 15 duals dating back to the 2007-08 campaign and claimed its seventh consecutive Colonial Athletic Association Conference title last season. As a team, the Pride sent seven wrestlers to the 2008 National Championships, including four starters on this year's squad, and finished 15th. Current eighth-ranked Alton Lucas was one of two Hofstra wrestlers to earn All-America accolades, finishing eighth in the 174 pound weight class.
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Since current Missouri Head Coach Brian Smith took over the reins in 1998, the Tigers have recorded a 9-1 showing in home openers, most recently collecting a 30-9 victory over Bucknell last season. Missouri's largest margin of victory came in 2000 when Smith and his squad blanked Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, 46-0.
Missouri vs. Hofstra...Rewind
Missouri and Hofstra have met on three ocassions. The first battle between the two squads came in 2002 at the Virginia Duals. Missouri held off the Pride, 25-13, to earn the Virginia Duals Title, with six Tigers earning victories. This marks the only dual in which both teams were not ranked. Missouri stood at ninth.
In 2004, the squads faced off at the National Duals held in Cleveland, Ohio. Hofstra, then ranked seventh in the nation, put up a fight against the No. 2 Tigers, but lost, 19-13.
Last year's dual in Hempstead, N.Y., marked the first non-tournament competition between the two teams. Wrestling in the David S. Mack Sports Complex, the dual was decided in favor of Missouri after then-sophomore Mark Ellis won his bout by technical fall, 21-6.
12 Takedowns
Missouri senior Raymond Jordan went to work in his Nov. 15 dual against Alex Dalrymple of Lock Haven. Jordan took his opponent down 12 times throughout the course of the 6:17 match. The current record for most takedown in a match is set at 13.
All Star Classic Tape Delayed on ESPNU
The 43rd annual National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All Star Classic in which Missouri's very own Nicholas Marable will be competing at 165 pounds, will air on tape delay, Thursday, Dec. 4 at 9 p.m. (CT) on ESPNU. The actual matches will be held Monday, Nov. 24 beginning at 6 p.m. in St. John Arena on the Ohio State University campus. For further information on the NWCA All-Star Classic, please see page five.
Missouri Open Begins at 9 a.m.
The ninth annual Missouri Open is set to begin at 9 a.m. (CT) in the Hearnes Fieldhouse. Nearly 400 wrestlers are expected to descend on Columbia for the all-day event, with finals projected to start around 4 p.m. Live results from both the Open Division and Freshman/Sophomore Division will be updated periodically throughout the course of the day on mutigers.com.
Last season, Missouri captured 15 top-six finishes at the Missouri Open.