No. 11 Rutgers Wrestling Seeks Historic Finish in Road Finale at Hofstra
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The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are operating with the kind of consistency that turns solid seasons into special ones. On Wednesday night, which is in a few hours, they have a chance to put a bold exclamation point on an already impressive regular season. The No. 11 Scarlet Knights, sitting at 13-5, travel to Hempstead, New York, to take on the Hofstra Pride, who enter at 3-14.
Rutgers' Wrestling Team Got National Momentum at the Perfect Time
The duel will take place at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Center at 6 p.m. ET and will stream live on FloWrestling.
MATCH NIGHT!
— Rutgers Wrestling (@RUWrestling) February 18, 2026
🤼: at Hofstra
📍: Hempstead, N.Y.
🕕: 6 p.m.
📺: MSG
💻: https://t.co/YMKMsYYwQD
📰: https://t.co/jjkqARlxyF#RelentlessPursuit | #GoRU pic.twitter.com/PFhSXqTwbr
With a win, Rutgers would secure 14 or more dual victories in a season for the ninth time under head coach Scott Goodale. Even more impressive, the Scarlet Knights have posted double-digit dual wins in 17 of Goodale’s 19 seasons at the helm.
Rutgers enters the final week of the regular season riding serious national momentum. The Scarlet Knights jumped three spots to No. 11 in the latest NWCA Coaches Poll, marking their highest ranking of the season. They are also ranked No. 11 by Intermat heading into this road finale.
The NCAA recently released its second coaches’ rankings and first Ratings Percentage Index for the 2026 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. All 10 Rutgers starters appear in the latest coaches’ rankings, and eight currently own an RPI. That kind of across-the-board recognition is rare.
According to Intermat, all 10 starters are ranked within the top 33 of their respective weight classes. Rutgers is one of just six programs nationally to achieve that distinction. The others are the No. 1 Penn State Nittany Lions, No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes, No. 3 Oklahoma State Cowboys, No. 4 Iowa State Cyclones, and No. 6 Virginia Tech Hokies.
Leading the Scarlet Knights is No. 6 Joseph Olivieri at 141 pounds, the highest-ranked individual on the roster. His steady dominance has been a cornerstone of Rutgers’ climb into the national top 15.
Rutgers heads to Hempstead on a five-match winning streak, most recently earning a 28-9 victory over the Princeton Tigers. In front of 3,820 fans at Jersey Mike's Arena, the Scarlet Knights secured a 7-3 match split to retain the B1G-IVY Trophy.
The duel featured several standout performances. No. 29 Andrew Clark at 149 pounds defeated No. 10 Eligh Rivera in a top-10 upset that electrified the crowd. No. 19 Andrew Barbosa at 165 pounds earned a ranked decision over No. 17 Ty Whalen.
Bonus points proved pivotal. Olivieri, No. 16 Remy Cotton at 165, No. 19 Hunter Catka at heavyweight and No. 20 Shane Cartagena-Walsh at 184 all delivered extra points. No. 26 Anthony White at 165 added a key decision.
The victory continued Rutgers’ dominance in the rivalry. The Scarlet Knights have now defeated Princeton in five consecutive seasons and own 29 wins in the last 30 meetings dating back to 1993. That is the kind of streak that defines eras.
Senior Night Putting Spotlight on the Series History Against Hofstra
The Princeton duel also served as Senior Night, honoring a veteran group that has helped sustain Rutgers’ national profile. The honorees included Hunter Catka, Andrew Clark, Joseph Olivieri, Anthony White, Patrick Adams, Brandan Chletsos, Eric Freeman, Sebastiano Nini, Lenny Pinto, and Dylan Shawver.
This core has anchored Rutgers’ continued presence in the national top 15. Their leadership, experience, and resilience have shaped the Scarlet Knights into a program that expects to compete with the best.
Rutgers holds a 16-9-1 advantage in the all-time series against Hofstra. The Scarlet Knights have won five straight meetings since 2013 and 12 of the last 13 dating back to 1990.
The most recent matchup occurred on Nov. 27, 2021, when Rutgers defeated Hofstra 35-6 at the Prudential Center. Clark and Shawver both competed in that duel, with Shawver earning an 8-1 decision.
History favors Rutgers, but the Scarlet Knights are not approaching this finale casually. Hofstra’s 3-14 record does not change the mission. For Rutgers, the focus is on execution, sharpness and momentum.
A victory on Wednesday would secure 14 or more dual wins for the ninth time under Scott Goodale. It would also extend Rutgers’ current winning streak to six matches heading into postseason preparation. After the road finale, Rutgers will turn its attention to the 2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships. It is scheduled for March 7-8 in State College, Pennsylvania.
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Shayni Maitra is a sports girl through and through writing about everything from locker room drama to game-day legends in the NFL and NBA. She’s covered the action for outlets like College Sports Network, Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, NB Media, and PinkVilla, blending sharp takes with a deep love for storytelling. Whether it’s college football rivalries, Olympic gold-chasers, or the off-field chaos that keeps Twitter alive, Shayni brings the heat with heart—and just the right amount of humor.