Rutgers Scarlet Knights Wrestling Closes Regular Season with a Statement at Hofstra
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The Rutgers Scarlet Knights did not just win their regular-season finale on Wednesday night. They made a resounding statement! Traveling to Hempstead, New York, Rutgers dismantled the Hofstra Pride 45-3 in a rout. By looking at their performance, it is safe to say that the Scarlet Knights are peaking at exactly the right time.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights Dominate in Regular-Season Finale
With the victory, Rutgers wraps up the regular season at 14-5 overall and 5-3 in Big Ten competition. Even more impressive, the win marks their sixth consecutive dual-match victory. Momentum matters in wrestling, and Rutgers is carrying plenty of it into March.
VICTORY over the Pride!#RelentlessPursuit | #GoRU pic.twitter.com/JhatyKWP9L
— Rutgers Wrestling (@RUWrestling) February 19, 2026
Now the focus shifts to one of the premier tournaments in college wrestling, the Big Ten Wrestling Championships. The event will take place at Penn State University in University Park, Pennsylvania, on March 7-8, 2026.
Entering the championships on a six-match winning streak, Rutgers has shown it can produce bonus points. Especially across nearly every weight class. The duel started with high drama at 125 pounds. Redshirt freshman Ayden Smith faced Teague Strobel in a bout that stretched into multiple overtime periods.
The first period ended scoreless, though Smith nearly secured a pin. Strobel grabbed a second-period escape to take a 1-0 lead. Smith answered with an escape of his own in the third to tie it at 1-1 and send the match into sudden victory.
The first overtime ended without a score, but Smith was called for stalling, giving Strobel a 2-1 edge. With just four seconds left, Smith escaped again to tie the bout. Still, Strobel ultimately secured a 3-2 decision.
It would be the only win of the night for Hofstra. Graduate student Dylan Shawver wasted no time flipping the energy at 133 pounds for No. 11 Rutgers.
Shawver scored two first-period takedowns to build a 6-1 lead. Gauge Shipp answered with a four-point near fall in the second period. However, Shawver responded with a reversal to maintain control. Entering the third period up 9-8, Shawver delivered a clutch takedown to secure a 13-8 victory. Rutgers was on the board, and the momentum had officially shifted.
From that moment forward, the Scarlet Knights went on a stunning 45-0 run. Rutgers opened the floodgates with two emphatic pins.
Talking About the Pins That Blow the Dual Wide Open
At 141 pounds, senior Joseph Olivieri pinned Chase Liardi early in the second period after a quiet opening frame. Then comes 184 pounds. That's where freshman Jordan Chapman delivered one of the night’s highlights.
After scoring an early takedown against Josh Jorgge, Chapman secured his first collegiate pin. They did that with less than a minute remaining in the first period. The circle belonged entirely to Rutgers. The bonus points kept coming in waves.
Senior Andrew Clark dominated at 149 pounds against Jackson Slotnick. After a late first-period takedown, Clark controlled the second and early third periods before securing an 18-0 technical fall. At 157 pounds, freshman Devon Magro led 4-0 after one period and 8-0 after two against Eric Shindel. He cruised to a 17-2 technical fall, pushing Rutgers’ lead to 19-3.
Senior Lenny Pinto followed at 174 pounds with total command against Matt Rodgers. Pinto built a 7-1 first-period lead with two takedowns and sealed his technical fall with another takedown in the closing minute.
At heavyweight, senior Hunter Catka put the final stamp on the night. Catka needed just one period to record a lightning-fast 19-4 technical fall over Adrian Sans, sealing the dominant 45-3 final score.
Freshman Andrew Barbosa added a gritty 4-1 decision at 165 pounds against Jake Slotnick. Barbosa scored the first point with an escape in the second period and controlled the action from there.
At 197 pounds, redshirt sophomore Remy Cotton was in complete command against Will Conlon. Cotton built a 7-0 lead in the second period before Conlon was forced to forfeit due to injury. After dropping the opening bout, the Scarlet Knights responded by winning nine straight matches.
Closing the regular season at 14-5 overall and 5-3 in Big Ten action, Rutgers heads to University Park riding a six-match winning streak. The 45-3 dismantling of Hofstra was not just another victory. It was a display of pins, technical falls, bonus points, and depth from nearly every weight class.
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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.