JERSEY CITY, N.J. — The New Jersey City University men's wrestling team hosted its final regular-season home match of the 2022-23 campaign tonight, Saturday, Jan. 28, at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (JMAC). The Gothic Knights hosted #24-ranked New York University for a dual on what was also Senior Night for a pair of NJCU grapplers. Seniors 149-pound captain Jeff Johnson (Middlesex, N.J./Middlesex) and 157-pounder Enrique Cuevas (New Brunswick, N.J./New Brunswick) were each honored during a pre-match ceremony and the night ended in a hard-fought loss to the highly-ranked Violets.
 
Things got started for the two squads at 125 pounds as freshman Lucas Torre (Point Pleasant, N.J./Brick Memorial) of NJCU (6-11) took on Ty Kurachi of NYU (9-3) and battled throughout the match before falling by a slim 3-0 decision. After a tech fall win for the Violets at 133 pounds, rookie Andy Beras (Bergenfield, N.J./Bergenfield) had a strong performance at 141 pounds against his foe, Nick Kruczynski of NYU. The NJCU freshman fell behind just over a minute in to the first via a takedown, but used his athleticism to earn an escape point and make it 2-1 with just over a minute left in the period. Beras then started off the second very strong with an escape just over a minute in, followed by a takedown 12 seconds later to jump out to 4-2 lead at the time. A reversal by Kruczynski with 30 seconds to go in the second tied it back up at 4-4 and that's how we would end the period. NYU earned three more points, plus riding time, in the third to take the 8-4 decision.

Johnson then took the mat at 149 pounds and continued his hot streak to improve to 16-1 on the season with a hard-fought 4-0 decision victory over Daniel Hussain of the Violets. Neither grappler scored in the first until, with just nine seconds remaining in the period, Johnson secured a takedown to make it 2-0. After a scoreless second, Johnson started off the third with an escape just 13 seconds into the period. He built up a riding time advantage of 2:28 to close out the win. As mentioned, Cuevas got the start at 157 on Senior Night and made the most of it. He faced Thomas Lapinski of NYU and, after getting taked down 1:15 into the first, followed up with an escape 30 seconds later to cut it to 2-1 — that's how the first would end. Lopinski scored two more points in the second and got the riding time point after the third, however, to seal the 5-1 decision.

One of the most thrilling matches of the night came next at 165 pounds as rookie Jazz Bull (New Brunswick, N.J./New Brunswick) returned to the match with a bang. He began with a quick takedown just 10 seconds into his match against #6-ranked Cooper Pontelandolfo and then secured a four-point nearfall to go up 6-0 just 24 seconds into the first. Unfortunately, the NYU grappler closed out the first with a takedown and three four-point nearfalls to go up 15-6. Bull managed another takedown in the second, but Pontelandolfo managed to win the match via a 26-8 tech fall at the 4:47 mark. NYU won the next two matches by fall before the closest match of the night at 197 pounds. Junior Deren Cercioglu (Totowa, N.J./Paramus Catholic) got the nod this night and, after a scoreless first period, took the match's first lead via an escape 13 seconds into the second. Gabe Rodrigues of NYU did the same in the second period to tie it up. The bout looked certain to head to sudden victory, tied up at 1-1 in the waning moments of the third, however Rodrigues secured a takedown in the final seconds to earn the 3-1 decision win. After a win by fall at heavyweight, the Violets came away with the 40-3 win.
 

Full Results:
#24 NYU 40, NJCU 3
125 – Ty Kurachi (NYU) def. Lucas Torre (Point Pleasant, N.J./Brick Memorial) (NJCU) by dec. (3-0)	NYU 3, NJCU 0
133 – Benny Bautista (NYU) def. Bless Daniel (Jersey City, N.J./Bayonne) (NJCU) by tech. fall (17-1, 1:54)	NYU 8, NJCU 0
141 – Nick Kruczynski (NYU) def. Andy Beras (Bergenfield, N.J./Bergenfield) (NJCU) by dec. (8-4)	NYU 11, NJCU 0
149 – Jeff Johnson (Middlesex, N.J./Middlesex) (NJCU) def. Daniel Hussain (NYU) by dec. (4-0)	NYU 11, NJCU 3
157 – Thomas Lapinski (NYU) def. Enrique Cuevas (New Brunswick, N.J./New Brunswick) (NJCU) by dec. (5-1)	NYU 14, NJCU 3
165 – #6 Cooper Pontelandolfo (NYU) def. Jazz Bull (New Brunswick, N.J./New Brunswick) (NJCU) by tech. Fall (26-8, 4:47)	NYU 19, NJCU 3
174 – #7 Jason Geyer (NYU) def. Jaydin Mahon (New Brunswick, N.J./New Brunswick) (NJCU) by fall (1:23)	NYU 25, NJCU 3
184 – Scott DuPont (NYU) def. Farhan Khan (Carteret, N.J./Carteret) (NJCU) by fall (3:23)	NYU 31, NJCU 3
197 – Gabe Rodrigues (NYU) def. Deren Cercioglu (Totowa, N.J./Paramus Catholic) (NJCU) by dec. (3-1)	NYU 34, NJCU 3
HWT – Evan Anderson (NYU) def. Marcus Hebron (Middle Township, N.J./) (NJCU) by fall (2:38)	NYU 40, NJCU 3
Exhibitions
174 – Finn Eskeland (NYU) def. Ryan McGuire (Lodi, N.J./Lodi) (NJCU) by fall (2:19)
HWT – Luke DuPont (NYU) def. Pierre Francois (Elizabeth, N.J./Dwyer Tech) (NJCU) by fall (0:52)
Up Next: The Gothic Knights are next scheduled to compete on Saturday night, Feb. 11, against SUNY Cortland at 7:00 p.m. in Cortland, N.Y. Following that, the NCAA Division III Mideast Wrestling Championships are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Feb. 24-25.