New York, N.Y. – The New Jersey City University (NJCU) men's wrestling team finished with a 1-2 record at the Metropolitan Duals, hosted by NYU on Saturday, Nov. 16. The Gothic Knights (3-4) faced off against three teams, beginning with a tough matchup against the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), followed by a loss to NYU, and finally, a dominant win over Hunter College.

The day began with a matchup against USMMA, where NJCU showed strong early performances but ultimately fell 32-19. Freshman Dominic Terracciano (Keansburg, N.J./Keansburg) opened the action with a forfeit win in the 125-pound class, giving the Gothic Knights a 6-0 lead. Senior Lucas Torre (Point Pleasant, N.J./Brick Memorial) followed with a 13-5 major decision victory at 133 pounds, extending the advantage to 10 points. Sophomore Dean Costantino (Secaucus, N.J./Secaucus) continued the momentum with a 26-9 technical fall at 141 pounds, bringing the score to 15-3 in favor of NJCU. However, NJCU struggled in the next few weight classes, with losses at 149, 165, 174, 184, 197, and 285 pounds. Senior Zach Vera's 157-pound major decision victory (19-6) kept NJCU in contention, but the team ultimately dropped the dual to USMMA by a score of 32-19.

In the second dual of the day, the Gothic Knights faced host NYU. Despite strong individual performances from Torre and Vera, NJCU fell 43-9. Torre won a 7-4 decision at 133 pounds, while Vera secured a pin in 2:56 at 149 pounds. However, the team was unable to keep pace with NYU, as they suffered losses in several other weight classes, leading to the final score of 43-9 in favor of NYU.

NJCU bounced back in their final dual of the day, delivering a dominant 47-9 victory over Hunter. The Gothic Knights showcased impressive performances across multiple weight classes. Terracciano wasted no time, securing a pin in just 32 seconds at 125 pounds. Costantino followed suit with a pin in 5:50 at 141 pounds. Vera added his second pin of the day, finishing his opponent in 2:41 at 149 pounds. Sophomore Jayson Candelario (Madison, N.J./Madison) delivered a 15-0 tech fall at 157 pounds, extending NJCU's lead to 23-3. Senior Mikey Cross (Union, N.J./Union City) posted a fall in 51 seconds at 165 pounds, and senior Diego Viera (Belleville, N.J./Belleville) added a pin in 2:06 at 174 pounds. Fabian Acuna (Somerville, N.J./Somerville) kept the momentum going with a pin in just 1:13 at 184 pounds, while freshman Jayden Reyes capped off the win with a pin in 2:51 at 285 pounds.

Up Next:
The Gothic Knights are set to compete in the Electric City Duels tomorrow, Sunday, November 17, in Scranton, starting at 10:00 a.m. The event will feature strong competition from teams including Scranton, the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, Rowan, and Oneonta.

For the latest news, updates, and information on New Jersey City University sports, visit njcugothicknights.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Gothic Knights news by following NJCU Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.