N.C. State fought valiantly, almost stunning No. 21 Maryland Saturday with a late pin in the last match. Taking an early lead with pins from juniors Nijel Jones and Matt Nereim, the Wolfpack got into the third match of the meet leading 10-0.
Maryland then proceeded to win the next four matches, going up 16-10. In match eight, junior Joe DeAngelo came away with a win by point total, putting State within nine points with one match left.
Freshman Tyler Hunt took the mat to square off against Maryland’s Shane Arechiga. Starting off in the first period with a reverse from underneath, Hunt went up 2-0. Arechiga came right back with another reverse, tying the match at two points each.
Only one point was scored in the second period of Hunt’s match, and it was Hunt with an escape. The third period brought about one of the closest matches in State’s season.
Maryland’s Arechiga escaped a hold by Hunt to tie it up at three points each. Hunt gained control of the match to put the score at 4-3 State. Arechiga escaped, putting the match at four points each. Hunt got a reverse from underneath again and put State up 6-4. Hunt got the pin with just seconds left, to put State up 14-4 to tie the match at 19 points each.
In overtime, a takedown by Arechiga edged Maryland against N.C. State, 22-19.
“I believe we are just that one match away from conquering a top 20 team like Maryland,” head coach Pat Popolizio said. “We have the strength, the endurance and the talent; but we just need to put it all together so we can come out on top. … That last second pin by Hunt really gave us some momentum going into next Sunday’s meet against Ohio Northern. We can also learn by examining the mistakes made by everyone, even the guys that did win their matches.”
Hunt also said the pin can give the Pack momentum going into its next match.
“After I got the pin, I wanted to get the stall so we could go into overtime, which I got,” Hunt said. “He got the quick takedown then the control and that was it. I feel like we could carry the momentum from that last second pin into next Sunday’s match against Ohio Northern.”
