VESTAL, N.Y. – For the first time this season, the Binghamton wrestling team will compete at home when it hosts Hofstra Thursday at 2 p.m., in the West Gym. All of our home wrestling matches this season include free admission on behalf of JKS Home Improvement.
 
Both teams will battle for first place in the EIWA's newly formed Independence Division. The Bearcats are 1-0 in conference play thanks to their 26-12 victory at LIU on Dec. 15. Hofstra is 2-0 in league play with wins against Sacred Heart (33-12) and Morgan State (27-19).
 
This is the first time that Binghamton will compete in the West Gym since Jan. 26, 2023 when the Bearcats defeated Hofstra 27-8.
 
Binghamton is coming off two wins at Journeymen Wrestling's Armbar on Sunday. There, the Bearcats defeated both Maryland 28-10 and Columbia 25-16, while falling to Lock Haven 23-10. The win against Maryland is Binghamton's second against a Big Ten Conference opponent in as many seasons. The Bearcats previously won at Northwestern 21-15 on Feb. 16, 2024.
 
During the Bearcats' tripleheader on Sunday, Will Ebert secured his second win against a wrestler ranked in the top 10 when he defeated No. 9 Jaxon Smith of Maryland 4-3. Ebert previously shut out No. 5 Edmond Ruth of Illinois 2-0 back on Nov. 9 at Journeymen's WrangleMania. Later on Sunday, Ebert earned a 1-0 decision against Lock Haven's Chase Bartram to finish the event with a 2-0 record. For his performance, Ebert was named Wrestler of the Week by the EIWA for the second time this season on Tuesday.
 
Brevin Cassella also recorded a ranked win on Sunday when he pinned No. 33 Branson John of Maryland. It marked Cassella's first fall of the season. The Clinton, Mass., native is now ranked No. 10 in the latest FloWrestling poll and No. 14 in the most recent InterMat rankings.
 
Additionally, Ivan Garcia beat two ranked wrestlers on Sunday, taking down No. 28 Kal Miller of Maryland 2-1 and No. 31 Richard Fedalen of Columbia 13-5.
 
With these victories, Binghamton made the cut in the first NWCA Division I Men's Mid-Major Coaches Poll of the season. The Bearcats are ranked No. 11, one of only four EIWA programs who are in the poll.
 
Binghamton Bearcats (3-5, 1-0 EIWA) vs. Hofstra Pride (4-3, 2-0 EIWA)
Date | Time: Thursday, Jan. 9 | 2 p.m.
Location: West Gym, Vestal, N.Y.
Live Results: X - @BearcatsWrestle
Watch: AmericaEast.TV
 
Binghamton Projected Lineup (Overall Record, Dual Record)
125 | Carson Wagner (13-7, 6-2)
133 | Micah Roes (7-7, 3-4)
141 | Nate Lucier (5-8, 2-5)
149 | Ivan Garcia (9-6, 4-3)
157 | Fin Nadeau (4-7, 1-4)
165 | Carter Baer (7-7, 2-5)
174 | No. 10/14 Brevin Cassella (14-4, 6-1)
184 | No. 24/23 Will Ebert (12-6, 3-4)
197 | Cayden Bevis (4-6, 2-2)
285 | No. 20/18 Cory Day (10-4, 4-2)
*rankings based on FloWrestling/InterMat
 
Hofstra Projected Lineup (Overall Record, Dual Record)
125 | Dylan Acevedo (4-8, 3-2)
133 | Chase Liardi (5-7, 4-2) or Gauge Shipp (3-2, 1-1)
141 | Justin Hoyle (6-7, 4-1)
149 | Noah Tapia (6-6, 3-3)
157 | Jurius Clark (4-7, 2-3)
165 | No. 30/27 Kyle Mosher (8-7, 3-3)
174 | Matthew Waddell (1-3, 1-2) or Eric Shindel (3-2, 1-0)
184 | No. 29/NR Ross McFarland (7-4, 4-1)
197 | Nikolas Miller (6-6, 3-4)
285 | Adrian Sans (0-2, 0-0)
*rankings based on FloWrestling/InterMat
 
Hofstra Notes

• In addition to its victories against Sacred Heart and Morgan State, Hofstra has also beaten Duke (21-12) and Nassau Community College (45-4) while falling to The Citadel (28-6), No. 6 Ohio State (38-6) and Columbia (32-10).
• Kyle Mosher was named EIWA Wrestler of the Week on Dec. 24 thanks to his dual victories against No. 27 Cesar Alvan of Columbia 4-1 and Cooper Lockhart of Morgan State via a pin. Mosher, who transferred to Hofstra from Columbia, also finished eighth at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Collegiate Wrestling Invitational back in December.
• Jurius Clark finished seventh at the 2024 EIWA Championships at 157 lbs.
• Former Binghamton wrestler and assistant coach Anthony Sobotker returns to Vestal less than a month after joining the Hofstra coaching staff as an assistant. Sobotker wrestled at Binghamton from 2020-23. He finished seventh at the 2021 EIWA Championships and the 2021 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. During the 2021-22 season, Sobotker was among the national leaders in falls with 11. After completing his wrestling career, Sobotker served as an assistant on the Binghamton coaching staff during the 2023-24 season and the start of the 2024 campaign. During his year-and-a-half on the staff, Sobotker helped the Bearcats win 10 duals, place seven wrestlers on the podium at the EIWA Championships and send four members of the team to the NCAA Wrestling Championships.