Mark Cody's first year as head coach of the AU wrestling team in 2003 saw the Eagles prevail over an overconfident George Mason squad in a dual meet decided by tie-breaking criteria. As the frustrated Patriots left the gym floor, their coaches suggested they would never lose to AU again.
On Friday, almost two years later, George Mason could not back up such bold words, as the Eagles defeated the Patriots in all seven competitive weight classes and notched a 31-18 victory.
AU freshman Tyler Flatt, weighing 184 pounds, set the tone for the night. Flatt wrestled GMU's Jim Martin close into the third period with the score tied at 1. The Eagles' conditioning regimen proved to be the difference in the match.
Flatt won on a late one-point fleeing-the-mat call against George Mason when he was nearly behind Martin for the takedown.
From that point, near-wins translated into complete domination, beginning with freshman Josh Glenn. Glenn, wrestling at 197 pounds, a higher-than-usual weight class, once again utilized his famed riding style to turn George Mason's Harry Zander numerous times before recording a technical fall, 16-1.
Freshman Adam LoPiccolo continued with this trend. LoPiccolo, in his return match from a knee injury, pinned George Mason's Ryan Kittrick in the second period. Kittrick remained on the mat for nearly half a minute after the match, realizing that his team would have difficulty prevailing from this type of deficit.
AU's 149-pound junior Tom Kniezewski also prevailed with a 3-1 victory despite an array of shots in the third period by George Mason's Robert Henry. On a single leg near the edge of the mat, Kniezewski could not land a trip finish but kept his feet inbounds on the mat and hooked both of Henry's legs for the victory.
"It was late in the match so I knew I had to finish," said Kniezewski, who was surrounded by female Eagles fans after the match. "There's only so much time left and you don't know if you'll be in that situation again."
In the next match, junior Muzaffar Abdurakhmanov defeated Mitch Webster, 19-6, in a major decision. Webster appeared disoriented from start to finish as Abdurakhmanov's unorthodox attacks confused the George Mason 157-pounder. Abdurakhmanov held a cradle on Webster for nearly the entire third period but eventually settled for a major decision rather than a pinfall.
AU sophomore Dwayne Hash-Barberis defeated Randy Oates at 165 pounds in a hard-fought match. Hash-Barberis amassed a large lead early off takedowns and turns. Oates eventually crawled back and tied to score only to have Hash-Barberis seal the 13-10 victory with a late third-period takedown and an additional one point for riding time.
With the match nearly over, Eagles senior captain Daniel Waters walked onto the mat at 174 pounds. He had the chance to shock northern Virginia wrestling fans who had once deemed the Patriots superior to the Eagles. He did not disappoint.
Waters dominated from the opening whistle with a takedown explosion, quickly fatiguing the Patriot wrestler. Waters eventually caught his opponent in a cradle near the Eagles' side of the mat. The referee's hand hit the mat signaling the pinfall, and it was final: the Eagles had won every bout.
Despite giving away three forfeits per dual, this 31-18 victory sends a powerful message to EIWA opponents. Eighteen free points may look poor on paper, but the Eagles' lineup is still stronger than it has been in years.
