Huskers Set for Final Duals of the Regular Season - Huskers.com - Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site

The 18th-ranked Nebraska wrestling team will look to end the regular season on a high note as it to faces off against Air Force and 24th-ranked Hofstra this Saturday Feb., 22. NU will face Air Force at Noon and then take on Hofstra at 6 p.m. at the Bob Devaney Sports Center Track.

Scouting the Opponent
The Falcons are 4-0-1 on the season and are scheduled to face Western State on Feb. 22 before taking on the Cornhuskers.

They are led by heaveyweight Kevin Hoy who is 32-3 on the season and is currently ranked 3rd in the latest W.I.N. poll.

Luke Lefever is the other Air Force standout at 184 pounds Lefever enters the match against the Huskers with a 24-7 record.

Air Force is coached by Wayne Baughman who is in his 24th season as head coach. Baughman is 171-110-5 during his tenure at Air Force.

Hofstra is ranked 24th in the latest W.I.N. and is 12-6 on the season. Six Pride wrestlers are ranked in their respective weight classes led by fourth-ranked sophomore 197-pounder Chris Skretkowicz (30-3).

Other ranked Hofstra wrestlers include 12th-ranked sophomore, Ricky LeForge (23-6, 133 pounds) 12th-ranked sophomore, Jon Masa (29-5, 149 pounds), 10th-ranked senior Noel Thompson (27-5, 165 pounds), 17th-ranked freshman Mike Patrovich (22-8, 157 pounds) and 15th-ranked junior Ralph Everett (28-7, 174 pounds).

Hofstra is coached by Tom Ryan who is in his eighth year as head coach of Hofstra. Ryan owns a career record of 69-63-1.

The Series -- vs. Air Force/ Hofstra
The Huskers have faced the Falcons 10 times recording five wins with one tie. Last season NU defeated Air Force, 31-13 in Colorado Springs, Colo.

NU has only faced Hofstra once in school history with the only meeting earlier this season on Ja. 10 at the VIrginia Duals with NU winning 22-17.

Matches Featuring Ranked Wrestlers
The match against Hofstra will feature four weight classes in which each wrestler is ranked in the top-20 headlined by the 197-pound weight class which will see Nebraska's second-ranked Justin Ruiz take on fourth-ranked Chris Skretkowicz.

Ruiz and Skretkowicz have met once previously, meeting last season at the NCAA Championships where Ruiz upset the seventh-seeded Skretkowicz, 12-3, in the first round.

At 133 pounds, 18th-ranked junior Joey Malia will take on his 10th ranked opponent of the season in 15th-ranked Ricky LaForge. LaForge defeated Malia earlier this year at the Virginia Duals, 15-0.

At 149 pounds, eighth-ranked Travis Shufelt will face 12th-ranked Jon Masa. At the Virginia Duals, Shufelt dominated Masa with a pin in a time of 4:27. At 174-pounds, 10th-ranked Travis Pascoe will face off against 15th-ranked Ralph Everett. At the Virginia Duals, Pascoe fell 9-8 to Everett.

The dual against Air Force will feature no matches with both wrestlers ranked in their weight classes.

Revisiting the Hofstra Dual
The University of Nebraska wrestling team picked up a victory of Hofstra at the 23rd Virginia Duals behind a win from sophomore, heavyweight Mitch Manstedt defeating the Pride on Friday, Jan. 10.

Manstedt got on the board first against Dan Garay with an escape 1:56 into the second period. Garay answered with an escape of his own tying the match at one in the third period. After a scoreless overtime, the match was sent into tiebreaker. Manstedt then held on to secure the win and a place for NU in the semi finals.

NU got onto board first in the dual when junior Jason Powell scored an 8-0 major decision over Pat Flynn at 125 pounds. Hofstra took the lead, 5-4 at 133 pounds when junior Joey Malia was defeated by Richard LaForge, 15-0. NU regained the lead when Matt Murray defeated Matt Homenick, 7-2.

At 149 pounds, Travis Shufelt extended the NU lead to 13-5 with his pin of eighth-ranked Jon Masa in 4:27. Hofstra closed the lead to five with Mike Patrovich