It was a big weekend for the NYU wrestling team after the Violets posted back-to-back victories against rival Hunter College on Friday and Division-I Franklin & Marshall on Saturday.
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The Hunter victory was a particularly thrilling comeback, sealed after consecutive wins by freshman Sabino Galassi (184 pounds), sophomore Jamie Myers (197) and freshman Justin Murberg (285) brought the grapplers back from a team deficit of 18-7. Murenberg recorded his fifth pin of the season in that match, over Hunter's Chris Molfetas, and holds the most falls amongst the Violet wrestlers this season.
Team captain Matt Magill called the match "a great show of heart."
"When we were down, we responded," Magill said of his team's effort. The junior posted a 2-0 decision over Matt Cartusciello in his Hunter bout.
Myers, who bumped up to heavyweight for Saturday's match, said the Hunter comeback was a product of team resolve.
"We got together at the end and decided we didn't want to lose a Hunter, especially their homecoming," he said. "[And] I've never seen [assistant coach Vinnie] Russo freak out like that [after the match], so I guess we did good."
The Violets rode the wave of their Hunter victory to their anticipated showdown with F&M Saturday afternoon at Coles Sports Center, despite putting out a lineup that didn't include all starters. NYU recorded three forfeits over F&M at 125, 141 and 197 pounds, and the rest of the team performed outstandingly in their matches. Galassi had another thriller at 184, registering a 7-3 decision over F&M's Matt Latessa.
"Even the matches we lost, we were in them all," Magill said.
The win over F&M brought the Violets to a mark of 5-3. They now have a three-week break to rest and train before the Brute/Adidas Sunshine Open in Bunnell, Fla., at the end of the month.
Magill believes the past weekend was a particularly strong reminder of the Violets' resolve and work.
"We ended the semester on a high note," he said.
