Fairfax, Va.— The Patriots split two MAC Conference dual matches today at the Recreation Athletic Complex.

Between the two matches, Mason honored its five seniors; graduate student Anthony Lombardo and seniors Colston DiBlasi, Phil Stolfi and Justin and Ryan Yorkdale.

In the opening match, Old Dominion (9-9, 5-2) defeated the Patriots, 25-11, improving to 5-2 in the MAC. The Patriots (8-8, 3-5) edged Bloomsburg in the second match, 21-19, stopping a five-match conference slide, improving to 3-5 in the MAC.

The match with Old Dominion began at 157 pounds as Mason's Kolby Ho battled with No. 10 Larry Early. After no score in the first, Ho got on the board with an escape before Early had a takedown to go up, 2-1. Going into the third, Early had a 4-2 advantage, and finished the match with a takedown and escape to win 8-3.

After being out for six weeks with an injury, Neil Schuster came back strong with a 6-4 overtime win against the Monarchs' Shane Jones. With only seven seconds left in the first period, Schuster had a takedown and a 2-0 advantage going into period two. The score was 4-3 late in the third when Jones tied it up with a stalling point. In OT, Schuster earned the takedown and the, 6-4 decision.

The Monarchs with three straight wins at 174, 184 and 197 stretched its lead to 14-3.

Mason answered with a win at heavyweight cutting the lead to 14-6. The Monarchs' Jacob Bullock had a 6-4 lead after two periods, but Jake Slinger earned back-to-back escapes and a takedown with 38 seconds left to lead, 8-6. The match ended 8-7 after an escape by Bullock.

At 133 pounds, freshman Josh Jones dominated Shannon Hanna, winning by technical fall, 15-0. 

The match was withing reach, 17-11, with two matches to go, but in a nationally ranked match at 141 pounds, the Monarchs' #18 Sa'Derian Perry defeated #26 Alex Madrigal, 3-0.

With the win, the Monarchs improve to 14-9 all-time in the series.

In the second match of the day, each team won five matches, but the Patriots earned a fall by Colston DiBlasi (149) and a technical fall by Alex Madrigal (141) to edge the Huskies, 21-19.

Bloomsburg jumped out to an 8-0 lead with wins at 125 and 133 pounds.

Mason's Alex Madrigal earned an NCAA leading 12th technical fall the season with an 18-2 win against Shawn Orem to put the Patiots on the board, 8-5. Colston DiBlasi followed at 149 with his 10th fall (1:07) of the season. 

The score was tied at 11-11 after Bloomsburg's Alex Carida defeated Kolby Ho, 3-1.

Neil Schuster finished 2-0 today after blanking Bloomsburg's Nate Newberry, 6-0. Lombardo earned an 8-4 decision to increase the Patriots lead to 17-11.

The heavyweight match would determine the winner of the match after Bloomsburg took a 19-17 lead after winning the 184 and 197-pound matches. Mason's Jake Slinger had six takedowns against opponent Jarrett Walters and earned a major decision, 19-5, and the victory for Mason, the second straight against Bloomsburg (3-8, 0-6 MAC).

Up Next
The Patriots will host its final home match of the season against American on Thursday, February 20, beginning at 7 p.m.
  
MASON VS. OLD DOMINION RESULTS
125 | Killian Cardinale (ODU) over Talha Farooq (Mason), Dec. 10-4: ODU leads 17-6
133 | Josh Jones (Mason) over Shannon Hanna (ODU), TF 15-0 (4:33); ODU leads 17-11
141 | Sa'Derian Perry (ODU) over Alex Madrigal (Mason), 3-0; ODU leads 20-11
149 | Kenan Carter (ODU) over Justin Yorkdale (Mason), TF 16-0 (5:53); ODU wins 25-11
157 | No. 10 Larry Early (ODU) over Kolby Ho (Mason), 8-3; ODU leads 3-0
165 | Neil Schuster (Mason) over Shane Jones (ODU), Dec. SV-1 6-4 (OT), Tied at 3-3
174 | Alex Cramer (ODU) over Tony Lombardo (Mason), Dec. 9-0; ODU leads 7-3
184 | Antonio Agee (ODU) over Paul Pierce (Mason), Dec. 6-3; ODU leads 10-3
197 | Tim Young (ODU) over Ramses Montalvo (Mason), MD 14-3; ODU leads 14-3
285 | Jake Slinger (Mason) over Jacob Bullock (ODU), Dec. 8-7; ODU leads 14-6 

MASON VS BLOOMSBURG RESULTS
125 | Christian Gannone (BU) over Talha Farooq (Mason), MD. 14-3; BU leads 4-0
133 | Josh Mason (BU) over Josh Jones (Mason), MD 8-0; BU leads 8-0
141 | Alex Madrigal (Mason) over Shawn Orem (BU), TF, 18-2 (4:26); BU leads 8-5
149 | Colston DiBlasi (Mason) over Aaron Coleman (BU), F, (1:07); Mason leads 11-8
157 | Alex Carida (BU) over Kolby Ho (Mason), Dec. 3-1; Match tied 11-11
165 | Neil Schuster (Mason) over Nate Newberry( BU), Dec. 6-0; Mason leads 14-11
174 | Tony Lombardo (Mason) over Anthony Vetrano (BU), Dec., 8-4; Mason leads 17-11
184 | Trevor Allard (BU) over Ali Salem (Mason), MD, 12-2; Mason leads 17-15
197 | Kyle Murphy (BU) over Paul Pierce (Mason), MD, 11-3; BU leads 19-17
285 | Jake Slinger (Mason) over Jarrett Walters (BU), MD, 19-5; Mason wins 21-19