Fairfax – In a closely contested match that came down to the final match, the Patriots fell to the MAC's top-ranked team Lock Haven on Sunday afternoon inside the RAC on the Fairfax campus.

The two teams split the 10 duals, but Lock Haven earned two technical falls to only one for the Patriots, giving the Bald Eagles the 19-17 win. The Patriots drop to 11-4, while Lock Haven improves to 10-5, 3-0 in the MAC.

The match began with nationally-ranked wrestlers at 149 pounds. The Patriots #30 Kaden Cassidy took control of the match from the start against #32 Lucas Kapusta, earning a technical fall in the first period, 15-0 (2:30). The red-shirt junior improves to 12-2, 7-0 in the MAC. DJ McGee, ranked No. 23, earned a decision against 2024 NCAA Qualifier Nicholas Stampoulos at 157 to extend the lead to 8-0.

In a very competitive match at 165, the Patriots #24 Evan Maag defeated the Bald Eagles Caden Dobbins to improve to 18-4.

Lock Haven got on the board with at win at 174 pounds to close the gap, 11-3. 

In another nationally-ranked bout, Lock Haven's #23 Colin Fegley defeated the Patriots #25 Malachi DuVall, 8-3. In an even matchup, Fegley now owns a  3-2 record against DuVall. Malachi DuVall (184) won 8-2 against Lock Haven's Colin Fegley. 
George Mason got back in the win column with Tyler Kocak's 9-3 decision against nationally-ranked #27 Tucker Hogan in the 197 weight class.

The Bald Eagles took the heavyweight match-up to cut the lead to 14-9.

Ben Monn defeated Lock Haven's Branden Wentzel, 5-1, to begin the lightweights. The Bald Eagles top 20 wrestlers, #16 Anthony Noto and #17 Wyatt Henson took the final two matches with technicals falls to secure the win.
 
The Bald Eagles have dominated the series, winning all 18 matches, but the gap is closing, In a series that dates back to 1976, this is the closest the Patriots have gotten to earning a win. The Patriots lost, 20-18 on Nov. 30, 1990.

MATCH RESULTS
Lock Haven -- 19
George Mason -- 17
149 – Kaden Cassidy (GM) over Lucas Kapusta (LH), TF (2:30); Mason leads 5-0
157 – DJ McGee (GM) over Nicholas Stampoulos (LH), dec. 9-2; Mason leads 8-0
165 – Evan Maag (GM) over Caden Dobbins (LH), dec. 8-4; Mason leads 11-0
174 – Avery Bassett (LH) over Logan Messer (GM), dec. 7-3; Mason leads 11-3
184 – Colin Fegley (LH) over Malachi DuVall (GM), dec. 8-3; Mason leads 11-6
197 – Tyler Kocak (GM) over Tucker Hogan (LH), dec. 9-3; Mason leads 14-6
285 – Gavin Hoffman (LH) over James Blackman (GM), 5-1; Mason leads 14-9
125 – Ben Monn (GM) over Branden Wentzel (LH), 5-1: Mason leads 17-9
133 – Anthony Noto (LH) over Geoff Whelan (GM), TF; Mason leads 17-14
141 – Wyatt Henson (LH) over Dom Hargrove (GM), TF, 21-6; Lock Haven wins 19-17