After one of the worst weekends in recent history, the Maryland wrestling team returns to College Park licking its wounds.
The Terps were shut out on the road by a combined 93-0 against No. 3 Iowa and No. 9 Minnesota, and coach Kerry McCoy’s squad is running out of chances to avoid its first winless dual season since joining the Big Ten in 2014-15.
This weekend represents be one of the last — and best — opportunities for Maryland (0-10, 0-7 Big Ten) to earn that elusive dual victory, with a meet at George Mason (8-5) following another tough battle against No. 4 Michigan (10-1, 6-1).
“Matchup wise, [Michigan’s] got a bunch of wins pencilled in already because of their ranking,” McCoy said. “We can’t control that, the only thing we can control is going out there and wrestling hard.”
[Read more: Maryland wrestling shutout for second straight dual, falling 45-0 to No. 7 Minnesota]
The Terps did have one positive from their otherwise ugly road trip, with 157-pounder and 2018 NCAA tournament qualifier Ryan Diehl making his season debut for the Terps.
However, the excitement of Diehl’s return from injury was dampened by the redshirt senior dropping both of his matches, first to No. 7 Kaleb Young from Iowa and then to No. 8 Steve Bleise from Minnesota.
Diehl’s string of tough matches will continue as he is set to face No. 5 Alec Pantaleo of Michigan. Diehl competing at 157 pounds came as a surprise to many, because the Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, native made a name for himself in the 141-pound class. But he says he’s eager to rise to the challenge and prove he can handle himself at the higher weight.
“It really does give me a chip on my shoulder,” Diehl said. “Everyone’s good at this level and I’m just here to prove that I belong on the top of the podium.”
[Read more: Maryland wrestling shut out by No. 3 Iowa in record loss, 48-0]
Even though he lost to No. 6 Sam Stoll and No. 1 Gable Steveson, Hemida had strong showings and was just a takedown away from winning both matches. That gives Hemida confidence entering this weekend, and for the postseason.
“I already know I can beat these guys,” Hemida said. “I just need to go out there and actually do it.”
Facing the lauded Wolverines will be another tough task for the Terps, but Sunday’s tilt against George Mason is Maryland’s best chance for a win on the season.
The Patriots may have a winning record, but Hemida knows that his team should come away victorious.
“It’s no secret that we haven’t had the best results this season,” Hemida said. “Going out there and wrestling George Mason is a great chance for our first team win.”
From the preseason, McCoy instilled in his team that the only thing that matters is the postseason tournaments.
Even though McCoy and his team are hopeful that their winless season might come to an end this weekend, they still want to be prepared for Michigan before turning to George Mason.
“We’ve got to focus on doing our best against Michigan and after that we change our focus to George Mason,” McCoy said. “We can’t take anything for granted.”
