Hauppauge Wrestling Scores First League Win

The Hauppauge varsity wrestling team notched its first league win Wednesday night by defeating Sayville, 41-30.

The defending League V champion Eagles (6-2) were able hold off the Golden Flashes (5-2), despite some exciting moments.

"I was very pleased with the guys with what they did," said Eagles head coach Chris Messina, who is in his 29th season as coach. "Sayville's got a tough team and I was worried with them."

There were several swings in the match, which could have swayed the momentum into Sayville's favor, but luckily for Messina and his team, it remained on their side of the mat.

"You look at the score and see 41 whatever, but this match was a lot closer," Messina said.

After Hauppauge's Nick Mauriello defeated Chris Siracusa, 16-4, in the opening bout, Sayville quickly turned the tides in their favor.

Just 34 seconds in to the second bout, Sayville's Justin Bonamico scored a pin over Eagles Shatick Crowell, giving the Flashes the early 6-3 lead.

That would be the last time Sayville held a lead in the match.

The Eagles answered back with a quick pin of their own almost immediately after Crowell's loss. In the 135-pound class, Eagles' Mike Ehlinger took down Mike Payne with an overhead cradle, which he turned into a pin, just 36 seconds into the first period.

The Eagles next bout could have seen them surrender the lead once again, when Sayville's Steven Leshinger—who is fourth in the county—made his season debut against Adem Lepkowsky, ranked third in county, fourth on Long Island.

Unfortunately for Leshinger, the lack of preparation due to his various injuries caught up to him, as he was forced to be pulled from the match due to injury, giving the Eagles another six points.

"I knew he was tough and All-County last year," said Lepkowsky of Leshinger. "I was able to take him down quick and just stuck to it and never gave up."

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the match came when 2010 NYS champion Mark West, was defeated by Sayville's Matt Leshinger.

"We knew that West and Leshinger was going to be a great match," Messina said. "It's always a great match every time they wrestle each other."

West defeated Leshinger three times last year en route to his state championship in the 96-pound class.

The Eagles will take the mat again Friday, Jan. 7, when they host Harborfields at 6:30 p.m..