ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. -- The Elizabethtown College wrestling team was nearly able to pull off the comeback against McDaniel Saturday night in Thompson Gymnasium. The Blue Jays wound up a few points shy as the Green Terror won the opening dual match of the season, 24-22.

The Blue Jays were out in front after Deven Jackson's 4-3 decision at 125 pounds. Momentum quickly flipped at 133 as McDaniel got the pinfall and then won the next three matches to go ahead 19-3. A team point deduction for the Green Terror took them back to 18, which would factor in later in the matchup.

Justice Hockenberry got the Jays back into it with a major decision at 165, 21-9, making it 18-7 overall.

McDaniel added six more points with another fall at 174.

Needing three pins to win the match, Etown was close to being successful in doing just that.

First, Ganon Smith earned the pin right before the second period buzzer sounded to make it 24-13.

Then, at 197, Will Davis followed suit with a second consecutive second-period pinfall victory for the Blue Jays. That made it 24-19.

It came down to the heavyweight bout as Sav Niewiadomy was close to getting Kaden Bryan down, but he was able to quickly get out of Niewiadomy's attempt. Bryan spent the match playing defense and kept the Jays' sophomore at bay, only conceding a 6-2 decision as the Green Terror held on, 24-22.