DeKALB | In its regular season final, the NIU wrestling team suffered a conference loss Sunday at Buffalo, 22-9.

After gaining a 6-3 lead after victories from senior Dakota Greenhaw at 285 pounds and freshman Nick Smith at 125 pounds, NIU (5-11 overall, 1-5 MAC) lost six matches in-a-row to Buffalo (9-8, 2-3) and found itself down 22-6.

“Dakota had a great match and wrestled hard,” said NIU head coach Dave Grant. “There were just a couple close matches that we weren’t able to close out.”

NIU seniors Tristen DeShazer and Bryan Deutsch both lost close battles on the day. DeShazer fell 6-4 to Andrew Schutt at 141 pounds, snapping his five match win streak and bringing his record to 15-9. Deutsch lost 8-6 to Mark Lewandowski at 157 pounds to close his regular season with a 19-9 record.

Smith’s victory improved his record to a team-best 22-7 and extended his win streak to six matches.

“Smith, a true freshman, had another outstanding performance for us,” Grant said. “[Brad] Dieckhaus also had a great match and beat a tough guy this afternoon.”

Dieckhaus, a junior, ended the day on a positive note for the Huskies, winning his fourth match in-a-row at 184 pounds, a 3-1 result to finish his regular season with a record of 13-8.

“It’s a great momentum builder right before MAC [Championships],” Dieckhaus said. “I feel pretty good, but there are a couple of things I need to work on.”

With time off to prepare for the MAC Championships, the Huskies will focus on tightening any areas that are weak.

“We need to focus on being intense,” Grant said. “Being able to wrestle with the best and just being ready to perform in a couple weeks is what we need to be focused on.”

Dieckhaus wants to improve on his offensive attacks and keep a positive attitude over the next couple weeks. He also wants to make sure he will be completely healthy when the championships are under way.

With the championships being held in DeKalb, Dieckhaus said he believes the Huskies have an extra advantage against the competition.

“It’s going to be a huge asset,” Dieckhaus said. “If we can get a bunch of the school to come out and a bunch of family and friends to support us at the [Convocation Center], I think it will be an advantage if we can get a little rowdy inside that bowl.”

The MAC Championships will be held on March 5-6 in the main area of the NIU Convocation Center.