DeKALB | As the NIU wrestlers stepped onto the mat Friday, they did so intending to send head coach Dave Grant off the right way.

In Grant’s final home meet, the NIU Huskies (3-10 overall, 1-4 MAC) did just that, defeating Eastern Michigan (11-7, 0-1), who came into the night with a four-match winning streak.

NIU was led by strong efforts from seniors Tristen DeShazer, Vince Castillo and Bryan Deutsch.

Freshman Nick Smith and junior Brad Dieckhaus also defeated their opponents on the evening en route to a 21-18 victory.

NIU jumped ahead with five straight wins to start the match off, including a pinfall victory from DeShazer in the first period. The pin was his third in a row and his eighth of the year.

“It felt great,” DeShazer said. “I really wanted to have a good showing in my last home match and with coach’s last match and I am glad I got the pin.”

In freshman Kevin Fanta’s return to the lineup at 133, he defeated reigning MAC Wrestler of the Week Filiberto Colon in a grueling match. Smith’s victory at 125 helped him improve his record to 17-7, beginning an 18-0 run to start the meet. The Eagles made a remarkable comeback but were never able to take a lead, despite winning four of the final five matches.

“The attitude our team had was great,” said associate head coach Ryan Ludwig. “We talked all week about coming out with passion and fire and they did a great job of that.”

Grant was officially recognized for his dedication to and restoration of the NIU wrestling program during the senior ceremony. He received a standing ovation from the entire crowd at Victor E. Court.

And with his career coming to an end at the season’s close, the veteran head coach was quick to reflect on both this season and his career as a whole.

“It’s good to win the last one at home in a hard-fought battle,” Grant said. “We’ve had a tough schedule and have been facing top-20 opponents all year long and we’ve brought some real intensity to the team.”

While this year’s squad is obviously fresh in Grant’s mind, he’s not lost on his legacy at NIU. A shod of a program before Grant arrived, he said he believes he’s had a positive impact on wrestling at NIU.

“I feel we’ve done some great things here,” Grant said. “We were able to turn this program around and it’s heading in a great direction.”

The Huskies return to the mat on Saturday in Edwardsville, where they will match up against SIU-Edwardsville. The first match will begin at 3 p.m.