Wrestling: Lehigh set to battle EIWA rival Rutgers Saturday at Grace Hall
Wrestling: Lehigh set to battle EIWA rival Rutgers Saturday at Grace Hall
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Following a week off from competition No. 23 Lehigh returns to the Saturday night against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the Mountain Hawks’ final Grace Hall dual of the season. The Mountain Hawks went 1-1 on their trip to the Pacific Northwest, rebounding from a 28-10 loss at Oregon State by sweeping all nine contested bouts in a 35-6 rout of Boise State. Five of Lehigh’s nine victories produced bonus points with freshman Darian Cruz securing his first career fall and sophomore Mason Beckman winning by technical fall. Sophomore heavyweight Max Wessell upset eighth-ranked JT Felix 7-4 in the first contested bout of the dual and was subsequently named EIWA Wrestler of the Week for his efforts.
Four Lehigh seniors will be honored prior to Saturday’s match as the Mountain Hawks will wrestle inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall for the final time in the 2013-14 season. Joey Napoli is the most accomplished member of the class, winning an EIWA title last year and qualifying for two NCAA Championships so far. Austin Meys went 21-10 in 2010-11 and qualified for the NCAA Championships but missed the last two seasons due to illness. Dillon Smith and Cal Stack have both competed sparingly due to injuries.
Five Mountain Hawks are ranked in the latest Amateur Wrestling News poll with Beckman moving into the top five at 133. Napoli is ranked ninth at 157 while three others are all ranked 13th in their respective weight classes. Lehigh has six wrestlers ranked by FloWrestling, four by both W.I.N. Magazine and InterMat.
Wessell was named EIWA Wrestler of the Week on January 27 after defeating eighth-ranked JT Felix of Boise State in Lehigh’s 35-6 win over the Broncos the day before. Wessell missed six weeks after injuring his ankle against Bucknell on November 9, but has won both of his bouts since returning to the Lehigh lineup. He owns a 6-2 record on the season.
Rutgers enters Saturday’s dual with 9-4 record that includes an impressive 6-1 mark against EIWA opponents. Like Lehigh, Rutgers was off from competition last weekend. Last time out the Scarlet Knights fell 29-9 at No. 3 Cornell in Ithaca, N.Y. on January 26. Rutgers has lost its last two duals as the Scarlet Knights fell at Iowa State prior to the Cornell dual.
The Scarlet Knights do not have any wrestlers ranked by Amateur Wrestling News, but sophomore heavyweight Billy Smith is ranked by InterMat and FloWrestling. Four Scarlet Knights are represented in the latest EIWA rankings, with Smith leading the way at No. 2. Also ranked for Rutgers are senior Vinnie Dellafave (133), and freshmen Tyson Dippery (141) and Phil Bakuckas (174).
The Mountain Hawks have dominated the all-time series versus Rutgers, winning 41-of-43 meetings. The Scarlet Knights snapped a 38-dual Lehigh win streak with a 17-16 triumph last season in New Jersey. Rutgers’ only other win in the series came by a 16-11 score on February 22, 1950 in New Jersey. Lehigh and Rutgers are meeting for the 13th time in the last 14 seasons and the first time inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall since November 2007.
Saturday’s match gets underway at 7 p.m. from Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. Tickets can be purchased by calling 610-7LU-GAME, by logging on to LehighTickets.com, or by visiting the Grace Hall ticket office on match night.
Date: |
February 8, 2014 |
Opponent: |
Rutgers Scarlet Knights |
First match: |
7:05 p.m. |
Arena: |
Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall |
Location: |
Bethlehem, Pa. |
Lehigh’s Record: |
7-5 overall, 3-2 EIWA |
Rutgers’ Record: |
9-4 overall, 6-1 EIWA |
Series: |
Lehigh leads 41-2 |
Streak: |
Lehigh won 38 straight before Rutgers won last year’s dual |
Television: |
Service Electric 2 Sports Live |
Radio: |
ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 beginning at 6:45 p.m. with Steve Lomangino and Gary Brownell |
Internet broadcast: |
Video via the Patriot League Network Audio at ESPNLV.com |
Behind enemy lines: |
--
Steve Lomangino
Media Relations Director - Lehigh University Athletics
sjl304@lehigh.edu
610-758-3174
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