No. 23 Lehigh visits Pittsburgh for first road dual
11/13/2008 8:15:00 AM | Men's Wrestling
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh takes to the road for the first time in its 100th season of wrestling as the Mountain Hawks head to the Steel City to face Pittsburgh, Saturday at 7 p.m. The Mountain Hawks are coming off a 21-15 upset of No. 17 Maryland on Sunday, a win which earned Lehigh a return to the national rankings at No. 23. One week after coaching against a Maryland team that he revitalized and led to an ACC title last year, Lehigh’s Pat Santoro must now face his alma mater for the first time in his coaching career. Pittsburgh opens its dual season on Saturday after its contingent of wrestlers enjoyed a strong showing at the Michigan State Open last weekend.
The Mountain Hawks victory over Maryland was their first season-opening dual win since a 26-15 win over Rider in November, 2005. Lehigh enters Saturday’s match looking to start the season 2-0 for the first time since 2005-06 and the fifth time in the last ten years.
Lehigh Head coach Pat Santoro wrestled for the Panthers from 1985-1989, under the guidance of head coach Rande Stottlemyer. Pittsburgh’s only four-time All-American, Santoro amassed a 167-13 record in four seasons for the Panthers, and won national championships at 142 in 1988 and 1989. A three-time EWL Champion, Santoro is also the Panthers’ career leader with 43 falls and posted an incredible 97-3 record over his final two seasons.
Saturday’s match marks the dual opener for Pittsburgh, which sent more than 20 wrestlers to the Michigan State Open last weekend. Nine Panther wrestlers placed in the event, led by Zac Thomusseit (184) and Eric Albright (141) who both took second in their respective weight classes. Pittsburgh has three wrestlers ranked in the latest polls, led by heavyweight Zach Sheaffer, who is ranked seventh. Jimmy Conroy (No. 20 at 133) and Ethan Headlee (No. 20 at 165) are also nationally ranked. The Panthers finished 16th at last year’s NCAA Championships, led by Keith Gavin’s individual national title at 174.
The Lehigh-Pittsburgh series dates back to 1916, with the Mountain Hawks holding a 36-15-2 edge in the series. These two schools have met every season since 1991, with Pittsburgh’s 24-9 victory last season snapping a ten match Lehigh winning streak in the series. Pat Santoro has never faced his alma mater in a dual meet.
Action gets underway at 7 p.m. Saturday from Pittsburgh’s Petersen Events Center. The match will be broadcast on WLVR-FM (91.3) as well as online at Lehighsports.com with streaming powered by Yahoo! Sports College Broadcast.
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Date: |
November 15, 2008 |
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Opponent: |
Pittsburgh Panthers |
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First match: |
7 p.m. |
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Arena: |
Petersen Events Center (12,500) |
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Location: |
Pittsburgh, Pa. |
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Lehigh’s record: |
1-0 overall, 0-0 EIWA |
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Pittsburgh’s record: |
0-0 overall, 0-0 EWL |
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Series: |
Lehigh leads 36-15-2 |
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Streak: |
Pittsburgh won last year’s dual. Lehigh won the previous ten meetings. |
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Television: |
None |
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Radio: |
WLVR-FM (91.3) with Steve Lomangino beginning at 6:45 p.m. |
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Internet broadcast: |
Live audio at Lehighsports.com |
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Behind enemy lines: |
