Lehigh to wrestle two road duals vs. Big Ten foes
11/18/2009 2:00:00 PM | Men's Wrestling
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – No. 14 Lehigh takes to the road for the first time this season as the Mountain Hawks will wrestle two opponents from the Big Ten Conference, Ohio State and Michigan. The Mountain Hawks moved to 3-0 in duals this season with home victories over in-state rivals Penn State and Pittsburgh. Lehigh will get a tough test from the fifth-ranked Buckeyes on Friday, a team that finished second at the last two NCAA tournaments and features seven ranked wrestlers, before visiting Michigan on Sunday in what has become one of Lehigh’s most renowned non-conference wrestling rivalries.
The Mountain Hawks have won their last 11 duals dating back to last season and are 26-1 in two years under Pat Santoro.
Senior co-captain Matt Fisk is off to a strong start to his senior season. Fisk has wrestled three bouts and has come away with three bonus wins, a pin, a technical fall and a major decision. Fisk is ranked 12th at his weight class by InterMat and comes off a 26-9 season as a junior. The Wyalusing, Pa. native is a three-time NCAA qualifier and recently became just the sixth three-time Lehigh wrestling captain in school annals. Fisk owns a 70-31 career overall mark with 39 bonus wins and a 44-14 career dual meet record.
Freshman Robert Hamlin won the starting spot at 174 and has shined early this season with wins in his first three varsity duals. Hamlin had his biggest moment in last Friday’s dual win over rival Penn State when he won a convincing 17-8 major decision over 20th-ranked David Erwin, which tied the dual at 14 and shifted the momentum to Lehigh’s side. Hamlin was Lehigh’s Deferred Wrestler of the Year last season, after going 30-5 and placing in the top three in five open tournaments.
Lehigh has trotted out the same ten-man lineup in each of its first three duals this season. Of those ten wrestlers, four have emerged unscathed through three matches. Fisk not only is 3-0, but has also produced 15 dual points for the Mountain Hawks with a fall, a technical fall and a major decision. Joining Fisk at 3-0 are Hamlin (174), senior David Craig (184) and sophomore Zach Rey (285).
Ohio State opens its dual season with Friday night’s dual against the Mountain Hawks. The Buckeyes have finished second at each of the last two NCAA Championships and are currently ranked fifth in the nation by the NWCA. Ohio State opened its season with a second place finish at the Brockport Oklahoma Gold Classic in New York last weekend. Seniors Reece Humphrey and Lance Palmer won titles and both enter the weekend ranked in the top three in their respective weight classes. Humphrey is ranked first at 141 after bumping up from 133 while Palmer is ranked third at 149. Also ranked third in the nation is senior Mike Pucillo, the 2008 NCAA Champion at 184. Pucillo was ranked No. 1 in the country before losing in the finals on Saturday. Ohio State, which was 16-2 in duals last season, has seven ranked wrestlers in its projected lineup.
Michigan also opens its dual meet season on Sunday when the Mountain Hawks visit Cliff Keen Arena. The Wolverines were 10-8-1 in duals last season and had a streak of eight straight seasons in the top ten at the NCAA Championships snapped with an 11th place finish in St. Louis last March. Michigan enters this season in somewhat of a rebuilding mode as the Wolverines feature zero seniors among their probable starters, while as many as three true freshmen could compete this weekend. The Wolverines feature one nationally ranked wrestler in junior Anthony Biondo, who comes in at No. 13 at 197. Michigan sent wrestlers to both the Eastern Michigan Open (Nov. 7) and the Michigan State Open (Nov. 15). Heavyweight Eddie Phillips won the EMU Open, while three others notched runner-up finishes. Biondo and freshman Dan Yates (165) picked up titles at the Michigan State Open.
Lehigh and Michigan are wrestling in a dual meet for the 33rd straight season. The Wolverines lead the series versus Lehigh 23-12 and had won three straight duals in the series before Lehigh won last year’s meeting. The Mountain Hawks have only faced Ohio State twice, losing to the Buckeyes in November 2001 at the Sheridan Duals and defeating Ohio State at the Buckeye Duals in January 2004.
Action gets underway Friday night when the Mountain Hawks will meet Ohio State at 7 p.m. at St. John Arena in Columbus. The match can be heard on ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 as well as online at Lehighsports.com.
On Sunday, Lehigh visits Michigan for a 2 p.m. dual. The match will be televised in the Lehigh Valley on WFMZ-TV with Doug Heater and Kyle Berger on the call.
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Date: |
November 20, 2009 |
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Opponent: |
No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes |
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First match: |
7:00 p.m. |
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Arena: |
St. John Arena (13,276) |
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Location: |
Columbus, Ohio |
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Lehigh’s record: |
3-0 overall, 0-0 EIWA |
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Ohio State’s record: |
0-0 overall, 0-0 Big Ten |
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Series: |
Tied 1-1 |
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Streak: |
Lehigh won the last meeting 22-17 in 2004 |
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Television: |
None |
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Radio: |
ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 with Steve Lomangino and beginning at 6:45 p.m. |
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Internet broadcast: |
Live audio at Lehighsports.com |
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Behind enemy lines: |
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Date: |
November 22, 2009 |
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Opponent: |
No. 24 Michigan Wolverines |
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First match: |
2:05 p.m. |
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Arena: |
Cliff Keen Arena (1,800) |
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Location: |
Ann Arbor, Mich. |
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Lehigh’s record: |
3-0 overall, 0-0 EIWA |
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Michigan’s record: |
0-0 overall, 0-0 Big Ten |
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Series: |
Michigan leads 23-12 |
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Streak: |
Lehigh won last year’s meeting 20-12 at Stabler Arena |
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Television: |
WFMZ-TV live with Doug Heater and Kyle Berger |
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Radio: |
WLVR-FM (91.3) with Steve Lomangino beginning at 1:45 |
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Internet broadcast: |
Live audio at Lehighsports.com |
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Behind enemy lines: |
