No. 12 Lehigh faces first EIWA foe in Bucknell Friday
12/2/2010 8:18:00 PM | Men's Wrestling
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh will get its first look at EIWA opposition this season when the 12th-ranked Mountain Hawks face the Bucknell Bison Friday night at Davis Gym. The Mountain Hawks come in off a 2-1 showing at the Northeast Duals where they defeated Virginia and George Mason but lost to Missouri. Sophomore Robert Hamlin and junior Zach Rey both went 3-0 last weekend and both men are 7-0 on the season. Rey was named EIWA Co-Wrestler of the Week after beating second ranked Dom Bradley of Missouri last weekend. Bucknell opened its dual season in the Midwest last weekend with a win over South Dakota State and losses to ranked Big XII foes Nebraska and Oklahoma State.
The Mountain Hawks are 14-0-1 in their last 15 duals against EIWA opponents. The last EIWA team to beat Lehigh was Penn on February 24, 2008.
Hamlin has impressed in his move up to 184. Hamlin is a perfect 7-0 on the season including a win over Penn State All-American Quentin Wright. All seven wins have been regular decisions, but Hamlin has used his superior conditioning to overcome his giving up early takedowns. The Jonesville, Vermont native went 18-12 as a freshman and qualified for the NCAA Championships at 174.
Bucknell opens its home schedule Friday night against Lehigh. The Bison opened their season with a second place finish at the Navy Classic two weeks ago, and kicked off their dual season with a 1-2 Midwestern road trip last weekend. Bucknell opened its season with a 38-3 romp over South Dakota State in Lincoln, Nebraska before dropping a tight dual meet to No. 22 Nebraska 19-16. On Saturday, Lehigh fell to No. 2 Oklahoma State 39-3 at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Senior Kevin LeValley was the lone Bison winner against the Cowboys and is the top-ranked Bucknell wrestler coming in at No. 3 at 149. Sophomore Derek Reber (125) is also ranked in the top 20 by Amateur Wrestling News. This is the sixth season of Bucknell wrestling since the program was re-instated in 2005. The Bison will host the 107th EIWA Championships at Sojka Pavilion in March.
Lehigh and Bucknell will meet on the mats for the seventh time on Friday, with the Brown and White having captured each of the first six meetings. Friday's match marks Lehigh's second-ever visit to Lewisburg and its first since 1975.
Friday's match gets underway at 7 p.m. from Davis Gym. The match will be broadcast on ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 as well as online at Lehighsports.com.
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Date:
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December 3, 2010
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Opponent:
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Bucknell Bison
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First match:
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1:00 p.m.
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Arena:
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Davis Gym (1,100)
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Location:
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Lewisburg, Pa.
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Lehigh's Record:
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5-2 overall, 0-0 EIWA
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Bucknell's Record:
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1-2 overall, 0-0 EIWA
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Series:
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Lehigh has won all six meetings
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Television:
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None
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Radio:
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ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 with Steve Lomangino and Gary Brownell beginning at 6:45 p.m.
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Internet broadcast:
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Lehighsports.com
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Behind enemy lines:
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Lehigh Sports Central: Wrestling
Wednesday, March 12
Lehigh Sports Central: Wrestling
Thursday, February 20
Lehigh Sports Central: Wrestling
Wednesday, December 04
Season Preview: Wrestling
Wednesday, October 30
