Lehigh unveils challenging 2014-15 wrestling schedule
9/4/2014 2:00:00 PM | Men's Wrestling
2014-15 Wrestling Schedule
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro announced the Mountain Hawks' 2014-15 wrestling schedule, announced Thursday. The home schedule features eight duals plus Lehigh will host the 111th EIWA Championships March 6-7 at Stabler Arena. Lehigh will make its debut at the Grapple at the Garden in New York in December and will return to the Southern Scuffle and NWCA National Duals after lengthy absences.
Â
"We want to challenge our team the best we can," said Santoro, who begins his seventh season. "That's what we're about, challenging ourselves in all areas of our lives. The bottom line is we want to be prepared for March. This schedule is indicative of that. I don't think there's an easy team on our schedule. They're all very good programs with very good coaches. It's a schedule that will prepare us for the postseason."
Â
The Mountain Hawks will kick-off their 106th season with the annual Brown and White wrestle-offs, October 30 at Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. One week later, they will officially get the season underway on when Hofstra visits for a 7 p.m. match on November 6.
Â
Three days later, Lehigh will travel to Penn State to face the four-time defending National Champions. This will mark the 103rd meeting between these two rivals, in which Penn State boasts a 65-34-3 lead against Lehigh in the all-time series. Lehigh will be looking to stop a four-match slide against the Nittany Lions and beat them for the first time since 2009.
Â
Following a road match at Pittsburgh on Saturday November 15, Lehigh will make the first of two scheduled trips to New York City to face EIWA rival Columbia. The match is set for November 21, the eve of the historic 150th meeting between Lehigh and Lafayette in football at Yankee Stadium, and will take place at the New York Athletic Club. The Mountain Hawks last wrestled a dual at the NYAC in 2007, losing to Hofstra. Lehigh also defeated Missouri in 2005 and Hofstra in 2002 in duals wrestled at the NYAC.
Â
Thanksgiving weekend brings a pair of Midwestern duals against Big Ten foes with Lehigh visiting Illinois on Saturday November 29 before making the trek to Northwestern the following day. Both teams finished in the top 15 at last year's NCAA Championships.
Â
The Mountain Hawks will then return home for a pair of duals against local foes. Penn visits Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall on Saturday December 6, with Rider making the short trip from New Jersey the following afternoon.
Â
After a break for final exams, Lehigh will close out 2014 with a return trip to New York to compete at the Grapple at the Garden, the third year event at Madison Square Garden. Lehigh is slated to wrestle EIWA rival Princeton and NCAA fifth place finisher Edinboro at the World's Most Famous Arena on December 21.
Â
The Mountain Hawks will ring in the New Year with a return to one of the nation's toughest in season tournaments, the Southern Scuffle, hosted by Chattanooga January 1-2 in Tennessee. Lehigh last competed at the Southern Scuffle in December 2006, when it was hosted by UNC-Greensboro.
Â
"We wanted to do some different things," Santoro explained. "We had gotten into a routine. We had a young team last year and for a lot of these guys it will be their second year in the lineup, so we wanted to change it up a little bit and give the guys some new experiences. The Southern Scuffle is an outstanding tournament. Grapple at the Garden is something we've wanted to do the last few years and we were finally able to make it work with our final schedule."
Â
The 2015 portion of the dual meet schedule features five duals against EIWA opponents. Lehigh will spend the second weekend in January in Maryland, beginning with a Saturday night dual at EIWA rival Navy on January 10. The following day, the Mountain Hawks will square off against Maryland. Santoro came to Lehigh from Maryland in 2008 and will coach against the Terps in College Park for the first time as Lehigh head coach. Maryland mentor Kerry McCoy served as an assistant at Lehigh in the early 2000s.
Â
Lehigh returns to Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall for its next five duals, beginning Saturday January 24 against Franklin & Marshall. The next day, eight-time defending EIWA Champion Cornell visits in the annual battle between two teams challenging for the top spot in the EIWA.
Â
After a weekend off, Lehigh will host EIWA foes Harvard and Brown on Sunday February 8.
Â
To close out the dual meet season, Lehigh will take part in the NWCA National Duals for the first time since 2005. This year's format features eight first round duals at campus sites February 14-15 with the eight winners advancing to the final round in Iowa City, Iowa on February 22. The Mountain Hawks will host George Mason in their first round dual with the match slated for 7 p.m. on February 14.
Â
"We're excited to be back in the National Duals," Santoro said. "That looks like the way things are going in college wrestling. We want to be prepared for it and get ahead of the game."
Â
Lehigh will have home mat advantage for the 111th EIWA Championships, March 6-7 at Stabler Arena as the Mountain Hawks host for the first time since 2010.
Â
"The postseason is the postseason and people are fired up no matter where it is," Santoro said. "It is nice to be in your own venue with the home crowd. The guys will look forward to that. Right now we just want to get our guys the best experience. It's a close knit team. They're excited to see what they can do and how they match up against the nation's best."
Â
The Mountain Hawks' NCAA qualifiers will move on to the NCAA Championships, March 19-21 in St. Louis.
Â
Season ticket renewals were sent out last week with new season tickets going on sale September 15. Single match tickets are slated to go on sale September 22, while tickets for the EIWA Championships will go on sale in January. For wrestling ticket information, please visit LehighTickets.com.
Â
The Mountain Hawks return three All-Americans from last season and will begin preseason practice next month.
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro announced the Mountain Hawks' 2014-15 wrestling schedule, announced Thursday. The home schedule features eight duals plus Lehigh will host the 111th EIWA Championships March 6-7 at Stabler Arena. Lehigh will make its debut at the Grapple at the Garden in New York in December and will return to the Southern Scuffle and NWCA National Duals after lengthy absences.
Â
"We want to challenge our team the best we can," said Santoro, who begins his seventh season. "That's what we're about, challenging ourselves in all areas of our lives. The bottom line is we want to be prepared for March. This schedule is indicative of that. I don't think there's an easy team on our schedule. They're all very good programs with very good coaches. It's a schedule that will prepare us for the postseason."
Â
The Mountain Hawks will kick-off their 106th season with the annual Brown and White wrestle-offs, October 30 at Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. One week later, they will officially get the season underway on when Hofstra visits for a 7 p.m. match on November 6.
Â
Three days later, Lehigh will travel to Penn State to face the four-time defending National Champions. This will mark the 103rd meeting between these two rivals, in which Penn State boasts a 65-34-3 lead against Lehigh in the all-time series. Lehigh will be looking to stop a four-match slide against the Nittany Lions and beat them for the first time since 2009.
Â
Following a road match at Pittsburgh on Saturday November 15, Lehigh will make the first of two scheduled trips to New York City to face EIWA rival Columbia. The match is set for November 21, the eve of the historic 150th meeting between Lehigh and Lafayette in football at Yankee Stadium, and will take place at the New York Athletic Club. The Mountain Hawks last wrestled a dual at the NYAC in 2007, losing to Hofstra. Lehigh also defeated Missouri in 2005 and Hofstra in 2002 in duals wrestled at the NYAC.
Â
Thanksgiving weekend brings a pair of Midwestern duals against Big Ten foes with Lehigh visiting Illinois on Saturday November 29 before making the trek to Northwestern the following day. Both teams finished in the top 15 at last year's NCAA Championships.
Â
The Mountain Hawks will then return home for a pair of duals against local foes. Penn visits Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall on Saturday December 6, with Rider making the short trip from New Jersey the following afternoon.
Â
After a break for final exams, Lehigh will close out 2014 with a return trip to New York to compete at the Grapple at the Garden, the third year event at Madison Square Garden. Lehigh is slated to wrestle EIWA rival Princeton and NCAA fifth place finisher Edinboro at the World's Most Famous Arena on December 21.
Â
The Mountain Hawks will ring in the New Year with a return to one of the nation's toughest in season tournaments, the Southern Scuffle, hosted by Chattanooga January 1-2 in Tennessee. Lehigh last competed at the Southern Scuffle in December 2006, when it was hosted by UNC-Greensboro.
Â
"We wanted to do some different things," Santoro explained. "We had gotten into a routine. We had a young team last year and for a lot of these guys it will be their second year in the lineup, so we wanted to change it up a little bit and give the guys some new experiences. The Southern Scuffle is an outstanding tournament. Grapple at the Garden is something we've wanted to do the last few years and we were finally able to make it work with our final schedule."
Â
The 2015 portion of the dual meet schedule features five duals against EIWA opponents. Lehigh will spend the second weekend in January in Maryland, beginning with a Saturday night dual at EIWA rival Navy on January 10. The following day, the Mountain Hawks will square off against Maryland. Santoro came to Lehigh from Maryland in 2008 and will coach against the Terps in College Park for the first time as Lehigh head coach. Maryland mentor Kerry McCoy served as an assistant at Lehigh in the early 2000s.
Â
Lehigh returns to Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall for its next five duals, beginning Saturday January 24 against Franklin & Marshall. The next day, eight-time defending EIWA Champion Cornell visits in the annual battle between two teams challenging for the top spot in the EIWA.
Â
After a weekend off, Lehigh will host EIWA foes Harvard and Brown on Sunday February 8.
Â
To close out the dual meet season, Lehigh will take part in the NWCA National Duals for the first time since 2005. This year's format features eight first round duals at campus sites February 14-15 with the eight winners advancing to the final round in Iowa City, Iowa on February 22. The Mountain Hawks will host George Mason in their first round dual with the match slated for 7 p.m. on February 14.
Â
"We're excited to be back in the National Duals," Santoro said. "That looks like the way things are going in college wrestling. We want to be prepared for it and get ahead of the game."
Â
Lehigh will have home mat advantage for the 111th EIWA Championships, March 6-7 at Stabler Arena as the Mountain Hawks host for the first time since 2010.
Â
"The postseason is the postseason and people are fired up no matter where it is," Santoro said. "It is nice to be in your own venue with the home crowd. The guys will look forward to that. Right now we just want to get our guys the best experience. It's a close knit team. They're excited to see what they can do and how they match up against the nation's best."
Â
The Mountain Hawks' NCAA qualifiers will move on to the NCAA Championships, March 19-21 in St. Louis.
Â
Season ticket renewals were sent out last week with new season tickets going on sale September 15. Single match tickets are slated to go on sale September 22, while tickets for the EIWA Championships will go on sale in January. For wrestling ticket information, please visit LehighTickets.com.
Â
The Mountain Hawks return three All-Americans from last season and will begin preseason practice next month.
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
