Friday, December 6
Bethlehem, Pa.
7:00 PM
Lehigh University
vs
Penn State
108th meeting between Lehigh and Penn State set for Friday at sold out Stabler Arena
12/4/2019 4:25:00 PM | Men's Wrestling
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – No. 13 Lehigh returns from the Thanksgiving break to face its fourth consecutive top 15 opponent to open the dual season as the Mountain Hawks welcome four-time defending national champion and third-ranked Penn State to Stabler Arena Friday for the 108th dual between the longtime rivals. All three of Lehigh's duals this season have been tightly contested with the Mountain Hawks beating Oklahoma State on criteria on Nov. 16 then falling 18-14 at Princeton and losing to Pitt on criteria two weekends ago. Penn State returns to action after having its 60-dual win streak snapped with a 19-18 loss at Arizona State Nov. 22. Combined, Lehigh and Penn State's probable lineups feature 14 nationally-ranked wrestlers.
Friday's match has been sold out for several weeks. Because of the crowd of more than 5,800 expected, fans with tickets to Friday's match are strongly encouraged to arrive at Stabler Arena early due to rush hour traffic and parking volume. With the large crowd expected, Stabler Arena's doors will open at 5:30 p.m. Friday, 30 minutes earlier than usual.
Eight days after opening the dual season with a 21-20 criteria victory against No. 4 Oklahoma State, the Mountain Hawks came up on the wrong end of the third criteria against No. 12 Pitt in their first Grace Hall dual of the season. Lehigh and Pitt both won five bouts and both sides had one fall in the dual, with Brandon Paetzell delivering for the Mountain Hawks. A 39-34 edge in total match points helped the Panthers snap a four-dual losing streak to the Mountain Hawks. With two of its first three duals decided by criteria, Lehigh is now 2-4 since criteria replaced ties for dual meets. The Mountain Hawks last tie was a 16-16 deadlock at Cornell in 2010.
With a 7-0 start to his senior season, Jordan Kutler has been Lehigh's top performer through the season's first month. The two-time All-American and two-time EIWA champion is ranked second nationally at 174. Five of Kutler's seven wins this season have produced bonus points. He is expected to face No. 1 Mark Hall of Penn State, looking for his first win in four tries against the Nittany Lion senior and 2017 NCAA Champion.
Lehigh will be looking for its fifth win over a top-5 team in 11-plus seasons under Pat Santoro. Earlier this season, the Mountain Hawks knocked off No. 4 Oklahoma State. In the Santoro era, the Mountain Hawks also beat No. 1 Cornell in 2010-11, No. 3 Ohio State in 2014-15 and beat No. 4 Michigan in 2017-18.
Over the last decade, visits from Penn State have brought some of the largest Lehigh wrestling crowds in program history. Two years ago, Lehigh nearly upset Penn State in front of a Lehigh home dual meet record crowd of 9,896 at PPL Center in Allentown. Lehigh's Stabler Arena dual meet record 5,909 fans witnessed Penn State's visit in 2016, which was the last dual at Stabler Arena prior to this season. Four of the top five home dual meet crowds and three of the top five Stabler Arena crowds in Lehigh history have come against Penn State. The Grace Hall record attendance is 4,650 from a Lehigh-Navy dual on February 4, 1967.
For the first time in a long time, Penn State enters a dual looking to bounce back from a loss. Last time out the Nittany Lions fell 19-18 at Arizona State, snapping a 60-dual winning streak that dated back to February 2015. Penn State is 1-1 in duals and also competed at the Black Knight Invite at Army. Penn State has won four consecutive NCAA team titles and eight of the last nine. The Nittany Lion lineup could feature as many as eight nationally-ranked wrestlers, led by a trio of top-ranked grapplers who have won NCAA championships in their careers: Vincenzo Joseph (165), Mark Hall (174) and Anthony Cassar (285). In addition Shakur Rasheed (184), Nick Lee (141) and Roman Bravo-Young (133) are ranked in the top five of their respective weight classes. NCAA wrestling legend Cael Sanderson is in his 11th season as Penn State's head coach.
Penn State serves as Lehigh's most-often wrestled opponent. Friday's dual marks the 108th meeting and 87th consecutive season that Lehigh will wrestle Penn State. The Nittany Lions have won the last nine duals. Lehigh won the first two duals with Penn State under Pat Santoro, but Santoro is now 2-9 versus the Nittany Lions as Lehigh's head coach. The Mountain Hawks' last dual win over the Nittany Lions was Cael Sanderson's first dual as Penn State head coach in November 2009.
Friday's match begins at 7 p.m. from Stabler Arena. For fans without tickets to Friday's dual, the match will be televised locally on Service Electric 2 Sports Channel 50/550 and streamed on the Patriot League Network. Audio coverage will be available on Fox Sports Radio 1230/1320 AM and 94.7 FM Allentown beginning at 6:45 p.m.
The Mountain Hawks will break for final exams and the holidays and will return to action at the South Beach Duals, Dec. 29-30 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Lehigh will participate in the event for the second straight year and is scheduled to face Duke, Minnesota and Missouri over the two-day event.
The 2019-20 Lehigh wrestling season is presented by the Historic Hotel Bethlehem.
Like Lehigh Wrestling on Facebook and follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive updates throughout the season.
Friday's match has been sold out for several weeks. Because of the crowd of more than 5,800 expected, fans with tickets to Friday's match are strongly encouraged to arrive at Stabler Arena early due to rush hour traffic and parking volume. With the large crowd expected, Stabler Arena's doors will open at 5:30 p.m. Friday, 30 minutes earlier than usual.
Eight days after opening the dual season with a 21-20 criteria victory against No. 4 Oklahoma State, the Mountain Hawks came up on the wrong end of the third criteria against No. 12 Pitt in their first Grace Hall dual of the season. Lehigh and Pitt both won five bouts and both sides had one fall in the dual, with Brandon Paetzell delivering for the Mountain Hawks. A 39-34 edge in total match points helped the Panthers snap a four-dual losing streak to the Mountain Hawks. With two of its first three duals decided by criteria, Lehigh is now 2-4 since criteria replaced ties for dual meets. The Mountain Hawks last tie was a 16-16 deadlock at Cornell in 2010.
With a 7-0 start to his senior season, Jordan Kutler has been Lehigh's top performer through the season's first month. The two-time All-American and two-time EIWA champion is ranked second nationally at 174. Five of Kutler's seven wins this season have produced bonus points. He is expected to face No. 1 Mark Hall of Penn State, looking for his first win in four tries against the Nittany Lion senior and 2017 NCAA Champion.
Lehigh will be looking for its fifth win over a top-5 team in 11-plus seasons under Pat Santoro. Earlier this season, the Mountain Hawks knocked off No. 4 Oklahoma State. In the Santoro era, the Mountain Hawks also beat No. 1 Cornell in 2010-11, No. 3 Ohio State in 2014-15 and beat No. 4 Michigan in 2017-18.
Over the last decade, visits from Penn State have brought some of the largest Lehigh wrestling crowds in program history. Two years ago, Lehigh nearly upset Penn State in front of a Lehigh home dual meet record crowd of 9,896 at PPL Center in Allentown. Lehigh's Stabler Arena dual meet record 5,909 fans witnessed Penn State's visit in 2016, which was the last dual at Stabler Arena prior to this season. Four of the top five home dual meet crowds and three of the top five Stabler Arena crowds in Lehigh history have come against Penn State. The Grace Hall record attendance is 4,650 from a Lehigh-Navy dual on February 4, 1967.
For the first time in a long time, Penn State enters a dual looking to bounce back from a loss. Last time out the Nittany Lions fell 19-18 at Arizona State, snapping a 60-dual winning streak that dated back to February 2015. Penn State is 1-1 in duals and also competed at the Black Knight Invite at Army. Penn State has won four consecutive NCAA team titles and eight of the last nine. The Nittany Lion lineup could feature as many as eight nationally-ranked wrestlers, led by a trio of top-ranked grapplers who have won NCAA championships in their careers: Vincenzo Joseph (165), Mark Hall (174) and Anthony Cassar (285). In addition Shakur Rasheed (184), Nick Lee (141) and Roman Bravo-Young (133) are ranked in the top five of their respective weight classes. NCAA wrestling legend Cael Sanderson is in his 11th season as Penn State's head coach.
Penn State serves as Lehigh's most-often wrestled opponent. Friday's dual marks the 108th meeting and 87th consecutive season that Lehigh will wrestle Penn State. The Nittany Lions have won the last nine duals. Lehigh won the first two duals with Penn State under Pat Santoro, but Santoro is now 2-9 versus the Nittany Lions as Lehigh's head coach. The Mountain Hawks' last dual win over the Nittany Lions was Cael Sanderson's first dual as Penn State head coach in November 2009.
Friday's match begins at 7 p.m. from Stabler Arena. For fans without tickets to Friday's dual, the match will be televised locally on Service Electric 2 Sports Channel 50/550 and streamed on the Patriot League Network. Audio coverage will be available on Fox Sports Radio 1230/1320 AM and 94.7 FM Allentown beginning at 6:45 p.m.
The Mountain Hawks will break for final exams and the holidays and will return to action at the South Beach Duals, Dec. 29-30 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Lehigh will participate in the event for the second straight year and is scheduled to face Duke, Minnesota and Missouri over the two-day event.
The 2019-20 Lehigh wrestling season is presented by the Historic Hotel Bethlehem.
| Date: | December 6, 2019 |
| Opponent: | No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions |
| First match: | 7:05 p.m. |
| Arena: | Stabler Arena |
| Location: | Bethlehem, Pa. |
| Lehigh's record: | 1-2 overall, 0-1 EIWA |
| Penn State's record: | 1-1 overall, 0-0 Big Ten |
| Series: | Penn State leads 70-34-3 |
| Streak: | Penn State has won the last nine duals. |
| Television: | Service Electric 50/550, Patriot League Network |
| Radio: | Fox Sports Radio 1230/1320 AM and 94.7 FM Allentown beginning at 6:45. |
| Internet broadcast: | Video at PatriotLeague.TV Audio at LVFoxSports.com |
| Behind enemy lines: | http://www.gopsusports.com |
Like Lehigh Wrestling on Facebook and follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive updates throughout the season.
Players Mentioned
174
/ Men's Wrestling
125
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