Lehigh wrestling unveils 2019-20 schedule
9/12/2019 3:37:00 PM | Men's Wrestling
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Six home duals, including two national powers in Stabler Arena, highlight the 2019-20 Lehigh wrestling schedule, unveiled Thursday by head coach Pat Santoro. The Mountain Hawks will wrestle three times at Stabler Arena, with Oklahoma State visiting in November, four-time defending national champion Penn State coming to town in early December, and the EIWA Championships returning to Stabler in March.
"We're going to have two big events in Stabler Arena, before EIWAs which is also a big event," Santoro said. "Our guys haven't wrestled in Stabler in a few years so it will be nice to get back in there a couple times this year. Having those two big events should work out well to prepare us for the postseason."
Santoro has lined up another challenging slate for the two-time defending EIWA Champions, one that includes six of the top 15 finishers at the NCAA Championships, with the possibility of several more challenging match-ups as Lehigh returns to the South Beach Duals in late December for the second consecutive year.
Season ticket renewals were sent out last week, with new season tickets set to go on sale September 17. Mini plans, which this year will have options to combine three or four matches, will go on sale October 2,
while single match tickets go on sale October 16.
Fans will get their first look at the 2019-20 squad with the annual Brown and White Wrestle-offs, set for Thursday, October 24; one of eight home dates for the Mountain Hawks this season.
The season will begin with two tournaments, as Lehigh will send a contingent to the Princeton Open, November 3 in New Jersey and then will once again compete in the Journeymen Collegiate Classic, November 10 in Troy, N.Y.
The first dual of the season will be on November 16 when Oklahoma State visits Bethlehem for the first time since 2005 for a Saturday afternoon dual at Stabler Arena. Lehigh will host two duals and the EIWA Championships in Stabler, marking the first appearance in the arena for the wrestling program since 2016.
The following weekend Lehigh will visit Princeton (Nov. 23), looking to avenge an early-season loss to the Tigers last November. On Sunday, November 24, Lehigh hosts its first Grace Hall dual as the Mountain Hawks welcome Pitt, who returns to the schedule after a one-year hiatus.
Lehigh will be off from competition Thanksgiving weekend and will remain home and return to Stabler Arena for the 108th meeting between Lehigh and Penn State on Friday, December 6. The Mountain Hawks and Nittany Lions sold out Allentown's PPL Center when Penn State last visited in December 2017 and set a Stabler Arena dual meet record of 5,909 for the Nittany Lions' visit in February 2016.
"Pitt was a top 20 dual meet team that has eight guys back," Santoro said. "We want to keep that series going. It didn't work out last year because of scheduling. Princeton is another top 20 dual team and Oklahoma State is always tough. Add in the likes of Penn State and Cornell, and it's another really challenging schedule. That's what we do here. We try to wrestle the best teams we can."
For the second straight year, Lehigh will head to Florida between Christmas and New Year's Day for the South Beach Duals, December 29-30 in Fort Lauderdale. Opponents are still to be determined.
The Mountain Hawks will usher in the 2020 portion of their schedule with seven straight EIWA duals. Lehigh will head to central New York to face Binghamton on Friday January 10 and will then battle rival Cornell the following afternoon in Ithaca.
Lehigh will be back in Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall the following weekend as American visits on Friday, January 17 and then Navy comes to town on January 18 for the 100th meeting in the series. The Midshipmen are Lehigh's second most-often wrestled opponent behind Penn State.
The Mountain Hawks will wrestle their next three duals away from home, with trips to Army West Point (Jan. 31), Bucknell (Feb. 14) and Penn (Feb. 20). Lehigh will close out the dual meet season by hosting Arizona State for the second straight year, with the match set for Friday, February 21.
"It's a good, balanced schedule," Santoro said. "Last year's schedule was built for a team that we thought would have a couple more All-Americans in the lineup. It ended up benefitting our guys at the end of the year anyway. It did what it was designed to do, and this year is similar. It's not designed for us to go undefeated. It's designed to get us ready for the postseason."
Stabler Arena will be the site of the 118th EIWA Championships, March 6-7 as Lehigh will host the conference tournament for the first time since 2015. The Mountain Hawks will be looking to win their third consecutive team title.
The NCAA Championships will be held at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, home of the NFL's Minnesota Vikings, March 19-21.
The first official day of practice will once again be October 10. Lehigh's 2019-20 roster features two returning All-Americans, three returning EIWA Champions and eight wrestlers who have previously qualified for the NCAA Championships.
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.
"We're going to have two big events in Stabler Arena, before EIWAs which is also a big event," Santoro said. "Our guys haven't wrestled in Stabler in a few years so it will be nice to get back in there a couple times this year. Having those two big events should work out well to prepare us for the postseason."
Santoro has lined up another challenging slate for the two-time defending EIWA Champions, one that includes six of the top 15 finishers at the NCAA Championships, with the possibility of several more challenging match-ups as Lehigh returns to the South Beach Duals in late December for the second consecutive year.
Season ticket renewals were sent out last week, with new season tickets set to go on sale September 17. Mini plans, which this year will have options to combine three or four matches, will go on sale October 2,
while single match tickets go on sale October 16.
Fans will get their first look at the 2019-20 squad with the annual Brown and White Wrestle-offs, set for Thursday, October 24; one of eight home dates for the Mountain Hawks this season.
The season will begin with two tournaments, as Lehigh will send a contingent to the Princeton Open, November 3 in New Jersey and then will once again compete in the Journeymen Collegiate Classic, November 10 in Troy, N.Y.
The first dual of the season will be on November 16 when Oklahoma State visits Bethlehem for the first time since 2005 for a Saturday afternoon dual at Stabler Arena. Lehigh will host two duals and the EIWA Championships in Stabler, marking the first appearance in the arena for the wrestling program since 2016.
The following weekend Lehigh will visit Princeton (Nov. 23), looking to avenge an early-season loss to the Tigers last November. On Sunday, November 24, Lehigh hosts its first Grace Hall dual as the Mountain Hawks welcome Pitt, who returns to the schedule after a one-year hiatus.
Lehigh will be off from competition Thanksgiving weekend and will remain home and return to Stabler Arena for the 108th meeting between Lehigh and Penn State on Friday, December 6. The Mountain Hawks and Nittany Lions sold out Allentown's PPL Center when Penn State last visited in December 2017 and set a Stabler Arena dual meet record of 5,909 for the Nittany Lions' visit in February 2016.
"Pitt was a top 20 dual meet team that has eight guys back," Santoro said. "We want to keep that series going. It didn't work out last year because of scheduling. Princeton is another top 20 dual team and Oklahoma State is always tough. Add in the likes of Penn State and Cornell, and it's another really challenging schedule. That's what we do here. We try to wrestle the best teams we can."
For the second straight year, Lehigh will head to Florida between Christmas and New Year's Day for the South Beach Duals, December 29-30 in Fort Lauderdale. Opponents are still to be determined.
The Mountain Hawks will usher in the 2020 portion of their schedule with seven straight EIWA duals. Lehigh will head to central New York to face Binghamton on Friday January 10 and will then battle rival Cornell the following afternoon in Ithaca.
Lehigh will be back in Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall the following weekend as American visits on Friday, January 17 and then Navy comes to town on January 18 for the 100th meeting in the series. The Midshipmen are Lehigh's second most-often wrestled opponent behind Penn State.
The Mountain Hawks will wrestle their next three duals away from home, with trips to Army West Point (Jan. 31), Bucknell (Feb. 14) and Penn (Feb. 20). Lehigh will close out the dual meet season by hosting Arizona State for the second straight year, with the match set for Friday, February 21.
"It's a good, balanced schedule," Santoro said. "Last year's schedule was built for a team that we thought would have a couple more All-Americans in the lineup. It ended up benefitting our guys at the end of the year anyway. It did what it was designed to do, and this year is similar. It's not designed for us to go undefeated. It's designed to get us ready for the postseason."
Stabler Arena will be the site of the 118th EIWA Championships, March 6-7 as Lehigh will host the conference tournament for the first time since 2015. The Mountain Hawks will be looking to win their third consecutive team title.
The NCAA Championships will be held at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, home of the NFL's Minnesota Vikings, March 19-21.
The first official day of practice will once again be October 10. Lehigh's 2019-20 roster features two returning All-Americans, three returning EIWA Champions and eight wrestlers who have previously qualified for the NCAA Championships.
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.
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