Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Tigers Make Home Debut v. Binghamton; Sacred Heart Tilt Moved To Jan. 9
December 10, 2014 | Wrestling
The Princeton wrestling team, the highest team listed in the votes column of the latest USA Today/NWCA Division I Coaches Poll, will try to build on a strong showing at the Windy City Duals Friday evening when it takes on Binghamton at 7 pm.
The night was originally scheduled to be a doubleheader, starting at 5 pm with a match against Sacred Heart; due to the Pioneers' final exam schedule, they were unable to make it to Princeton in time. The match has been moved to Jan. 9 and will be part of a doubleheader with Hofstra.
| Binghamton (1-4, 0-0 EIWA) vs. Princeton (3-1, 0-0 EIWA) |
| Date • Time • Location | Dec. 12 • 7 pm • Dillon Gym |
| Follow Live | Live Video l Live Results |
| @TigerWrestling l @PUTigers l @BearcatsWrestle | |
| Roster | Princeton l Binghamton |
| Schedule | Princeton l Binghamton |
| Coming Next | Dec. 22: Princeton v. Lehigh & Army in Grapple at the Garden |
Princeton opened its dual meet season in exciting fashion last weekend, winning three of four matches at the Windy City Duals. The Tigers nearly pulled off the upset of the weekend, but 19th-ranked Northwestern rallied for a 21-18 win in the finale.
The Tigers will try to build on that success Friday night when they take on Binghamton, one of the newest programs in the EIWA. Princeton picked up its first win ever over the Bearcats last season, a 27-5 victory on the road, and they will try to make it two in a row during a match that will be streamed live on the Ivy League Digital Network.
Princeton, which was eight votes shy of a place in the national Top 25 this week, has a pair of nationally ranked wrestlers. Junior Abram Ayala (11-1), who reached the NCAA Championships last season, is ranked 11th nationally at 197, while senior Adam Krop (12-3), a 2012 NCAA Championships qualifier, is ranked 18th at 149. Neither wrestler has lost a match to somebody ranked outside the current Top 10.
Binghamton has one of the nation's top heavyweights in Tyler Deuel, who is currently ranked 17th nationally. It will be a second straight match for Ray O'Donnell against a top heavyweight; last weekend, he wrestled Northwestern's Mike McMullen, who is currently ranked first in the nation.
Princeton also has a couple of underclassmen who are trying to break into the national rankings. Sophomore Brett Harner, a winner at the season-opening Bearcat Open in Binghamton, is 12-1 this season at 184, while classmate Jordan Laster is 13-3 at 141. Laster knocked off nationally ranked Jameson Oster of Northwestern last weekend.
Following Friday's match, Princeton will begin preparations for the third annual Grapple at the Garden. The Tigers, who defeated both Drexel and Army at Madison Square Garden last season, will face No. 12 Lehigh and Army during the Dec. 21 event in New York City.