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Ivy Opener, B1G-IVY Rivalry Highlight Huge Home Weekend For Tiger Wrestling
January 29, 2016 | Wrestling
LINKS
VIDEO: Chris Ayres Mic'd Up; Sean Gray On The Weekend
PODCAST: Jonathan Schleifer on TigerCast
LIVE STREAM: Ivy League Digital Network
TWITTER: @TigerWrestling l @PUTigers l @PUTigersLive l @2016EIWAs
There has been no shortage of excitement for the Princeton wrestling team this season in tournament environments. Nine placed in the season opener at Binghamton, and the Tigers won the Navy Classic over two nationally ranked teams.
Princeton had its best Midlands performance ever, taking eighth as a team and sending Jonathan Schleifer to the finals.
Dual meets have been a different story this season, and it is one the team would like to author a new chapter, starting this weekend. Princeton will host three duals, including two Saturday at Dillon Gym. Sunday, Princeton renews its Garden State rivalry with #12 Rutgers at 1 pm in Dillon Gym.
All three matches will be streamed live on the Ivy League Digital Network, and TrackWrestling will provide live results throughout. You can also follow @tigerwrestling for live updates throughout the weekend.
Franklin & Marshall at Princeton • Saturday, 1 pm (Dillon Gym)
Today's opener features the Diplomats of Franklin & Marshall, which is 3-10 on the season and is coming off losses last weekend against both Brown and Harvard. The Diplomats have arguably their best wrestler in program history at 141 pounds, as former EIWA champion and NCAA All-America Rick Durso comes in as the nation's 14th-ranked wrestler. He has a potential showdown with Princeton's Jordan Laster, who reacched the 141-pound final at the EIWA Championships last year.
Princeton has won seven straight in this series, including a 25-9 road win last year.
Penn at Princeton • Saturday, 4 pm (Dillon Gym)
Recent history has been far more one-sided in the second dual of the day, as the Penn Quakers will look to extend their 24-match win streak over Princeton in the Ivy League opener for both teams. Last year's 19-12 Penn win was the closest result in more than two decades, but the Tigers know they need to clear this obstacle if they truly want to challenge Cornell's dominance in the Ivy League.
There are several fascinating individual matchups that could unfold today. Both 174 (#17 Casey Kent vs. #14 Jonathan Schleifer) and 184 (#12 Lorenzo Thomas vs. #19 Abram Ayala) are nationally ranked matchups, while the potential showdown at 149 (#10 CJ Cobb vs. Chris Perez) would be a rematch of the 2015 EIWA semifinal, which Perez won.
Rutgers at Princeton • Sunday, 1 pm (Jadwin Gym)
You'll probably see the trophy that both teams will be battling for Sunday. It's big enough to see from almost any seat in Jadwin Gym, and it's a worthy spoil — to go along with significant bragging rights — for the winner of the showdown between the 12th-ranked Rutgers Scarlet Knights and a Princeton team looking to build dual meet success to a strong tournament season.
Both Princeton and Rutgers (along with another in-state product, Rider) were among the Top 10 programs at the prestigious Midlands Championships prior to the New Year, and both have several nationally ranked wrestlers that should take to the mat today.
They are scattered throughout the weight classes, though, so the key to today's match could come from the non-ranked guys. Who can pull off an upset, or at least limit bonus points, could be the determining factor in this match.
Rutgers could roll off five ranked wrestlers among the six lowest weight classes, including sixth-ranked Anthony Ashnault (141). Ashnault understands the territorial pride of New Jersey wrestling as well as anybody — he won four state titles and went undefeated at South Plainfield.
Princeton has three ranked competitors between 174 and 197, including Midlands finalist Jonathan Schleifer. The 14th-ranked wrestler at 174, Schleifer is one of two Princeton starters who were also former New Jersey state champions. The other is freshman Pat D'Arcy, who leads all Tiger newcomers with 12 victories.
Rutgers has dominated this rivalry recently. The Scarlet Knights have won the last 18 meetings, including a 24-11 win in New Brunswick last year.
WEEKEND PROBABLES:
PRINCETON
125 – Pat D'Arcy (12-9)
133 – Trey Aslanian (1-8)
141 – Jordan Laster (13-7)
149 – Chris Perez (9-3)
157 – Adam Krop (0-0)
165 – Judd Ziegler (14-10)
174 – #14 Jonathan Schleifer (13-5)
184 –#19 Abram Ayala (11-7)
197 – #11 Brett Harner (20-2)
285 – Ray O'Donnell (16-7)
FRANKLIN & MARSHALL
125 - Aaron Moldoff
133 - Scott Stevens
141 - No. 14 Rick Durso/Paddy Quinlan
149 - Jason Bing
157 - Sharron Townsend
165 - Michael Marano/David Brennan
174 - Josh Young/Colin Gironda
184 - Anthony Mancini
197 - Charles Kerkesner
285 - Antonio Pelusi
PENN
125 - Jeremy Schwartz (1-8)
133 - Caleb Richardson (14-7)
141 - Marc Mastropietro (5-9) or A.J. Vindici (5-9)
149 - #10 C.J. Cobb (17-2)
157 - #20 May Bethea (15-7)
165 - Ray Bethea (8-5) or Brooks Martino (12-9)
174 - #17 Casey Kent (17-4)
184 - #12 Lorenzo Thomas (19-4)
197 - Joe Heyob (11-5) o Frank Mattiace (12-8) or Robert Ng (6-8)
285 - Patrik Garren (10-7)
RUTGERS
125 - #20 Sean McCabe (11-7)/Josh Patrick (10-3)
133 - #18 Anthony Giraldo (13-7)
141 - #6 Anthony Ashnault (18-2)
149 - Tyson Dippery (11-8)
157 - #17 Richie Lewis (15-3)
165 - #8 Anthony Perrotti (14-2)
174 - Phil Bakuckas (11-8)/Anthony Pafumi (7-5)
184 - Nicholas Gravina (13-6)
197 - Hayden Hrymack (11-7)
285 - #13 Billy Smith (17-5)