Princeton University
Penn
Wrestlers Aim for Ivy League Outright Title Saturday in Dillon Doubleheader
February 12, 2020 | Wrestling
#14 Princeton vs. Penn, 12 p.m.; vs. Drexel, 2 p.m. | ESPN+ | Free Admission
Last weekend, the Tigers clinched at least a share of their first Ivy League title since 1986, along with ending Cornell's 92-match Ivy League winning streak and picking up Princeton's first win over the Big Red since 1986.
Now, it's time for a chance to remove that "share" part of the title. With a win over the Quakers, Princeton would finish 5-0 in the Ivy League, completing the program's first clean sweep of the league since that '86 championship.
Princeton has won the last four over Penn, with the Quakers' last win in the series coming in 2015. Princeton's 2016 win ended a 24-match skid against Penn since the Tigers' last win previous to that in 1991. Princeton returns seven of its 10 wrestlers from last year's lineup against Penn, including Patrick Glory (125), Marshall Keller (141), Matthew Kolodzik (149), Quincy Monday (157), Travis Stefanik (then 174, now 184), Kevin Parker (then 184, now 174), and Patrick Brucki (197). All seven were winners in that 28-6 Tiger victory.
Penn stands at 5-6 overall and 2-2 in the Ivy League, having been swept by the New York schools at The Palestra last weekend. The Quakers and Dragons will battle later Saturday night at Drexel.
The Tigers are 6-15 all-time against Drexel, but Princeton won last year's meeting 27-13 in Philadelphia. Glory, Keller, Kolodzik, Monday, Stefanik and Brucki were part of the Tiger lineup against Drexel, and all of those wrestlers won except for Kolodzik, who fell in a 3-1 decision to Parker Kropman. A sophomore Kropman is back this year, though he now wrestles at 157.
Drexel enters with a 6-9 dual record and will look to snap a four-match skid since the Dragons' last win, Jan. 19 against Binghamton.
With the return of Kolodzik, Princeton now has four national top-five wrestlers by the Intermat rankings, including third-ranked Glory at 125, fourth-ranked Kolodzik at 149, fourth-ranked Monday at 157, and fourth-ranked Brucki at 197.
Penn counts ninth-ranked Michael Colaiocco at 125, 13th-ranked Doug Zapf at 141, and 12th-ranked Anthony Artalona at 157 as Intermat-ranked wrestlers, setting up potential battles between top-15 wrestlers at 125 with Colaiocco and Glory and at 157 with Artalona and Monday.
Drexel has one Intermat-ranked wrestler in 20th-ranked Ebed Jarrell at 165.
The Quakers and Dragons haven't yet met, but Saturday's round-robin will complete that night when the teams meet in the Battle of 33rd Street at Drexel at 7 p.m.
Players Mentioned
