No. 15 Lehigh returns home to battle Navy Saturday night
Posted: 01/12/2012
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The 15th-ranked Lehigh wrestling team returns home for the first time in over a month to open up a three-dual home stand Saturday night against EIWA rival Navy. The Mountain Hawks are looking to bounce back from two straight dual losses including a 24-12 setback at Cornell on Sunday. Navy is Lehigh’s second most-often wrestled opponent behind Penn State, and the Mountain Hawks will be looking to avenge an upset loss last year to the Mids in Annapolis, while moving within two wins of Navy in the all-time series.
A late December change to the Lehigh lineup saw true freshman Mason Beckman move up a weight class to compete at 133. Beckman was 8-3 at 125 but has looked more comfortable at his new weight class, going 3-2 at the Midlands before losing a tight decision in the Cornell dual.
Another true freshman who has done well for the Brown and White is Nate Brown, who owns a 9-4 mark at 174. Brown has started all nine duals for Lehigh, going 6-3 in those matches including a 2-0 sudden victory win over Cornell’s Billy George last week. Brown and Beckman are two of four true freshmen who have competed in duals for Lehigh this season.
Navy carries a 2-3 dual record into Saturday night’s match. The Midshipmen are looking to bounce back from a 26-10 loss to Oklahoma last Saturday in Annapolis, a dual in which Navy won three of the first five bouts. The Mids own dual wins over Buffalo and Franklin and Marshall, and have spent a good chunk of their season competing in tournaments. Navy hosted and won the seven team Navy Classic in November, finished 20th out of 34 teams at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and 11th out of 22 teams at the Southern Scuffle earlier this month in Chattanooga, Tenn. The Mids have two wrestlers ranked by Amateur Wrestling News in seniors Aaron Kalil (No. 17 at 133) and Luke Rebertus (No. 12 at 184). Rebertus upset Robert Hamlin last year, in one of the key bouts in Navy’s upset win over Lehigh.
Navy is Lehigh’s second most-often wrestled opponent behind Penn State. The Mountain Hawks are wrestling the Mids in a dual for the 61st straight year. Lehigh has won 13 of the last 15 duals against Navy but dropped a 19-15 decision last year at Halsey Field House in Annapolis.
Saturday’s match gets underway at 7 p.m. from Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. Tickets can be purchased online at Lehighsports.com or by visiting the Grace Hall ticket office Saturday evening.
|
Date:
|
January 14, 2012
|
|
Opponent:
|
Navy Midshipmen
|
|
First match:
|
7:05 p.m.
|
|
Arena:
|
Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall (2,130)
|
|
Location:
|
Bethlehem, Pa.
|
|
Lehigh’s Record:
|
5-4 overall, 1-1 EIWA
|
|
Navy’s Record:
|
2-3 overall, 1-0 EIWA
|
|
Series:
|
Navy leads 47-44
|
|
Television:
|
None
|
|
Radio:
|
WLVR-FM 91.3 with Steve Lomangino and Gary Brownell beginning at 6:45
|
|
Internet broadcast:
|
Streaming video and audio at Lehighsports.com
|
|
Behind enemy lines:
|
|