The Match Stories
 
} Edinboro will make its 17th appearance in the Virginia Duals on Friday, January 11 and Saturday, January 12.  The Fighting Scots are part of a strong field that will make up the 2013 National College Tournament field.  A total of 16 teams will compete, with Edinboro picked as the number three seed.  The Fighting Scots enter the weekend with a 4-1 record after disposing of Buffalo, 28-9, last Sunday.   They opened the year with a 22-12 win over Michigan State before dropping a 21-16 decision to then 11th-ranked Virginia Tech.  Edinboro swept a pair of duals on December 16, upsetting tenth-ranked Northwestern, 22-15, then defeating Clarion, 28-12, in its EWL opener.  The Fighting Scots are ranked 18th in InterMat's Tournament-Strength Rankings and are 16th in the USA?Today/NWCA/AWN Coaches Poll, which reflect dual matches.

} The Virginia Duals field includes six nationally-ranked teams, led by Central Michigan.  The Chippewas are ranked ninth in the NWCA?poll, and are the top seed in the National College Tournament.  Virginia Tech is seeded second and is ranked tenth, with Edinboro the third seed.  19th-ranked Virginia is seeded fourth, with Boise State the fifth seed.  The Broncos aren't ranked in the NWCA poll but are 17th according to InterMat.  Old Dominion is seeded sixth and ranked 25th.  Kent State, ranked 20th by InterMat, is the seventh seed, with Arizona State the eighth seed.

} Edinboro will face Army in the first round at 11 a.m. on Friday.  The Fighting Scots will return to the mat at 3 p.m.   A win over Army puts them in the quarterfinals against the winner of the Old Dominion-The Citadel match.  Should the Fighting Scots fall to Army they would meet the loser in the consolation round at the same time.  

} The Fighting Scots finished third in last year's Virginia Duals, and the year before that came in seventh.  Edinboro won Virginia Duals' titles in 1997, 2000 and 2007. 

} Edinboro ended 2012 with an 11th place showing at the Midlands Championships, which featured 14 teams that finished in the top 25 at last year's NCAA?Division I National Championships.  A pair of Fighting Scots placed fifth, with A.J. Schopp picking up a fifth place finish for the second straight year at 133 lbs. and Mitchell port also picking up a fifth place.  Three other wrestlers fell a win shy of earning medals -- Dave Habat and Michael DePalma at 149 lbs. and Ernest James at heavyweight. 

} Edinboro recently made it back-to-back Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championships, plus six in the last seven years.  All ten Fighting Scots placed as Edinboro won its 15th overall PSAC?title.  The Fighting Scots finished with 160.5 points to outdistance Clarion, who came in second with 140 points.   Three wrestlers won their second straight individual titles -- A.J. Schopp (133 lbs.), Mitchell Port (141 lbs.), and Dave Habat (149 lbs.).    

}The Fighting Scots showcase an extremely young lineup, with one true freshmen and three redshirt freshmen starting, plus four sophomores.  Edinboro's lineup features five ranked wrestlers.  Leading the way are A.J. Schopp (133 lbs.) and Mitchell Port (141 lbs.).  Schopp is ranked fourth by InterMat and Amateur Wrestling News and has a 17-2 record with 10 falls.  Port is 17-3 and ranked fifth in both polls.  Both reached the round of 12 at last year's NCAA?Division I?National Championships.  Dave Habat (16-5) is ranked 19th in the Amateur Wrestling News poll.  Ernest James (14-6) is ranked 17th by Amateur Wrestling News.