Edinboro Match Notes

Live Audio:  http://player.streamtheworld.com/liveplayer.php?callsign=LOCKHAVEN

PROBABLE LINEUPS

EDINBORO Fighting Scots
Record -- 4-3, 2-0 EWL  
 
125 -- NR/#17 Kory Mines (Jr.-r, 15-6, Bedford, OH)
133 -- #2/#2 A.J. Schopp (Jr.-r, 21-1, Tyrone, PA)
141 -- #1/#1 Mitchell Port (Jr.-r, 17-0, Bellefonte, PA)
149 -- #16/#18 Dave Habat (Jr., 18-4, Parma, OH)
157 -- #17/#16 Johnny Greisheimer (Sr.-r, 16-7, Wantagh, NY)
165 -- Zach Towers (Fr.-r, 6-7, Meadville, PA)
            Kasey Burnett-Davis (Jr.-r, 8-5, Meadville, PA)   
174 -- Patrick Jennings (So.-r, 7-7, Ridge, NJ)
            Nick Mitchell (Fr.-r, 6-8, Frewsburg, NY)
184 -- #15/#13 Vic Avery (So.-r, 7-2, Foxboro, MA)    
197 -- Vince Pickett  (So., 10-8, Galloway, OH)
Hwt. -- #19/#17 Ernest James (Sr.-r, 17-5, Medford, NY)
 
HEAD COACH:  Tim Flynn (Penn State '87, 177-68-5, 17th year)
Rankings:  InterMat/Amateur Wrestling News
 
LOCK HAVEN Bald Eagles 
Record -- 2-7, 0-2 EWL  
 
125 -- Kaleb LeMaire  (Fr.-r, 15-15, Rehoboth Beach, DE)
133 -- Cody Wheeler (So.-r,, 15-7, Towanda, PA)
141 -- Dan Neff  (So.-r , 21-6, Quarryville, PA)
149 -- Mac Maldarelli (Sr., 22-11, Merrick, NY)
157 -- Billy Randt (Sr., 14-12, York, PA)
165 -- Jake Kemerer (Sr.-r, 15-6, Greensburg, PA)
174 -- Dylan Caprio (Jr.-r, 13-12, Mill Hall, PA)
184 -- Fred Garcia (Jr.-r, 19-5, Donora, PA)
197 -- Joe Rimel (So., 12-14, Frederick, MD)
Hwt. -- Cody Mason (Sr., 11-12, Jersey Shore, PA)
 
HEAD COACH:  Scott Moore (Penn State '03, 2-7, 1st year)
 
 
THE MATCH STORIES
 
After a strong showing at the Virginia Duals this past weekend, Edinboro returns to Eastern Wrestling League action with a match at Lock Haven on Saturday, January 18.  The Fighting Scots are 4-3 after taking second polace at the Virginia Duals.  Following a first round bye, they edged 25th-ranked Old Dominion 17-16, then advanced to the finals with a 23-9 win over 15th-ranked Virginia Tech.  Virginia, ranked 13th, would edge Edinboro in the finals, 20-19.  The Fighting Scots are 2-0 in EWL competition, defeating Clarion 40-3 and Rider 27-9.

Lock Haven also competed in the Virginia Duals.  The Bald Eagles lost both of their matches, 26-10 to Old Dominion and 23-14 to Tennessee-Chattanooga.  They are 2-7 overall and 0-2 in the EWL, falling to Rider (23-12) and Bloomsburg (19-16).  Lock Haven opened the season with back-to-back wins, a 42-3 decision over Shippensburg and 19-13 over Bucknell.  Since that time the Bald eagles have lost seven straight duals, but have faced an ambitious schedule that includes Penn State, Pittsburgh and West Virginia.       

The Fighting Scots own a 19-8 record in the all-time series with Lock Haven.  That includes wins in the last 11 meetings.  A year ago Edinboro prevailed 35-6 at McComb Fieldhouse.

The Fighting Scots turned in a strong showing at the prestigious Midlands Championships.  They matched their highest finish ever in the event, coming in second.  In addition, five wrestlers placed, led by Mitchell Port.  The redshirt junior was the champion at 141 lbs., Edinboro's first since 2011.  A.J. Schopp bounced back from a loss in the semifinals to take home third place at 133 lbs., and Johnny Greisheimer was also third at 157 lbs.  Ernest James was fifth at heavyweight and Vic Avery came in eighth at 184 lbs., although the redshirt sophomore forfeited his final two matches due to an injury.   

Edinboro has continued to climb in the various national rankings.  The Fighting Scots are ranked ninth in the latest InterMat poll and have been as high as sixth.  The Scots are 14th in the USA Today/ NWCA/AWN Coaches Poll.  In addition, they are 10th according to WrestlingReport.com and 11th in WIN's Tournament Power Index.

The Edinboro lineup features as many as eight ranked wrestlers, led by Mitchell Port, who is ranked number one at 141 lbs.  Port finished as the runnerup at 141 lbs. at the NCAA?Division I?National Championships last March, earning All-American honors for the first time.  He owns a 17-0 record and is number one according to InterMat, Amateur Wrestling News and
WrestlingReport.com, and second in the WIN?rankings.  A.J. Schopp (21-1), another junior, was first for a week at 133 lbs. before suffering his first loss of the season at the Midlands Championships.  He is second according to InterMat, Amateur Wrestling News and WrestlingReport.com and third in the WIN poll.  Vic Avery (7-2) is as high as 11th at 184 lbs. according to WIN, along with 13th by AWN, 15th by InterMat and 17th by WrestlingReport.com.  Dave Habat (18-4) is ranked 14th at 149 lbs. by WIN, along with 16th by InterMat, 17th by WrestlingReport.com and 18th by AWN.  Johnny Greisheimer (16-7) reappeared in the rankings recently after being out for several weeks.  The senior is 15th at 157 lbs. according to WIN, 16th by AWN, and 17th by InterMat and WrestlingReport.com.  Ernest James (17-5) parlayed a strong showing at Midlands into a boost in the rankings.  The heavyweight is now 17th according to AWN, 19th by InterMat and 20th by WIN and Wrestling Report.com.   Kory Mines (15-6) stands 16th in the WIN poll, 17th according to AWN poll and 18th in WrestlingReport.com's at 125 lbs.  Finally, Vince Pickett (10-8) is ranked 29th by WrestlingReport.com at 197 lbs.                 

Head coach Tim Flynn has once again assembled a demanding schedule, with no fewer than five teams ranked in this week's InterMat Top 25 or USA?Today/NWCA/AWN Coaches Poll.  Leading the way is Iowa, which visited McComb Fieldhouse on December 5 as the top-ranked team in the country.  Using the NWCA?poll, which is a measure of dual meets, Iowa is currently ranked third. Pittsburgh is 12th, while Virginia Tech has been ranked as high as eighth and is now 15th.  Rider was ranked 25th at the time Edinboro faced the Broncs, and upcoming opponent Bloomsburg is 22nd.  The Fighting Scots are also scheduled to compete in the Virginia Duals, which has four teams in AWN's top 25, including 13th-ranked Virginia.  Throw in the Midlands Championships and Edinboro's wrestlers will once again face some top talent.          

Edinboro returns to action next weekend with a pair of matches.  On Friday, January 24 the Fighting Scots compete at Cleveland State.  The next day they host Bloomsburg at 7 p.m.
 
THE SERIES
EDINBORO LEADS?19-8
 
LAST MEETING
2012-13:  EDINBORO 35, LOCK HAVEN?6 -- the Fighting Scots made it 11 straight wins against the Bald Eagles as A.J. Schopp (133 lbs.), Warren Bosch (197 lbs.) and Ernest James (hwt.) won by fall.