Edinboro Match Notes
 
PROBABLE LINEUPS

Edinboro Fighting Scots (4-1, 1-0 EWL)
125 - Kory Mines (14-2, 69-49)  (R-Sr.,Bedford, Ohio/Maple Heights)
133 -  #1/#1 A.J. Schopp (9-0,116-14) (R-Sr.,Tyrone, Pa./Tyrone Area)
141 - #2/#2 Mitchell Port (13-0, 109-15) (R-Sr.,Bellefonte, Pa./Bellefonte Area) OR Jensen Lorea (4-8, 4-8) (Fr., Charleston, W.Va./George Washington) 
149 - #3/#5 Dave Habat (13-0, 111-24) (R-Sr.,Parma, Ohio/St. Ignatius)
157 - Kasey Burnett-Davis (10-4, 62-41) (R-Sr., Meadville, Pa./Meadville) OR Chase Delande (8-4, 29-9) (R-So., Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard-Davidson)
165 - Casey Fuller (11-4,40-36) (R-Jr., Hamlin, Pa./Western Wayne)
174 - Zach Towers (9-1, 17-8) (R-So.,Meadville, Pa./Meadville) OR Patrick Jennings (14-5, 39-42) (R-Jr., Ridge, N.Y./Longwood)
184 - #14/#11 Vic Avery (11-1, 60-23) (R-Jr.,Foxboro, Mass./Foxboro) OR Nick Mitchell (10-1, 23-12) (R-So., Frewsburg, N.Y./Frewsburg Central)
197 - Vince Pickett (12-4, 55-30) (Jr.,Galloway, Ohio/Central Crossing)
Hwt. - Warren Bosch (7-7, 23-28) (R-Jr.,Kings Park, N.Y./Kings Park)
        
HEAD COACH: Tim Flynn (Penn State '87, 189-69-5, 17th year) 
Rankings: InterMat/Amateur Wrestling News

Cornell Big Red (4-0, 0-0 EIWA)
125 -- #2/#2 Nahshon Garrett (9-0, Jr., Chico, Cal./Chico)
133 -- Bricker Dixon (5-5, Sr., Kansas City, Mo./Park Hill)
141 -- Nick Arujau (0-1, Sr., Syosset, N.Y./Syosset OR Ryan Dunphy (0-0, Sr., Little Falls, N.J./Passaic Valley)
149 -- #6/#6 Chris Villalonga (14-0, Sr., Totowa, N.J. Blair Academy)
157 -- Craig Eifert (0-0, Sr., Mason, Mich./Mason)
165 -- #6/#6 Dylan Palacio (0-0, So., Long Beach, N.Y./Long Beach OR Jesse Shanaman (9-6, Sr., Blairstown, N.J./Blair Academy
174 -- Duke Pickett (12-3, Jr., Culpepper, Va./Woodberry Forest School)
184 -- #7/#3 Gabe Dean (15-2, So., Lowell, Mich./Lowell) OR Billy George (8-1, Sr., Long Branch, N.J./Long Branch)
197 -- #18/NR Jace Bennett (13-5, Sr., Amarillo, Texas/Randall) OR Owen Scott (9-2, Jr., Palmyra, N.Y./Palmyra-Macedon)
Hwt. -- Jacob Aiken-Phillips (4-5, Sr., Lawrenceville, Ga./Central Gwinnett)
 
HEAD?COACH:  Rob Koll (248-80-5, 22nd year, North Carolina '89) 

Lehigh Mountain Hawks (6-2, 3-0 EIWA)
125 -- Scott Parker (7-1, Fr., Sellersville, Pa./Pennridge)
133 -- #6/#7 Mason Beckman (7-1, R-Jr., Transfer, Pa./Reynolds)
141 -- NR/#19 Randy Cruz  (7-1, R-So., Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic
149 -- Drew Longo (1-7, R-Fr., Ardsley, N.Y./Ardsley)
157 -- Will Switzer (2-3, R-So., Severna Park, Md./Archbishop Spalding)
165 -- Santiago Martinez (3-5, R-Sr., Oviedo, Fla./Coral Glades)
174 -- Marshall Peppelman (4-4, R-Sr., Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin)
184 -- #3/#2 Nathaniel Brown (7-1, R-Jr., Lewisburg, Pa./Lewisburg)
197 -- #17/#15 Elliot Riddick (6-3, R-So., Whitehall, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic) OR John Bolich (6-1, R-Jr., Willow Grove, Pa./Upper Moreland)
Hwt. -- Doug Vollaro (6-2, R-So., Springfield, Mass./Pine Castle Christian (Fla.))
 
HEAD?COACH:  Pat Santoro (92-30-1, 7th year, Pittsburgh '92)
Rankings:  InterMat/Flowrestling


THE MATCH STORIES
• Edinboro begins the most difficult portion of its schedule this week while making a first-ever appearance at Madison Square Garden. Ranked 12th in the latest USA Today/NWCA Division I?Coaches Poll and fourth in InterMat's Tournament rankings, the Fighting Scots will compete in the Grapple at the Garden on Sunday, December 21. The Fighting Scots face Cornell, ranked third and seventh in the two polls, followed by Lehigh, which is ranked 11th and 18th, respectively. After taking a brief Christmas holiday Edinboro returns to action on December 29-30 at the Midlands Invitational, before beginning the New Year at the Virginia Duals on January 9-10. 
  
• Edinboro brings a record of 5-1 into the Cornell and Lehigh duals after handing Clarion a 32-6 defeat on December 13. The Fighting Scots have run off five straight wins after opening the season with a 25-13 loss to a Pittsburgh team that has climbed up to ninth in the USA?Today/NWCA?rankings.   

• Cornell is 4-0 in dual matches, including a 21-13 win over then 21st-ranked Oklahoma and a 20-13 win over then No. 23 North Carolina State. The Big Red last competed in the Las Vegas Invitational on December 5, finishing fifth. Lehigh has a 6-2 record while facing five nationally-ranked teams already. The Mountain Hawks defeated Pittsburgh 19-12 and also own wins over Illinois (24-15) and Northwestern (30-10). They lost to Penn State (24-10) and Rider (17-16). Both Cornell and Lehigh are members of the EIWA.  

• Edinboro enjoyed a record-setting performance in the PSAC?Championship on December 5. The Fighting Scots won their fourth straight PSAC?title and 15th in Tim Flynn's 18 years as head coach. they finished with 189.5 points to easily outdistance second-place Lock Haven, who finished with 130.5 points. Clarion came in fifth. Edinboro also set a record with nine PSAC?champions, breaking the previous record of seven the Scots held along with Clarion. A.J. Schopp (133 lbs.), Mitchell Port (141 lbs.), and Dave Habat (149 lbs.) won their fourth PSAC?titles. It marks the first time a lineup has had three four-time PSAC?titlists in it. There had previously been just 14 four-time PSAC?champions. Kory Mines won his second straight title at 125 lbs., and Vic Avery is now a two-time champion at 184 lbs. Kasey Burnett-Davis is now a two-time champion, as well, winning at 157 lbs. after claiming the 165 lb. title a year ago. Zach Towers (174 lbs.) and Vince Pickett (197 lbs.) won their first PSAC?crowns.     

• Edinboro's lineup features five returning national qualifiers, along with a sixth in Clarion transfer Austin Matthews. Leading the way are All-Americans Mitchell Port, A.J. Schopp, and Dave Habat. Port earned All-American honors for the second time at 141 lbs. with a third place finish, while Schopp is also a two-time All-American after coming in fourth last year at 133 lbs. Habat earned his first All-American certificate with a fourth place finish at 149 lbs. Kory Mines made his first appearance at Nationals last year at 125 lbs. Matthews earned a trip to Nationals for the first time while wrestling at Clarion. He competed at 157 lbs. He is currently out with an injury. 

• In addition, Edinboro's lineup has seven nationally-ranked wrestlers, including the WrestlingReport.com rankings which ranks 33 wrestlers per weight class. Four Fighting Scots are ranked in the top ten of their respective weight classes. A.J. Schopp is the consensus number one at 133 lbs., while Mitchell Port is second at 141 lbs. Dave Habat is ranked as high as third at 149 lbs. in four different polls. Newcomer Austin Matthews, a transfer from Clarion, is ranked as high as fifth by The OpenMat.com at 157 lbs. Vic Avery falls just outside of the top ten, ranked as high as 11th by WIN and Flowrestling. Kory Mines has been in and out of the 125 lb. rankings the last few weeks. He is currently ranked 25th by WrestlingReport.com.  Vince Pickett is ranked 27th at 197 lbs. by WrestlingReport.com.      

• This will mark the first time Edinboro has wrestled Cornell since 1998-99 when the Big Red prevailed 22-11 in Ithaca, N.Y. Cornell holds a 4-1 lead in the all-time series. Edinboro and Lehigh last met in the 2010 Virginia Duals, with the Mountain Hawks claiming a 26-10 victory. Lehigh has 8 of the 12 meetings between the two teams.     

• Head coach Tim Flynn has always liked to challenge his squad, and this year is no exception. The Pittsburgh match is the first of a very difficult dual schedule for the Fighting Scots. Using the USA?Today/NWCA?Division I?Coaches Poll, Edinboro will face six teams in the top 25, including two of the top seven squads.  Edinboro already faced Pittsburgh, with the Panthers currently ranked 11th.  On November 15 the Fighting Scots competed in the EWL?Duals and upset a Michigan team that was eighth at the time and now ranked 16th. The Grapple at the Garden on December 21 finds the Scots facing a grueling day. They wrestle third-ranked Cornell in their first match, then meet 11th-ranked Lehigh. Ohio State, currently ranked seventh, will visit McComb Fieldhouse for a first round match in the NWCA?Cliff Keen National Duals on February 15. 18th-ranked Rider is also still ahead on the schedule. In addition, Edinboro will once again compete in the 2015 Virginia Duals. The field features several nationally-ranked squads, including Virginia Tech (6th), Virginia (10th), and Old Dominion (24th). Throw in matches against Kent State, Central Michigan, Northern Illinois, and West Virginia, plus the other four EWL opponents, and the Scots will be battle-tested by March.
   
THE CORNELL SERIES
CORNELL LEADS 4-1
The Big Red own a 4-1 lead in the all-time series and have won the last two meetings. Edinboro and Cornell last met in Ithaca, N.Y. during the 1998-99, season, with the Fighting Scots suffering a 22-11 loss to Cornell.

THE LEHIGH SERIES
LEHIGH LEADS 8-4 
Edinboro has lost the last two meetings with the Mountain Hawks, including a 26-10 setback at the 2010 Virginia Duals. That was the last time the two teams met on the mat. 

THE COACHES
EDINBORO -- Tim Flynn (Penn State '86) is in his 18th season as the helm of the Fighting Scots. He has elevated the Edinboro program to one of the best in the country, compiling a 189-69-5 record. Edinboro has had 12 top-20 finishes and four in the top ten at the NCAA Division I National Championships during his tenure. He has produced three national champions and 33 All-Americans. All told, Flynn has been named the EWL Coach of the Year six times and the PSAC Coach of the Year 12 times. last year Flynn captured nearly every Coach of the Year award, including being named the NWCA NCAA Division I Coach of the Year, WIN's Dan Gable Coach of the Year, and was InterMat's Co-Coach of the Year along with Minnesota's J Robinson.

CORNELL -- Rob Koll (North Carolina '89) needs wins over Edinboro and Northern Iowa on Sunday to reach 250 career wins. He has been Cornell's head coach since 1993, and over his 22 seasons has compiled a 248-80-5 record. Cornell has won eight straight EIWA?championships and has finished in the top ten at the NCAA?Division I?National Championships the last seven seasons and nine of the last ten. A year ago the Big Red came in seventh. Koll has coached 11 NCAA champions and had 52 All-Americans, including 41 over the last nine seasons He was a four-time All-American at North Carolina and won the 1988 national championship at 158 lbs.
 
LEHIGH -- Pat Santoro (Pittsburgh '92) is in his seventh season as the head coach of the Mountain Hawks. He is a two-time EIWA Coach of the Year and owns a 92-30-1 record at Lehigh. He has had 12 All-Americans, including one national champion. Prior to taking over at Lehigh Santoro served as the head coach at Maryland for five seasons, compiling a 48-41-1 record and leading the Terrapins to the 2008 ACC?title. He had been an assistant coach at Lehigh for nine years prior to that. Santoro owns an overall record of 140-71-2 and is in his 12th season as a head coach. He enjoyed an illustrious career on the mat at Pittsburgh, winning two NCAA titles while earning All-American honors four times.   

SCOUTING CORNELL
The Big Red own a veteran lineup showcasing a pair of All-Americans and five nationally-ranked wrestlers. Leading the way is Nahshon Garrett. The junior is ranked second in the country and is a two-time All-American at 125 lbs. The 2014 EIWA Wrestler of the Year was third at Nationals as a freshman and was the national runner-up last year, ending the year with a 35-2 record. He earned his second straight Las Vegas Invitational title recently while improving to 9-0. Gabe Dean had been the number one wrestler at 184 lbs. before losing twice at the Las Vegas Invitational to finish fourth. A year ago he enjoyed an incredible freshman campaign, going 40-3 and finishing third at Nationals. He was the 2014 EIWA?Freshman of the Year. Chris Villalonga is ranked sixth at 149 lbs. and comes off a first place showing at the Las Vegas Invitational. A senior, he is a three-time NCAA qualifier who was 34-4 last year and made it to the Round of 12. Sophomore Dylan Palacio also made it to the Round of 12 a year ago while competing at 165 lbs. He is also ranked sixth. Jace Bennett is a two-time national qualifier and is ranked 18th by InterMat at 197 lbs.
 
SCOUTING?LEHIGH
The Mountain Hawks have four nationally-ranked wrestlers, including Nathaniel Brown at 184 lbs. and Mason Beckman at 133 lbs. Brown, a redshirt junior, qualified for Nationals for the first time in 2012-13 at 174 lbs. He redshirted a year ago and is currently ranked second by Flowrestling and third by InterMat. Beckman is well-known to northwest Pennsylvania wrestling fans as a former standout at Reynolds High School, where he was a two-time state champion. Also a redshirt junior, he earned All-American honors a year ago with a sixth place showing. He is ranked sixth by InterMat and seventh by Flowrestling. Both Brown and Beckman come in with 7-1 records. Elliot Riddick is ranked 15th by Flowrestling and 17th by InterMat at 197 lbs. The redshirt sophomore is 6-3 after reaching the Round of 12 in his first trip to Nationals a year ago. Randy Cruz comes in ranked 19th by Flowrestling at 141 lbs. The redshirt sophomore has a 7-1 record. He qualified for Nationals in 2012-13 before redshirting a year ago. Brother Darian Cruz is redshirting this season after becoming Lehigh's first true freshman All-American since 1980 with seventh place finish at 125 lbs. a year ago.