Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Wrestling to Face No. 13 Lehigh Saturday in Bethlehem
1/20/2012 7:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Jan. 20, 2012
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell wrestling team will continue its extended road trip Saturday when it tries to end a five-match losing streak with a 2 p.m. meeting with No. 13 Lehigh. The event will take place at the Mountain Hawks' Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall and will be broadcast in the Lehigh Valley on ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320. Additionally, a video broadcast will be available for a small charge through LehighSports.com.
Bucknell (2-10, 2-0 EIWA) is in the middle of a stretch where it will wrestle eight consecutive duals away from home. The Bison are coming off an 0-3 mark at last week's Virginia Duals, although the three matches were decided by just 14 points, with the outcome of two not being finalized until the heavyweight bout.
Lehigh, which is ranked 13th nationally by Intermat and 15th in the NWCA/USA Today rankings, is 6-4 overall this season and 2-1 against EIWA opponents. The Mountain Hawks will host Rutgers Friday evening at Stabler Arena. All four of Lehigh's losses this year have come against top-20 teams, including three to top-10 opponents.
Among the wrestlers in the Mountain Hawks' probable lineup are freshman 174-pounder Nate Brown, a Lewisburg, Pa., native, and 2011 heavyweight national champion Zach Rey.
Bucknell is 0-7 all-time against Lehigh. The Mountain Hawks posted a 25-9 victory in Davis Gym last year. Junior 165-pounder Corey Lear is the only current Bison to earn a win over Lehigh in a dual after defeating nationally ranked Brandon Hatchett last December.
Freshman 125-pounder Austin Miller enters Saturday's match leading the Bison in victories this season with 14. He won all three of his bouts at the Virginia Duals and has five bonus-point victories. The Mount Joy, Pa., native has posted victories in five of his last seven matches and is a team-best 8-4 in duals.
Senior John Regan, who is expected to move back to 157 pounds on Saturday after competing at 149 since the late-December Midlands Championships, also went 3-0 at the Virginia Duals and is 5-2 over his last seven bouts. His 47 career wins rank second on the team to Lear's 51.
Bucknell will continue its road stretch next weekend when it wrestles at George Mason on Friday evening, Jan. 27, and then hops on a plane to Oklahoma to face Binghamton and Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Okla., Jan. 29. The Cowboys are currently ranked second nationally, while the Bearcats are listed 22nd.
Bucknell's Projected Lineup (2011-12 record)
125: Austin Miller (14-8)
133: Shawn Armato (2-13)
141: Derrik Russell (8-11)
149: Alex Pellicciotti (9-7)
157: John Regan (1-8)
165: Corey Lear (7-5)
174: Stephen McPeek (12-13)
184: Jamie Westwood (7-13)
197: Joe McMullan (7-4)
285: Tyler Lyster (7-15)
No. 13 Lehigh's Projected Lineup (2011-12 record)
125: Alex Abreu (0-7)
133: Mason Beckman (17-6)
141: No. 15 Steve Dutton (8-3)
149: Shane Welsh (16-5)
157: Brian Tanen (3-6)
165: Sean Bilodeau (11-1)
174: Nate Brown (10-4)
184: No. 4 Robert Hamlin (16-1)
197: Kadeem Samuels (9-7)
285: No. 3 Zach Rey (13-1)
