LHU Wrestling Hosts Rutgers in Friday Night “White-Out”

LOCK HAVEN – On Friday night, the Lock Haven University wrestling team will host No. 11 Rutgers in non-conference action.

The highly anticipated match will mark the Bald Eagles first dual of the 2017-18 season. Last season, Lock Haven went 8-8 overall in dual matches. The Haven was 3-2 at home.

Rutgers enters the match at 3-0 overall with wins over Maryland, nationally-ranked Oklahoma and Virginia. The Scarlet Knights’ lineup features five nationally-ranked wrestlers including Richie Lewis who is fresh off a gold medal at the U23 World Championships, held last weekend. Their appearance will also mark the first time back to central Pennsylvania for sophomore Nick Suriano who transferred from Penn State to Rutgers after last season.
Rutgers head coach Scott Goodale, now in his 11^th season, is a 1995 LHU graduate. Goodale was a three-time NCAA qualifier for the Bald Eagles, wrestling for then-head coach Carl Poff.

LHU fifth-year head coach Scott Moore’s lineup Friday night will feature a trio of nationally-ranked wrestlers including two-time NCAA Division I qualifier Ronnie Perry (149) and undefeated Chance Marsteller (165), along with returning national qualifier Thomas Haines (285).

The Bald Eagles are calling for a White Out Friday, so LHU fans are encouraged to wear white. Friday’s dual with Rutgers is also Lock Haven’s Veterans Appreciation night so all veterans will be admitted free of charge in an effort to thank all those who have served our country. The match is also a part of LHU’s Haven Holidays Event (Dec. 1-3), a three-day community wide family weekend presented by Lock Haven University, Downtown Lock Haven, the Clinton County Economic Partnership and Keystone Central School District. Tickets for the match will be available at the door Friday.

Friday’s 7 p.m. dual will be streamed on therecord-online with Tom Elling and John Lipez, the first of a number of Bald Eagle matches to be aired this season.

Projected Lock Haven lineup – *tentative & subject to change
125: Fr. Josiah Kline (Tucson, Ariz./Ironwood Ridge) 8-4
133: R-So. DJ Fehlman (Warren, Pa./Warren) 9-3
141: R-So. Kyle Shoop (Boiling Springs, Pa./Boiling Springs) 8-3
149: #15 R-Sr. Ronnie Perry (Christiana, Pa./Solanco) 5-1
157: R-So. Alex Klucker (Summerdale, Pa./East Pennsboro) 9-2
165: #10 R-Jr. Chance Marsteller (New Park, Pa./Kennard-Dale (Oklahoma State) 11-0
174: So. Jared Siegrist (Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central) 8-6
184: R-So. Corey Hazel (Spring Mills, Pa./Penns Valley) 5-3
197: R-Jr. Tristan Sponseller (East Berlin, Pa./Bermudian Springs) 2-5
285: #15 R-Jr. Thomas Haines (Quarryville, Pa./Solanco (Ohio State) 4-2

Projected Rutgers lineup – *tentative & subject to change
125: #2 So. Nick Suriano (Paramus, N.J./Bergen Catholic) 7-0
133: #10 R-Sr. Scott DelVecchio (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) 3-0
141: R-Fr. Michael Van Brill (Mullica Hill, N.J./Clearview) 5-2
149: #13 R-Sr. Eleazar DeLuca (Talent, Ore./Northern Colorado) 3-0
157: #8 R-Sr. Richie Lewis (Toms River, N.J./Toms River East) 1-0
-OR- So. Brett Donner (Wall, N.J./Wall) 3-4
165: R-Jr. John Van Brill (Mullica Hill, N.J./Clearview) 2-1
174: R-Jr. Jordan Pagano (South Brunswick, N.J./Bergen Catholic) 5-4
184: #9 R-Sr. Nicholas Gravina (Allendale, N.J./Northern Highlands Regional) 3-0
197: R-Fr. Kevin Mulligan (Blauvelt, N.Y./Bergen Catholic) 7-3
285: Sr. Razohnn Gross (Franklin Park, N.J./Don Bosco Prep) 7-2

*rankings = InterMat (Nov. 28)

News, notes & storylines:

• As a team, the Bald Eagles continue to receive votes in the weekly USA Today/NWCA Coaches’ Poll … the Bald Eagles haven’t officially cracked the top-25 since the 2002-03 season (ranked No. 24 on Nov. 26, 2002).
• LHU last beat a top-25 team during the 2004-05 season … Lock Haven topped No. 22 West Virginia, 21-17 on February 13, 2005.
• Lock Haven’s last win vs. a Big Ten opponent came during the 2015-16 season … On February 12, 2016, Lock Haven beat Michigan State, 18-15.
• Friday’s match marks the first between Lock Haven and Rutgers since the 2013-14 season … RU edged LHU 18-16 at Rutgers in a thriller that came down the final bout (February 15, 2014).
• Lock Haven is 4-2 all-time vs. Rutgers, but the Scarlet Knights have won two straight in the series … Lock Haven last won on January 5, 2008, 22-16.
• Rutgers’ projected lineup features five nationally-ranked wrestlers.
• The Bald Eagles lineup features three nationally-ranked wrestlers this week including Ronnie Perry (149), Chance Marsteller (165) and Thomas Haines (285) … Perry was ranked No. 15, Marsteller No. 10 and Haines No. 15 by InterMat (Nov. 28).
• Perry and Haines count for two of LHU’s four returning national qualifiers … They are joined by DJ Fehlman (133) and Kyle Shoop (141) … Perry is a two-time NCAA Division I qualifier.
• Josiah Kline (125), Alex Klucker (157) and Marsteller will all make their LHU dual-debuts on Friday.
• Marsteller is a perfect 11-0 on the season.
• It also marks the first dual with both Marsteller and Haines in the lineup … Both Marsteller and Haines were four-time PIAA state champions.
• It marks the first dual for Perry up at 149 pounds and for Shoop down at 141 … The two returning national qualifiers made the switch this season to strengthen the Bald Eagles middleweight lineup.
• Kline was named the Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) Athlete of the Week on Monday (Nov. 27) after going 3-0 on the way to the 125-pound title at the Mat-Town Open.
• LHU head coach Scott Moore is in his fifth season as head coach … Moore is 27-39 overall in his previous four seasons.