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    No. 10 NU Heads Back East to Face Clarion, No. 20 Edinboro
    Final test before Wildcats host 50th Ken Kraft Midlands Championships from Dec. 29-30
    NUSPORTSDOTCOM Head coach Drew Pariano has a perfect 22-0 record in nonconference duals during his three seasons at the helm.
    NUSPORTSDOTCOM
    Head coach Drew Pariano has a perfect 22-0 record in nonconference duals during his three seasons at the helm.
     NUSPORTSDOTCOM

    Dec. 13, 2012

    No. 10 Northwestern (3-1) vs. Clarion (1-1)
    Sunday, Dec. 16 • Noon CT • McComb Fieldhouse (Edinboro, Pa.)
    No. 10 Northwestern (3-1) vs. No. 20 Edinboro (1-1)
    Sunday, Dec. 16 • 2 p.m. CT • McComb Fieldhouse (Edinboro, Pa.)
    Live Stats for Edinboro match: TrackWrestling.com
    Live Tweets: @BoroAthletics

    Sunday’s Matches
    No. 10 Northwestern (3-1) makes its second trip to the state of Pennsylvania this weekend, visiting Edinboro, Pa., for two nonconference duals. The Wildcats first face Clarion (1-1) at noon and then take on the host team, 20th ranked Edinboro (1-1), at 2 p.m.


     

     

    The last time Northwestern competed in the state of Pennsylvania, the Wildcats won the 15-team Keystone Classic in Philadelphia on Nov. 18.

    Pariano Perfect in Nonconference Duals
    Head coach Drew Pariano has guided Northwestern to a 32-7 dual record in his three years at the helm, but the more impressive number is his perfect 22-0 mark in nonconference duals. NU posted a 12-0 mark in duals against foes outside of the Big Ten in his first year and followed that up with a 7-0 record during the 2011-12 season. So far, the Wildcats are 3-0 against nonconference opponents and including this weekend, have six more out-of-conference duals.

    Coming Soon: 50th Ken Kraft Midlands Championships
    Spend the holidays with the Northwestern wrestling team at the 50th Ken Kraft Midlands Championships! This year’s tournament runs from Saturday, Dec. 29-Sunday, Dec. 30 at Welsh-Ryan Arena and more than 30 Division I teams are scheduled to compete, with numerous ranked wrestlers at every weight class. Tickets are still available for this historic event by calling 888-GO-PURPLE.

    Here are a few helpful links to get you ready for Midlands:

    • 50th Ken Kraft Midlands Website
    • Past Midlands Brackets (1963-2011)
    • Tell Us Your Favorite Midlands Memories
    • List of Participating Teams

    Probable Northwestern Starters
    125: #15 Dominick Malone (6-2)
    133: #9 Levi Mele (5-1) OR John Coukos (2-5) OR Garrison White (0-0)
    141: Jameson Oster (5-2) OR Colin Shober (1-4) OR Pat Greco (5-3)
    149: Dylan Marriott (4-5)
    157: #2 Jason Welch (9-0)
    165: #12 Pierce Harger (8-1)
    174: #8 Lee Munster (8-0)
    184: Marcus Shrewsbury (3-4)
    197: #17 Alex Polizzi (6-3)
    Hwt: #7 Mike McMullan (6-1)

    Probable Clarion Starters
    125: Tyler Fraley (5-2)
    133: Joe Waltko (9-6)
    141: Sam Sherlock (9-6) or John Matacic (7-4)
    149: Tyler Bedelyon (8-6)
    157: #3 James Fleming (15-0)
    165: Nick Milano (3-6)
    174: Ryan Darch (4-5)
    184: Steven Cressley  (5-8)
    197: Justin Ortega (10-5)
    Hwt: Phil Catrucco (13-7)

    Probable Edinboro Starters
    125: Kory Mines (9-5)
    133: #4 A.J. Schopp (9-0)
    141: #4 Mitchell Port (10-1)
    149: #15 Dave Habat (11-3)
    157: Michael DePalma (12-4)                      
    165: #13 Johnny Greisheimer (9-4)                         
    174: Patrick Jennings (10-8)                                      
    184: Vince Pickett (10-6)      
    197: Warren Bosch (8-5)         
    Hwt:#15 Ernest James (9-3)

    Latest Rankings
    Northwestern moved up to No. 10 in the latest USA Today/NWCA/AWN Division I Coaches Poll and has a number of wrestlers ranked in the various polls. Here’s a look at the latest rankings:
     
    • USA Today/NWCA/AWN Division I Coaches Poll (Team Rankings)
    • AWN Individual Rankings
    • InterMat Rankings
    • WIN Magazine Rankings

    Scouting Clarion
    The Golden Eagles are 1-1 in dual meet action, having lost to then-No. 18 Rutgers (26-6), but bounced back to defeat Eastern Michigan 21-10. Last Saturday the Golden Eagles finished second at the 70th Annual PSAC Championships in the 10-team field, behind first-place Edinboro.
     
    The 157-lbs. bout on Sunday will feature two All-Americans and two of the top-ranked wrestlers in the country when No. 2 Jason Welch squares off against No. 3 James Fleming. Welch defeated Fleming, 9-5, at the 2012 NCAA Championships. Both wrestlers are undefeated so far this season with Welch bringing a 9-0 record into Sunday’s dual while Fleming is 15-0.

    Scouting Edinboro
    Last week Edinboro made it back-to-back Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championships, plus six in the last seven years. All 10 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.).    

    Edinboro comes in with a 1-1 record. The Fighting Scots opened the dual season two weeks ago with a 22-12 win at Michigan State. That was followed by a 21-16 loss to 11th-ranked Virginia Tech. The Fighting Scots showcase an extremely young lineup, with one true freshman and three redshirt freshmen starting, plus four sophomores.

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