For the Penn wrestling team, taking on its Ivy League opponents is a bit like taking on the Vancouver Grizzlies for the Chicago Bulls. Sure, every game is important, but they've got bigger fish to fry. That's not to say that the Quakers are overlooking their Ivy brethren. Saturday's Kickoff Classic at Princeton is the first test for the Red and Blue, ranked No. 14 in the nation, and features tough competition at 118, 126 and 134 lbs. Penn is also heading to New Jersey without key veteran wrestlers, including junior Brett Matter (142) and senior captains Brandon Slay and Andrei Rodzianko. Matter is sidelined with a season-threatening injury, and Rodzianko (190) still needs several weeks to recuperate from surgery. Slay (177), ranked No. 2 in the nation in his weight class, may be invited to a national all-star tournament later in the year. Because wrestlers are allowed a limited number of tournament appearances, Slay will keep that opportunity open by sitting out the Kickoff Classic. Despite missing these key leaders, Slay remains confident in his team's ability to win. "We're extremely confident, and we will remain confident throughout the season," Slay said. "Especially when it comes to Ivy League opponents." Penn's main competition comes at 134 lbs., where 15th-ranked senior captain Mark Piotrowsky encounters resistance from Harvard's ninth-ranked Dustin DiNunzio. Also competing at 134 is Cornell's talented sophomore, Ben New. Tomorrow brings Piotrowsky's first match play in a year, as he sat out last season with an injury. Piotrowsky says the injury will not pose a problem and that he is at "100 percent." At 118 pounds, Penn juniors Jason Nagle and Randall Braunfeld have to deal with three of the top four ranked wrestlers in the East, Brown's Peter Moretta, Cornell's Aaron Taylor and Harvard's James Butera. The Quakers also are looking for a big tournament at 126 pounds from senior Steve Walker, who finished last season with a strong performance in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association championships and whose "performance in training has been excellent," according to Penn coach Roger Reina. Penn looks to use this tournament as an indication of its progress through the preseason and where it stands as a team. "It's a good gauge to judge how our focus and work ethic are going so far," Slay said. "We'll see if the guys [accomplish] the team goals of being physical and being in better shape and conditioning than the competition." The tournament also gives the younger wrestlers a chance to get match experience right off the bat. "[The Kickoff Classic] is a real opportunity for younger athletes to begin to make their mark within the league and for the veterans to take control and dominate their particular weight group," Reina said. "It's different mindset for competition, and [the younger wrestlers] are excited to take that step." Freshman starters Yoshi Nakamura and Rick Springman get their first taste of college action tomorrow, competing at 150 and 158 lbs. Piotrowsky hopes Nakamura and Springman, as well as the other inexperienced members of the team, can take their training room toughness to the mats at Princeton. "[As a captain], I want to show them how to go after people and break their opponents so they just own him," Piotrowsky said. "I want to set an example and get them to follow." Even though the Quakers are setting their sights nationally, they still recognize the importance of this weekend. "We're not looking past them or taking them lightly," Piotrowsky said. "We need to set the tone for the Ivy League [and show] that even though we graduated lots of starters, we won't be rebuilding this year." For Penn, an impressive finish at the Kickoff Classic would go a long way toward establishing itself as the Ivy title front-runner. But the Quakers have bigger goals. "We want to do more than [win the Ivy League]," Slay said. "We want to be a national wrestling powerhouse, so that when someone steps on the mat against a Penn wrestler, they know they're in for a fight."
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