Tonight's matchup between the No. 22 Penn wrestling team (USA Today/NWCA Coaches' Poll) and No. 21 Hofstra will certainly be a must-see.
Four matches have the potential to feature two top-20 wrestlers, and this could be one of the most tightly-contested matches that Penn will wrestle all season.
The contest is the Quakers' last before they begin league competition on Friday in Providence, R.I. against Brown, but the squad's focus will remain entirely on Hofstra (8-4-1).
"This gives us an opportunity to compete against a top program," head coach Zeke Jones said. "The guys really look forward to the competition."
The particular competition that the wrestlers will be facing is a Pride team that has defeated Penn in the last three meetings.
This year's matchup may turn out differently, however. The Quakers (7-2) appear to be gaining momentum and confidence after their most recent meet in Chapel Hill, N.C. where they crushed North Carolina 33-8 and blanked The Citadel 43-0.
"We're wrestling extremely intense right now," Jones said. "Using a variety of skills and weapons is giving the team a tremendous amount of confidence."
Led by co-captains Matt Valenti and Dustin Wiles, who each won their 20th matches of the season in Chapel Hill, the team is coming into its own at a crucial point in the season.
Beginning the campaign with only one ranked wrestler (Valenti), the team has seen marked improvement, with a total of four members of the Penn squad now in the top 20 of their weightclass.
The Quakers are getting immediate contributions from a pair of newcomers on the team. Freshman Matt Dragon (149) also picked up his 20th win of the season at Saturday's meet, and classmate Cesar Grajales is 18-5 in the 141-pound weightclass.
In addition to the freshmen, several veteran wrestlers have been able to sharpen their skills. Senior Mike Silengo (125), who rejoined the team this semester after sitting out with an injury, took his match with No. 1 Joe Dubuque (Indiana) to overtime at the Virginia Duals.
"Silengo took the returning champ to the mat," Jones said.
Also rejoining the team is junior Matt Herrington (174).
"Herrington's come a long way," Jones said. "He has better technique and starts stronger in the second and third periods."
So far, the team has shown improvement through strong individual performances, but that first major team win could come today against No. 21 Hofstra.
