PHILADELPHIA – For the first time since the 2013-14 season, Penn Wrestling takes to The Palestra for a night dual on December 1 as the Quakers welcome Rider at 7:30 p.m. The first dual of the season for the Red and Blue is the first of four over the course of the weekend as Penn makes a trip to Long Island on Sunday for the Hofstra Duals against Campbell (12 p.m.), The Citadel (2 p.m.) and Hofstra (4 p.m.)
All-Time vs. Rider
Penn is 5-3 all-time against Rider dating back to the start of the series during the 2001-02 season. The Quakers won the first five dual meets before falling in the last three meetings – including a 32-10 loss at Rider last season.
All-Time vs. Hofstra
The Quakers are 5-8 all-time against Hofstra in dual meets, but have not wrestled the Pride since the 2012-13 season where Penn picked up a 21-12 win in The Palestra. Penn is 1-4 against Hofstra all-time on Long Island.
All-Time vs. The Citadel
The Quakers have wrestled The Citadel once in dual meet competition, shutting out the Bulldogs, 43-0, on January 21, 2006 at North Carolina.
All-Time vs. Campbell
This weekend will be the first dual meet all-time between Penn and Campbell.
The Return of Roger Reina
In his 20th season as head coach at his alma mater,
Roger Reina C'84 will be leading his team into a dual meet for the first time in 4,668 days on Friday night against Rider. The winningest head coach in Penn Wrestling history with 205 dual meet wins, Reina last coached in a dual meet on February 20, 2005 against Lehigh. The last time Reina coached in a dual meet inside The Palestra was the day prior, a 28-10 win over Princeton. Reina would retire after the 2004-05 season, but has come out of retirement to once again lead the Red and Blue.
Mattiace Making Moves
Despite a loss in his most recent bout – a 7-4 decision to No. 11 Anthony Cassar of Penn State – No. 12
Frank Mattiace has been on fire to start the 2017-18 season. He is 8-1 overall with four wins via pin – one fall away from tying his single-season high. Overall, six of his eight wins have come with bonus points.
Penn Pin!
Mattiace's four falls have helped Penn to 16 total pins in two tournaments to start the 2017-18 season. The Red and Blue have picked up a pin in 16 of their 117 matches this season – pinning opponents at a rate of 13.7%. Last year, the Quakers had just 28 wins via fall over 431 total matches – a rate of 6.5%
Fresh Faces
Penn has seven freshmen in the wrestling room this season, and that group is 17-19 as they get their career going. Three of those freshmen –
Daniel Planta (5-2), Gianni Ghionne (5-1) and
Khamari Whimper (4-4) are expected in the starting lineup this weekend. Add in sophomore
Jake Lizak (4-4) who missed all of last season with injury, and the Quakers have new blood in the lineup making some waves to start the season.
Revisiting Rider
There are no expected rematches on Friday night from last year's dual meet with the Broncs, but both teams competed at the Keystone Classic in The Palestra on November 19 so there's a chance for some recent rivalries to be renewed – especially at the middleweights.
Joe Velliquette had a 2-1 lead on No. 8 B.J. Clagon in the first period of their semifinal match at 157 at Keystone before Clagon suffered an injury and had to default. At 165 pounds, No. 6 Chad Walsh defeated
May Bethea, 6-2, in the championship match to pick up his first win in the all-time series between the two New Jersey natives – Bethea is now 2-1 all-time against Walsh. At 174, freshman
Khamari Whimper will make his dual meet debut against Wayne Stinson. The two met at Keystone, Stinson picking up a third-period pin in what was to that point a one-point match.
Penn's Probable Lineup
125:
Daniel Planta, Fr. (5-2)
133:
Gianni Ghione, Fr. (5-1) or
Tristin DeVincenzo, Jr. (0-2)
141:
Marc Mastropietro, Sr. (0-0) or
Jake Lizak, So. (4-4)
149:
Joe Oliva, Sr. (2-2) or
Evan DeLuise, Fr. (3-4)
157:
Joe Velliquette, Sr. (6-2) or
Jon Errico, So. (3-2)
165:
May Bethea, Sr. (6-2)
174:
Khamari Whimper, Fr. (4-4) or
Brian Krasowski, So. (0-4)
184: No. 17
Joe Heyob, Sr. (3-1)
197: No. 12
Frank Mattiace, Sr. (8-1)
285:
Patrik Garren, Sr. (6-4)
Rider's Probable Lineup
125: J.R. Wert, Sr. (4-1)
133: No. 19 Anthony Cefolo. Jr. (7-3)
141: Tyson Dippery, Sr. (4-2)
149: Gary Dinmore, So. (7-6)
157: No. 8 B.J. Clagon, Sr. (4-2)
165: No. 6 Chad Walsh, Sr. (8-0)
174: Dean Sherry, Jr. (5-4) or Wayne Stinson, Sr. (6-5)
184: Michale Fagg-Daves, Sr. (5-5)
197: Ethan Laird, Fr. (5-5)
285: Mauro Correnti, Sr. (7-4)
Hofstra's Probable Lineup
125: Jacob Martin, So. (3-5)
133: Vinny Vespa, So. (1-4)
141: Connor Burkert, So. (0-3)
149: Ryan Burkert, Jr. (4-3)
157: Ricky Stamm, Fr. (2-4)
165: Sage Heller, So. (2-4)
174: Bobby Fehr, Jr. (2-7)
184: Cory Damiana, Jr. (1-4)
197: Nezar Haddad, Jr. (6-6)
285: No. 6 Michael Hughes, Sr. (11-0)
Campbell's Probable Lineup
TBD
The Citadel's Probable Lineup
TBD
