Nittany Lions prepped for Rider in unusual week
Silence.
It’s not something you hear inside of a wrestling room.
“This is a rare day,” Nittany Lion coach Cael Sanderson said on Tuesday inside an empty practice room. “Both our freestyle and college kids have the day off.”
Penn State wrestlers not only had to prepare for their match at Rider on Saturday at 4 p.m., but they also had finals.
Matt McCutcheon said he was taking his first final of the week on Tuesday. The course was physiology.
“It’s the hard one,” McCutcheon said with a laugh. “I have a few throughout the week so I can’t wait till it’s done.”
Sanderson has a test of his own this week.
Get the Nittany Lions ready for the Broncs, just to lose them for a few days for the holiday. They will return to State College just in time to head to Tennessee for the Southern Scuffle.
“It’s a different kind of a week,” Sanderson said. “Getting your guys ready during finals week, is kind of a challenge. We had to adjust things a little bit.”
No. 1 Penn State shouldn’t have a problem as they’ve beaten Rider in their last two matches — a 30-3 win in Rec Hall last season and a 34-8 victory in Lawrenceville, N.J., in 2013.
The Broncs haven’t wrestled in a dual since their 27-19 win over Northwestern on Dec. 5.
Even though the Nittany Lions have breezed by Rider in the past, Sanderson knows his team is in for a scrappy match.
“Rider is a tough team,” he said. “The program continues to get better. They’re made up of East Coast kids and (New) Jersey kids that are real tough.”
Rider is led by a strong trio of middle weights, a strength for the Nittany Lions.
No. 1 Zain Retherford will tangle with No. 14 B.J. Clagon at 149. No. 3 Jason Nolf will aim to give Penn State a win at 157 against the Broncs’ No. 20 Chad Walsh.
It’s not official who will get the start for the Nittany Lions at 165. No. 19 Geno Morelli or Shakur Rasheed will face off with No. 15 Conor Brennan.
It will be another match Penn State will wrestle in front of a capacity crowd.
“I think it will be a great atmosphere,” Sanderson said of the match and his team. “From what I’ve been told, they sold it out. These guys are lucky because most places we go they have a big crowd and people want to see them wrestle, and that’s because of the way they wrestle.”
Nate Cobler: 814-231-4609, @ncoblercdt
No. 1 Penn State (5-0) at Rider (3-3)
When: 4 p.m., Saturday
Where: Alumni Gym, Lawrenceville, N.J.
TV: TCN (9)
Radio: WRSC 1390
Nittany Lions | vs. | Broncs |
125: No. 4 Nico Megaludis (9-1) | vs. | Brenden Calas (2-5) |
133: No. 8 Jordan Conaway (8-1) | vs. | Zach Valcarce (0-3) OR Rob Deutsch (4-4) |
141: No. 6 Jimmy Gulibon (5-2) OR Kade Moss (9-2) | vs. | Paul Kirchner (7-4) |
149: No. 1 Zain Retherford (9-0) | vs. | No. 14 B.J. Clagon (5-6) |
157: No. 3 Jason Nolf (10-0) | vs. | No. 20 Chad Walsh (8-2) |
165: No. 19 Geno Morelli (12-1) OR Shakur Rasheed (6-3) | vs. | No. 15 Conor Brennan (10-0) |
174: No. 5 Bo Nickal (10-0) | vs. | Wayne Stinson (5-5) |
184: No. 13 Matt McCutcheon (7-1) | vs. | Steve Nelson (0-2) |
197: No. 1 Morgan McIntosh (8-0) | vs. | Ryan Wolfe (8-3) |
Hwt: Devon Van Cura (6-4) OR Jan Johnson (1-1) | vs. | Mauro Correnti (6-4) |
This story was originally published December 18, 2015 at 8:10 PM with the headline "Nittany Lions prepped for Rider in unusual week."