Feb. 18, 2010
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
After a dominant Senior Day performance, the No. 9 Terrapins head to Charlottesville to take on No. 24 Virginia Saturday at 1 p.m. Maryland's final match of the season comes with high postseason implications as the Terrapins (3-0 in the ACC) and Cavaliers (3-1) both are looking to lock up high seeds for the conference tournament.
The Terps have wrestlers from several weight classes undefeated in conference action, including No. 14 Josh Asper, Kyle John, Corey Peltier, No. 3 Hudson Taylor and Patrick Gilmore, all who are a perfect 3-0 in ACC matches. Taylor leads the NCAA Division I in pins (22) and is tied for the national lead in wins (35). He will have a tough test at Virginia, taking on No. 18 Brent Jones. The two have faced off several times in their careers; Jones bested Taylor last season in the ACC Championship, but Taylor pinned Jones in the championship match of the Penn State Open earlier this season.
"This is a huge match for us. With wins we can lock up high seeds for the ACC Tournament," said head coach Kerry McCoy. "Almost every match has big implications and we want to finish the season on a high note."
After scoring the most points in an ACC dual match this season against NC State on Saturday, winning 45-6, the Cavaliers also have high stakes in the team's final conference matchup. For Virginia, Matt Snyder, No. 3 Chris Henrich and No. 18 Brent Jones are all 4-0 in conference duals and will be seeking to secure high tournament seeds come March.
The Cavs are 16-5 on the season and have outscored their last three opponents (Princeton, Duke and NC State) by a combined score of 125-9. A win would go a long way for Virginia as it would secure second place for the Cavaliers, behind only Virginia Tech.
A win for Maryland, however, would place them in a two-way tie for the number one spot in the ACC with the Hokies. The Terps are 18-4, having won nine of their last ten matches. Against ranked opponents, Maryland is 4-3, most recently defeating then-No. 14 Kent State on Jan. 17. Against conference foes, the Terps have been particularly dominant, winning 24 of 30 matches so far this year.
No. 9/10 Maryland vs. No. 24/23 Virginia (NWCA Coaches Poll/InterMat rankings)
125 - James Knox (19-9) or Pat Strizki (11-8) vs. Ross Gitomer (19-12)
133 - No. 11 Steven Bell (21-5) vs. Matt Snyder (26-14)
141 - No. 9 Alex Krom (16-5) vs. Derek Valenti (22-6)
149 - Jon Kohler (14-16) vs. Shawn Harris (17-10)
157 - Kyle John (26-10) vs. Dan Gonsor (17-6)
165 - No. 14 Josh Asper (29-6) vs. Beau Fisher (7-9)
174 - Owen Smith (10-13) or Bradley Nielson (12-9) vs. No. 3 Chris Henrich (27-2)
184 - Corey Peltier (16-13) vs. No. 20 Mike Salopek (25-8)
197 - No. 3 Hudson Taylor (35-2) vs. No. 18 Brent Jones (21-9)
HWT - Patrick Gilmore (22-9) vs. Jack Danilkowicz (16-10)
