Maryland Opens Season With Terrapins Duals
10/30/2015 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Maryland wrestling team begins its 2015-16 season with the sixth annual Terrapins Duals Sunday at the XFINITY Center. Maryland will take on Pittsburgh (11:45 a.m.), Buffalo (1:30) and Davidson (3:15).
- Maryland's duals will be streamed live on BTN Plus here.
Terrapin duals schedule
10:00 a.m.
Mat 1 - West Liberty vs. Davidson
Mat 2 - Pittsburgh vs. Kutztown
Off - Maryland, Buffalo
11:45 a.m.
Mat 1 - Maryland vs. Pittsburgh
Mat 2 - Buffalo vs. Davidson
Off - Kutztown, West Liberty
1:30 p.m.
Mat 1 - Maryland vs. Buffalo
Mat 2 - West Liberty vs. Kutztown
Off - Davidson, Pittsburgh
3:15 p.m.
Mat 1 - Maryland vs. Davidson
Mat 2 - West Liberty vs. Pittsburgh
Off - Kutztown, Buffalo
Scouting the Opposition
• Pittsburgh finished last season with an 8-8 record and a 21st place finish at the NCAA Championships. The Panthers feature 2015 NCAA qualifiers Ryan Solomon, Mikey Racciato and Dom Forys.
• Racciato won an ACC title at 149 pounds last season and will move down to 141 this year. Solomon won two matches at the NCAA Championships last season while Forys went two and out. Pittsburgh defeated Maryland at Fitzgerald Field House last season.
• Buffalo finished last season with a 5-14 record with no NCAA qualifiers. Heavyweight starter Jake Gunning led the team in wins with 28 in open competition. Redshirt sophomore Joe Ariola is the top returning dual match winner with eight. The Bulls return six starters and features a young squad that will start seven underclassmen.
• Davidson recorded a 6-15 dual record with two of those victories coming over Johns Hopkins and Alderson-Broddus at last year's Terrapin Duals. The Wildcats return Nathaniel Powers, who nabbed 12 wins last season at 174 pounds.
Scouting the terps
• The Terps return two NCAA qualifiers and five starters from last season's squad and add a top-20 recruiting class.
• Redshirt senior Geoffrey Alexander (133), a three-time NCAA qualifier, holds 86 career wins and is nationally ranked by all major polls entering the season. The Pittsburgh native won 14 times
• Redshirt senior Lou Mascola qualified for his first NCAA Championships last season at 157 pounds and also placed at the Midlands.
• Mascola's journey from unknown recruit to NCAA qualifier can be found here.
• Redshirt freshman Alfred Bannister enters his redshirt freshman campaign after a 37-win debut season. That total led Maryland. Bannister was a four-time Maryland state champion in high school and finished his career as the winningest high school wrestler in Maryland prep history.
• Redshirt senior Josh Snook, who won 13 times last season, returns as the starter at 174 pounds. Redshirt junior Tyler Manion will once again be the starter at 165 pounds.
• Sophomore Dawson Peck (285) qualified for the 2014 NCAA Championships as a competitor for Chattanooga before sitting out a transfer season last year in College Park.
Wrestling Season Preview
• Umterps.com previewed the 2015-16 wrestling season with head coach Kerry McCoy. The previews can be found here: 125-141, 149-174, 184-285.
McCoy Names 2015-16 Captains
• Maryland wrestling head coach Kerry McCoy named seniors Geoffrey Alexander and Lou Mascola, along with redshirt freshman Alfred Bannister, as captains for the 2015-16 season.
• Alexander was a captain two seasons ago. Mascola and Bannister are first-time captains.
New Starters
• Multiple grapplers could make their dual-match debut this weekend. Alfred Bannister (141), Wade Hodges (149), Matt Pente (149). Patrick Gerish (157), Brendan Burnham (165), Garrett Wesneski (197).
Media Madness
• Head coach Kerry McCoy and select Maryland wrestlers faced the cameras at media day on Oct. 27
• McCoy discussed a wide variety of subjects at his press conference. His comments can be viewed below.
Check out @kmac120's press conference and more coverage from Media Day! https://t.co/mcxzMFAgH6 #FearTheTurtle https://t.co/Fv0NHwRwMw
— Maryland Wrestling (@TerpsWrestling) October 27, 2015
-Terps-
